The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1897-11-26
THE COMPETITOR PRISONERS
The Queen Pardons Alleged
Cuban Filibusters.

AAS o0SSAA e@i N0Al0 IAAAO6 0A
Cuban Filibusters.
MUST NOT RETURN TO CUBA
Are Now on Their Way to New York
General Satisfaction Expressed in
Madrid Political Circles.
Washington, Nov. %. = Minister
Woodford has telegraphed the state de-
partment that the Spanish cabinet has
notified him that the queen has par
doned the Competitor prisoners. The
state department announces that the
Competitor prisoners were turned over
to Consul General Lee last Monday,
and will be sent by him direct to New
York today.
1t is not doubted here that the prison
ers are liberated on such conditions
as were imposed in the case of former
prisoners; that is, that they will not re-
turn to. Cuba. 1t is singular that the
men should have been for days in Gus
tody Of General Lee without the fact
having become generally known, but
it is supposed that secrecy was observed
in order to secure departure from Ha-
vana without exciting trouble from the
extreme conservative Spanish faction.
There were four prisoners, namely,
Alfredo Laborde, the captain of the
Competitor, native of New Orleans;
William Gildea, the mate, a natural
lzed citizen, Ona Melton, who claims
Kansas as his native state, and who
went on the Competitor in the capacity
of newspaper correspondent, and
Charles Barnett, of British birth, but
who claimed the protection of the
United States government by virtue of
his sailing on an American vessel.
The conditions under which the Com
petitor was captured off the Cuban
coast, while engaged in landing arms
for the insurgents, have been often de-
scribed. The defense of the men was
that they were forced into the expedi-
tion against their will by the insurgent
party on board. They were tried by a
naval ccurt-martiaI, before which the.
could make only poor showing, prin-
cipally because of their ignorance of
the Spanish language, i'll which the pro-
ceedings were conducted, and their
conviction and the imposition of the
death sentence was not a matter of sur
prise.
At that point, however, the case as
sumed diplomatic importance. Our
government, through its CONSUL l-general
at Havana, Ramon Williams, and
through Minister Taylor, at Madrid,
interposed an energetic protest against
the execution of the men, claiming
they were improperly tried. in view of
the guarantees held out in the famous
Gushing protocol. This protest caused
the removal of. the case to the higher
judicial authorities at Madrid, by
whom a new trial was ordered. The
Spanish government, however, did not,
and has not yet, conceded that the
Cushing protocol applies to such cases.
To admit that would, in the opinion of
the Spanish authorities, greatly stimu
late the fitting out of filibustering par
ties in the United States.
The new trial had been ordered by
the Madrid supreme court, on the
ground of Irregularities in the original
trial, and by concession of the sound
ness of the objections interposed by the
United States. 1t was to have begun
last Monday, and it is thought would
have resulted in the imposition of the
death sentence again. This, however,
would have provoked an explosion in
this country, according to the anticipa
tions of the department officials, that
would have been hardly less violent
than the feeling caused by the famous
Virginius episode, SO to them it is
matter of satisfaction that the Spanish
queen has cut the diplomatic tangle by
the pardon of the men before the Sec
ond trial.
Senior Dupuy de LONE had a long con-
ference with Assistant Secretary Day
today, and it is believed the Spanish
government is about to voluntarily re-
move another troublesome factor from
the field of negotiations, in revoking
the decree made by Weyler, prohibit
ing the expectation of tobacco frol.
Cuba. This prohibition has worked
shardships on American cigar-makers,
and up to this time all efforts of the
state department to secure an anchor
alton of the harsh conditions of the de-
cree have been unavailing. The rea-
son set up by General Weyler for the
order was the necessity of keeping in
Havana the supply Of tobacco necessary
to run the domestic cigar factories,
and thus, by giving employment to
workmen, keep them from drifting
away into the insurgent ranks. 1t
was matter of common report, how
ever, that another potent reason was
desire to cripple the Cuban cigar-mak-
ers in the United States, from which
the insurgents drew funds.
Reports that come from Washington
are to the effect that the new crop of
tobacco that will be ripe in February
next is of excellent quality, and
amounts to four-ffths of an average
crop.
SignaIed for Assistance.
New York, Nov. 22.-The steamer
Megantic, from London November for
this port, anchored outside the bar this
forenoon SIGNALLING that she was dis