The record-union., 1897-11-23
Greeted With Most Enthusiastic Welcome
Upon Landing.
Julio Queseda, the Young Cuban
Insurgent Who Was Ordered
Shot by General WeyIer, but
Pardoned by General Blanco,
Also Among the Arrivals-Telis
the Story Of His Capture and
Release.


er Saratoga, from Havana, having on
board the released members of the
Competitor filibustering expedition, ar
rived to-day. The men are: Captain
Alfredo Laborde, William Gildea, Oha
Melton, William Leavitt and Charles
Bernett, an Englishman.
The five men were in fairly good
health and excellent spirits on reaching
quarantine. Captain Laborde suffers
somewhat from paralysis, which he
contracted during his long confinement
in the Cubanas fortress.
Joseph A. Springer, the United States
ViceConsul at Havana, was also a
passenger ON the Saratoga. Mr.. Spring
er declined to talk for publication.
The released men Wore the clothes
in which they. were clad at the time
of their capture on April %, 1896, at
BeITacos, San Cayalano, Cuba.
Another happy passenger on the Sar-
atoga was Julio Arago Queseda, the
young Cuban insurgent who was or
pardoned by General Blanco a friend
of the prisoners father
The six men who had escaped the
fate of the Virginius captives We're
greeted upon their arrival in New York
by an enthusiastic crowd, who gave
them a hearty welcome. The poor
wretches were too weak to respond to
the cheers which had been given in
their honor. Captain Laborde's broth
er was one of those assembled on the
dock. The meeting between the broth
ers was a touching one The friends of
the others cried with joy as they
grasped the hands of the released pris-
oners, whose eyes We're sunken, faces
pallid and forms emaciated. Repre-
sentatives of the Cuban Junta were
also present, and they. added their
greeting to the men.
This is the story which young Que
seda told tonight concerning his re-
lease:
while a member of the army corns
in the Pfnar del Rio district I became
possessed of information to the knowl-
edge of which I think / owe the saw
ing of my life Last March l wandered
about half a mile away from our hos
pital tent in search of some herbs, of
which I desired to make medicine, when
a detachement of Spanish infantry cap
tured me. The noise made by the
struggle aroused my twelve compan-
ions, and they rushed to my assistance.
During the fight that followed my
friends We're beaten, and one of them
was killed.
After the conflict was over I was
bound and thrown to the ground and
beaten numerically. I was told that
if / would confess where my COM
rades had their dynamite stored they
would stop beating me. This / de-
clined to do, and seeing taht they could
not force confession from me, they
sent me to Artemisa Prison, where /
was tried and sentenced to be shot
1.-TWO prominent Spanish Generals.
one Of them igadier-General whose
name / do not care to mention, and
General Arrolas principally concerned
themselves in my release. They feared
me because they knew had disclosures
to make which would ruin them. They
We're in constant communication with
the insurgent Generals, having writ
ten letters to them which l saw while
in the Pinar del Rio district, in which
they stated that they wanted to make
arrangements by which Spanish SOL
diers would not be attacked in the dis
tricts controlled by them. In return,
the insurgents We're to have free access
to the trocha, and be permitted to pass
at will. This proposition was accepted,
and in this way we were able to keep
in constant communication with Go
mez, Maceo and Garcia.
I'VE had about 5000 men under COM
mand of General Nunez, while the
Spaniards had between 10000 and so
600, yet We were able to cope with
them"
Captain Laborde speaking of the
prison, says: THE stories of cruelty in
Spanish prisons are wholly unfounded
have been there long enough to know.
The jadlers We're as kind as could be ex-
pected, and Matteo Fernandez, the
Warden of Cabanas, was especially
kind and considerate-so much so that
we called him father Why. we knew
more about what was going on than
you did. How did we learn it? Well.
can't tell that, as it might hurt those
I have left behind Yes, American gold
went great way. l got little money
from time to time, and the guards who
did not receive any pay while 1 was
there. We're always grateful for any
thing / gave them, and amply paid for
what they got"
Two members of the Competitor crew.
Dr. e. Bordia and Delgado Masso, borh
Spaniards, are still in prison in Cuba
Their release has, it is said been pron,-
ised.