The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-19
COMPETITOR MEN FREE.
THEY WERE TURNED OYER 10 EN-
LEE ON MONDAY LAST.

nut tho state Dep,r,weut was Not Notined
Until Yesterday. and Then by Cap'ehtsN
from Shndrid-The Mes Are Now ON Their
Way to the United states By stea"er.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 1s.-Another instance
OF SPANS complete reversal Of the WeSier
policy was furnished to-day in n notincauoh 10
the State Department, through Gen. Wooo'
ford, the United States Minister at Mario, tnaC
the Queen Regent had pardoned the hve COM
petitor prisoners, whose confinement IN n
Cuban prison caused ar interesting debate IN
Congress Mt the last session. 1t is evident 10
the officials OF the Administration that the Sa'
gnsta Ministry has determined to do every
thing to improve the somewhat strained rela'
lions OF Spain with this country by removing
all causes OF friction. The note which Minis
ter Woodford presented to tho latc Conserve
tive Ministry Just prior to its downfall, ana 10
which consideration was given by Sagastn ana
his Cabinet, is believed at the State Depart
mcnt to DO the moving cause OF SPANS sudden
change of front.
Already several Of tho reforms which tho Nc
Kinley Administration sought to induce spain
to grant have been carried out, or promises
given that they will be. Weyler has been re-
called. tho inhuman concentration order has
been revoked, food is being distributed to starv'
Ing, peasants, taxes have been reduced, the pro-
HO oeioh ~
cattle into Cuba has been removed and the Ad-
ministration reform scheme has been promul-
With the release of the Competitor men tho
Spanish prisons IN Cuba have been emptied or
; American "a w prisoner 1sr Praeties,ly mot nothing = g;rd RE-
official interest, III having changed, except the
revocation of the decree issued by, Weyler pro-
hibiting the expectation. of leaf tobacco. This
decree has had u bad effect on the cigurmakers
or the United states, many OF whom arc
Cuhans. 1t was to cripple these American sym.
nnIhlyCr4 M their lnslrCpnf rnnntrvmpn that
the Lccree was issued. State Department Otfl-
cials believe that the prohibition will be re-
The Competitor prisoners. Labordc. Melton,
Gildea, Lcavitt, and Barnett, we've turned over
ment Gen. Lee said they would sail for the
United States to-day. 1t is supposed here that
the nrst steamer day in the fear that Weylcr
sympathizers In Havana might, make a dem.
the tns'i i've Americana iner @Gs.u The pr RI %Sa.,y bad nd'i been en-
convicted by u naval ~court.martial last year
and sentenced to death. This Government
court-martial conducted the trial. and n new
trial was ordered before q military court. The
postponed on he excuse Su that one Of the span:
ish judicial officers concerned was i'll. This
was, n mere subterruge, as the Madrid Minis
Dupuy de LONE. the Spanish Minister here. was
informed that the prisoner would be liberated
ment, so that there was no surprise expressed
there when the fact that a pardon had beer
granted was received officially.
Ona Melton's case was the most interesting
of the FIVE. He is n young nan from Kansas
who made an arrangement with a Florida news
paper to Join the Cuban insurgents and WRIT
reports Of their operations. He embarked il
the Competitor, a small schooner, which started
for Cuba On u hlibustering expedition. TIL
schooner was captured by n Spanish gunboat
From the first Melton protested that he wa
not concerned in the illegal aspect of the ex
petition, but was merely q newspaper man en-
gagged in regular newspaper work. A rrSOlu
ton calling for Melton's release was adopte,
by the Senate at the last session. but did no
pass the House. Its consideration in the Sen
ate was the occasion for several passionate a,
tacks on Spain.