The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-03-03
LEES AMERICAN STAND
n HIS DEMANDS WE'RE NOT Sus-
Tanned, tlz WOULD RESIGN.
Correspondence Read in the Senate of
Americans UnjustiY Imprisoned
and Horrors Revealed.

and Horrors Revealed.
Washington. ID. c., March President
Cleveland has sent to the Senate cor
respondence relating to American citizens
arrested i'm Cuba The most important
are the kilograms in the case Of Charles
Scott, which are as follows, being tele-
grams sent by nsul-General Fitzhugh
Lee to the State Department No replies
from the State Department are given
in this ease:
ON February GOTH Mr.. Lee telegraphed
as follows to the State Department:
Charles Scott, a citizen of the United
States, arrested at Regla. No charge
given. Been without communication jail
Havana 264 hours Cannot stand an
other Ruiz murder and have demanded
his release. How many war vessels Key
West or within reach and will they be
ordered here at once, if necessary to sus-
tain demand?
(Signed) LEE
On the 23rd he said in a cable mes
sage:
situation simple Experience at GUIANA
bacoa made it my duty to demand before
too late that another American who had
been ncommuncado 264 hours be released
from said iucommunicado, and did so in
courteous terms. If you support it and
Scott is so released the trouble will ter
inmate. If you do not l must depart. All
others arrested with Scott have been put
in communication. Why should the only
American i'm the lot not be? He has been
incommunicado now 33S hours
(Signed9 LEE"
Later In the same cay, the ZJrd ulto.,
Mr. Lee said:
Demand complied vita. Scott released
from incommunicado to-day on demand,
after fourteen days solitary CONTINENT in
cell five feet by eleven; damp; water on
bottom Of cell Not allowed anything
to sleep on. or chair Discharges Of the
body removed once in five days. Was
charged with having Cuban postage
stamps in the house. Scott says he went
always twelve hours without water; once
two days. He was employe of American
Gas Company"
The most volumiuous correspondence
is that i'm the case of Sylvester Scoyel
correspondent of the New York World,
who was arrested on February 9Th The
documents furnished show that Mr.. Ice
and that Mr.. Olney responded Immediate
ly, directing him to see that all ScoveTs
rights a an American citizen were pro-
tect. The letters and kilograms in this
case run from the 9th to the 10Th OF
February. when Mr.. Lee informed the
department that q competent lawyer had
been secured to defend Scovel. He had
said previously that he did not anticipate
serious trouble in this case, but later
changed his opinion. ut is supposed SEQ
vel bore discriminating papers which
gives the case a more serious aspect"
On the 18th of February Gen. Lee said
that Scovel was in a we'll ventilated cell
and that he had had good food and bed
at Sancti Spiritus, to which is added
Treaty rights have been respected. Is
in hands Of civil jurisdiction l have sent
messenger to report case"
General Lee tried to have ScOvel remov-
ed from Sancti Spiritus to Havana, but
failed.
The remaining case covered is that Of
It. ]. Casan0s, arrested February 13, but
on what charge does not appear. General
Lees first information to the State De-
par1nent was contained in a cablegram
of February II. In this dispatch he con-
veys the information of the arrest which
he says took place at Sagua, and says
the Consuls rejort will follow, adding,
Proceedings are a great outrage. SINH
lar cases here and elsewhere on the island.
Redress can be obtained here"
On the 25th. General Lee stated, in re-
ply to a message from the State Depart
ment that Casanos had resided at Sa-
qua when arrested, and that he had reg
istered ut Havana as an American in
1872.
The presence of the message on the
clerks desk was noised about before it
was formally laid before the Senate, and
many Senators called to read it previous
TO its being read by the clerk. There
was especial interest in the case Of Mr..
Scott. the kilograms relating to whose
case Senator had read for the informa
ton Of the Senate. There was especial
comment upon the trivial character OF
the charge against Mr.. Scott, that OF hav
ing Cuban postage stamps in his house
and General Lees attitude was generally
remarked upon by the Pro-Cubans in
most eulOgistic terms.
Evidently only the near approach Of
the end of the session prevented the pre-
cipitatiOn of another Cuban debate.
DTRHAM nOTS