The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-03-02
LEE FREED AMERICANS
Correspondence Of the Consul sGeneial
With the State Department Made Public.
HORRIBLE TREATMENT OF PRISONERS
Confined in Cells Unfit for ti,e Desel.
ton OF Brutcs-'rhc Consul G es, 9 rnl
Tells OF tho Protests lac IIatie aiid
Threatened TO Resign II he WAS
Not Supported.

/. . { . . .. 9 ? . b. q i . a ~
Washington, March 1.-The CORE
spondence Of the Department Of State
with Consul General Lee ct Havanassn
the case Of Charles Scott, ali American
citizen, which WAS laid before the SenatG
to-day. confirms the published story that
General Lee threatened to resign uhIesS
the Department should support his de-
mand that Scott be released from S6li-
tary confinement.
The correspondence is much like half a
conversation by telephone, as the tele-
grams sent to the Department by Gen
eral Lee only are transmitted. the de-
partment's end Of the interchange being
omitted. February 9,n General V. Lee
wired the State Department., "Charles
scott. an American citizen, arrested at
Regla this morning. Charges not yet
known t}.s
DEMANDED HIS RELEASE.
The next is dated February goth, and
says Scott has been in Jail in Havana
without communication for 264 hours.
The dispatch continues: Cannot stand
another Ruiz murder, and have demand
ed his release. How many war vessels
at Key West or within reach, and will
they be ordered here at once If necess ssary
to sustain demand?"
Fepruary 2Sd he again telegraphs Sec
retary Olney, evidently replying to in
quries, and in language that can scarce
ly be misunderstood:
MUST BE SUPPORTED.
situation simple. Experience at
Guanaba Goa made it my duty to demand
before too late that anu:ner American.
VINO mad been incommunicado 264 hours
be released from said incommunicado,
and did SO in courteous terms. II you
support i and Scott Is so releu the
trouble VIII terminate. II you do not l
must depart. All others arrested with
scott have been put in communication.
why should only American in lot not be :?
He has been incommunicado nov; jas
hours" 7' r-I'
The correspondence closed with telc-
gram OF the same date in which General
Lee Informed the State Department that
his demand had been compiled with, and
tnat scott had been released from in
communicable, after fourteen days solita-
~ confinement III damp cell, five feet
by eleven, with water on the floor
HORRIBLE TREATMENT.
He was not allowed chair or any
thing to sleep on" and the telegram
concludes: "And discharges OF the body
were removed only once in five days
without water, and once two days. Scott
was charged with having Cuban postage
stamps In his house. Was an employe
OF an American gas company"
IN regard TO the arrest OF +. j. Ca
seanas. an American citizen. General
~ oi' ~ va IN, III a. ulSpalcn an
nouncing his arrest denounced It as
great outrage. and said there We're sim
liar cases at Sagua and elsewhere in the
island
The department six days later ordered
Lee to report upon the whole facts. and
on February 24th Lee replied that Casea-
mas insisted his treaty right should be
respected. The prisoner had resided at
Sagua since his rcgistra ton there in 1871.
The other dispatches show the number
Of his registrative entry, number Of
passport, etc. and conclude with n dis
patch dated February 9th, leaving the
matter undiEposed OF.