Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-12-16
General Lee Not Guarded.
(Washingtnn Post. J

washington Post)
The thrilling news Just received by the
New York sun, and published III ma.
papers edition OF the 14th instant, 10 tno
effect that Consiil-General Lee Is now
guarded by four soldiers and TWO ue.e 49,,
tives against the Infatuated Spanish popuu-
lace. shows that the Habana coi iespo.,n
ents of our esteemed New YORK cV ntel,
poraries still feel themselves caiied upv''
to contribute at the same tlme 70 III, ne
gaycty of nations and the appetite OF .no
credulous. The latest incursion ihto Nv"
nance runs as fOllows
"Habana, December 10-The American
consulate in this city is guarded by four
soldiers OF the military police or iiapi Ii,
and two detectives. There is Inucn app'.-
hension In government circles ,hit an
attack may be directed upon me cTi rds
late by the uncompromising Spanlarus,
who are very angry over the message u
President Mckinley"
There is no such thing as an American
consulate building in the CUBAN capi,a,,
General Lee rents three small rooms IN "a
large Office building-third moor, anu Is
one Of twenty-five or thirty tenants. Inere
are banking houses, steamship agencies,
insurance offices, &c, &c, under the SAINT
roof. Any injury done to the. structure
would fall primarily upon the BRUSH
company which owns II, ana next upon
the Spanish bankers, Hidalgo IL 90, Who
are the principal tenants 10 p barS ,h hp
the building would be To insult hal1 tne
nations I'm Europe, but IL could no NOR
be regarded as an attack upon the United
States than provOcation TO England vi
to Spain. All this aspect Sot the story Is
too pucrile and absurd for serious con-
sideration.
AS regards the allegation that General
Lee has TO he guarded by Spanish SOL
diers and detectives. IT Is as vicious as
the other story is silly 1t will be OBJ
served that the dispatch is dated "Ha-
bana 10th December" On the evening
of Thursday December 9th, the writer
of this article dined with General Lee
in the restaurant of the Hotel lnglaterra,
where the General has his sleeping
apartment There was no other person
in the party, and, therefore. no soldier
or detective could possibly have been
present without the writer's knowledge
General Lees table, which he uses regu-
larry, is Immediately next to large,
open door looking out upon the street,
where hundreds of persons pass, ana
where an intending assassin would have
absolutely no difficulty in accomplishing
his hellish purpose. After dinner Gene
raj Lee went directly out upon the side
walk entered an open carriage, and
drove away TO distant part OF the city
TO attend wedding. No Spanish soldiers
or detectives accompanied him. Up TO
that moment-say $50 o'clock on the eve
ming of the 9th-there was nothing TO
warrant the ridiculous story here referred
to.
The writer was in Habana all day Fri
day. and on that evening saw General Lee
again at his table. still alive and still UNI
protected. That was the 10th-the date of
the blood-curdling dispatch above quoted.
The writer remained in Habana until IL
NJ. on Saturday. the 18th. and then sailed
for Key West without once having heard
Of the ominous condition of affairs de-
scribed by the Suns Habana correspond
ent. We make bold TO say, moreover,
that the aforesaid condition of affairs,
either on the 9th or the 10th. or the 18th,
or at any time since or before, had no
existence in fact IT is a waste of time.
we fear, to expose these mischievous and
wicked roorbacks, for the supply is un-
limited and the source inexhaustible.
but We, knowing what we do of the real
situation in Hahana, cannot refrain from
calling attention to this particular burst
Of scandal, and appealing TO sensible men
to dismiss it from their minds as so much
idle rubbish.