The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-15
SAYS IT'S WITHOUT FOUNDATION
Mr.. Jack DenOunces the story of
Women Stripped on the OIivette.

Mr. Jack DenOunces the story of
Women Stripped on the OIivette.
The New York Journal of Feb H. pub
fishes under fiaring headlines and in dou-
BILE columns, over the signature of Richard
Harding Davis a story of purported out
RACES committed upon women upon the
Plant steamship Olivette. Along with a
picture which would hardly be published
by the Police Gazette for decencys sake,
it gives what purports to be description
of the stripping. and searching of two wo-
men who took passage on the Olivette, by
brutal Spanish officials.
Such a sensation has been made of the
affair that it appears to have been taken
up by some members of congress with a
view to making an investigation, but so
far as is known the only foundation for
the congressman action Is the Journals
report.
Third Vice President D. F. Jack, who
has recently become also freight traffic
manager of the Plant system was asked
last night about the Journals report.
''Any statement to the effect that wo-
men have been stripped and searched on
the OliVette or any of our steamers, or
that any indignites have been offered
them, is unqualihedly false and without
foundation" Mr.. Jack said.
THE paper that publishes such a story
/ put on a par with the Police Gazette.
The truth of the matter is that nine
tenths of the stuff that is sent from Key
West and Tampa to these papers is alb
solutely without foundation in fact This
report, / might say, has about as much
truth in il as the statement l saw to-day
regarding the sale at auction of a number
of Cuban women. These correspondents
are eager to get hold of any little thing
and they Immediately proceed to magnify
it out of all proportion in order to get so
much a line for it. l was talking with a
New York gentleman the other day, who
was telling me his experience with a cor
l. l,A1 tn How
business, and on his return was met by
a newspaper man, who began to question
him. The gentleman told him cock and
bull story. all of which he eagerly took
in and sent it out by wire.
THE truth of the matter is the Span
ish customs official is upon the 5 hip until
she leaves port. He is there, however,
merely for the purpose of inspecting the
papers of parties as they come aboard,
and if their papers are all right, that set
ties it, and no more questions are asked.
If the papers are not all right, there is
no searching, but the parties are returned
to the shore. There was story some
time ago, gotten up in very sensational
style, about the daughter of Cuban ma
jor, who was coming to America, being
searched in just some such way as this.
l took occasion to investigate IT, and
found that she was searched before leaV-
ing the shore, but no such indignities as
are described in that article, were Of
fered her, even on shore. | would not be
surprised if Mr.. Davis had to pay his
| passage to Cuba"
Representative Cummings OF New York
has introduced a resolution requesting the
| Secretary of State to give the House of
| Representatives any information he may
| have concerning the incident of the strip
| ping of lady passengers on board the Oil
| Vette. The resolution recites that the al
| legged occurrence was described in New
| York paper
The resolution was referred to the COM
mittee on foreign affairs, and a favorable
| report Is expected Wednesday. u
Mr.. Cummings said as to the resolution
| "Tf an English woman on an English YES
sci had been stripped by Spanish officials,
| as 1t has been alleged that an American
woman was stripped, within forty-eight
hours Moro castle would come down or
| some apology would be made for it.
| doubt even if Japan would have stood it.
Furthermore, If the American government
| stands it, in my opinion, it indicates a to-
| tai loss of manhood and the keenest SYM
| patty with savage inhumanity"