The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-12-08
COMPETITOR MEN RETURN
five Prisoners Released From the
Cuban Cabanas Reach New York.
MELTON'S TALE Of TORTURE.

All of Them Emaciated From Long Con-
fnement and Hardship-Captain La
borde Crippled-Horrors of Nineteen
Months in Spanish Dungeon-Con-
demned to Death without Hearing.
NEW YORK CRY (SpeciaD 1.-The five mem-
bers OF the crew Of the alleged flibustering
schooner Competitor, who were released
after nineteen months confinement in
Spanish prisons in Cuba, arrived in this city
On the Ward Line steamer Saratoga. Broken
In health by their long confinement and the
treatment accorded them by their jailers,
and clad only In the rags which they have
worn since they were captured over year
and half ago, they made pitlable specta-
Gle as they walked down the gangplank OF
the steamer and fell into the arms Of their
friends, who had been waiting on the dock
for hours. The five are: Captain Alfredo
Laborde, OF New Orleans, master OF the
American schooner Competitor and a citi-
zen Of the United States; William Gildea,
an Englishman by birth, but naturalized
citizen and mate of the Competitor; Owna
Melton, a Kansas newspaper man and
school teacher who sailed on the
Competitor; William Leavitt, cook Of the
Competitor and native Of this city, and
Charles Barnett, steward Of the Competl-
tor and a British subject. The other two
we're captured were Dr.. e. Bedea and
Telcado Massa. Massa was tried and ac-
quilted on the charge Of f1libustering, but
was kept III prison as witness against DR..
Bedea. The latter Is still In Cabana Fort
reSS.
fthe FIVE men who returned young Mel
ton was in far the worst condition. He
went away on the Competitor robust man,
healthy, strong, and Weighing 1855 pounds.
He returned pale, emaciated, and hollow
eyed. He weighed just 100 pounds when
he landed, and was so weak that he could
scarcely talk above a whisper. his hands
trembled violently, and he looked to
be nothing but skin and bones. In
this condition he was sent away from
Cuba, with no clothing but white flannel
shirt, the trousers which he wore when he
was captured, thin jacket and shoes and
socks. His teeth we're chattering with the
cold as he stood on the deck Of the Sar-
atoga when she hauled into her dock. One
of the first men aboard the stsamer was
Cuban, who quickly stripped himself OF his
overcoat and covered the shivering man
with 1t. ..
william Leavitt, the cook Of the Com.
petitor, was in almost as bad condition.
The Others say that his sufYerings have af-
fected his mind. He is physical wreck
and had NO more clothing than Melton.
Captain Laborde was In fairly good
shape, although he has aged very
much since he went away. he is
thirty-nine years old, but looked hfty-fye
as he walked down the gangplank. bis
hair and beard were dark brown when he
went away. They are now streaked with
gray. Captain Laborde walked with the
aid OF crutoh. His left leg is useless,
rendered 80 by two strokes Of paralysis
which he had while in prison.
The men gave the first connected account
Of the Competitor affair. Owna Melton
told the story as follows:
"When the expedition had been nearly
landed on the shore warning Of the ap-
proach OF the Spanish gunboat Mesa
gera was given. The Competitor put to
sea, but was overtsken. A solid shot
over our decks showed what fate was
In store for US. The small boats were
launched, and the seven men left on board
jumped into them and started for the shore.
We were captured, however, one after an
other, by boats from the Messengers.
hllcE UCLu6 AuuuOo "O "OAO toLu00 SF0h
to the Spanish soldiery. Our arms we're
tied at the elbows behind our backs and
the cords drawn till our elbows touched
and our shoulder blades were nearly dis.
located. We were taken to prison near
Havana, where we were kept incom-
municado for six days In dark cells.
There was no furniturein the cells-neithef
bed nor chair. We were fed once day.
We were not allowed to see the American
Consul. Three Of US were then put In
cell six feet by twelve, where we were kept
for three weeks without stepping out Of It
once. Then list OF Spanish officers was
handed to US from which We were ordered
to select one to defend US In our trial for
life. We took the first. He came to US,
spent just one minute In asking us II we
were guilty or not, and left.
"We were tried and, without any defence
beyond short general speech by the Of
fcer for clemency, were sentenced to
death. We were then thrown into
separate cells for another six days
lncommunicado. Then began the work
of the United States Government In
our behalf, and we ,,were removed to
Cabanas Fortress, where we have been
confined since. I have spent the time In
one large room with about forty other
prisoners Of all descriptions, from the
murderer to the thief. The room had one
small window and one door. We were
never allowed to go out"