The record-union., 1897-01-09
Defendant Declares He Had No Con-
nection With the Rebellion.
General WeyIer, in an Interview, Ex-
presses the Hope That the Insur-
gent Leader, Gomez, Will Go to the
Province of Havana, Where the
Spanish Commander Thinks the
Rebels Would Meet With Sure
Defeat.

HAVANA, Jan S.-The trial of Louis
Somefllan, an American citizen, on the
charge of conspiring against the Span
ish Government began at / o'clock this
afternoon There was a large attend
ance Of spectators. Consul General
Lee, who recently said he thought the
evidence against the accused was very
feeble, was present. After the usual
rrelimfnarieS the charges Were read
alleging that Someillan was an agent
here for the Cuban Junta, and was in
league with others to overthrow the
Spanish authority in Cuba.
AS in the case of Julio Sanguilly. re-
Gently convicted of conspiracy, the de-
fense protested against the formation
of the tribunal arguing that the ac-
cused should be tried by six Judges,
according to the law of 1921, instead of
five, the number composing the court
The objection was overruled.
Then followed the reading of the evil
dence obtained at the preliminary pro-
ceedings from which 1T appeared that
Scmeillan received a code message from
Key West which the prosecution
claimed referred to the landing of a
filibustering expedition. The telegram
as read was: Tell Alfred to advise
Jose Maria Matilde marriage Thursday.
Advise if will be present" The infer
ence that this was cipher message
was borne out by instructions that
We're found ON the prisoner when he
was arrested
Someillan was placed on the witness
stand and testified that the telegram
was intended for his cousin Jose, to
whom 1t was delivered. He declared
that he never mixed in politics, and had
no connection with the rebellion.
Witnesses were called by the prose-
cutfon, but the evidence was weak.
They testified to nothing that would
support the charge against the prisoner.
The court then adjourned until to-
morrow, when further evidence will be
heard.
A delegation waited upon SaptSin-
General Weyler to-day to compliment
him upon his conduct of the campaign
against the insurgents. In replying to
the delegation General Weyler said he
ignored the attacks made upon him by
certain newspapers in Madrid The
attacks We're due to unjuStifiable i'm
patience. He was satisfied that the
campaign in the province of Pinar del
Rio had given better results than were
expected, not only in the triumphs of
the troops over the rebels, but also in
the small losses sustained by the army.
He hoped that Gomez, the rebel leader
would come to the province of Havana
Should he do so he would surely meet
his end.
so1 low, fr,,- ~ n
tached no Importance to the rumors
that he was to be deprived of the COM
mand. If he were. recalled others
would do as well, if not better, than he
had done
General Bosch reports the arrival at
Bayan1o of the convoy which the rebels
attempted to capture while en- route
The convoy went by way of the Cauto
River General Bosch says that the in
surgents lost over 200 men killed or
wounded in the Iona Sordo engage
ment
FILIBUSTER THREE FRIENDS.
JACKSONVILLE (F'la.), Jan. S.-The
investigation of the cases against the
persons charged in the libel against
the Three Friends with intent to COM
nit hoStilitieS against Spain has not yet
come before the United States Grand
Jury.
Eight Jacksonville newspaper men
Were subpenaed to appear before the
jury, but the District Attorney has not
been ready to take up his case and they
have been excused from day to day. The
attorney says that the case will be
taken up tomorrow or Monday. Every
person believed to have been on the
vessel on her last trip will have to APP
pear before the jury. The possibility of
being indicted for piracy has caused
some of them considerable uneasiness.