The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-11-23
FROM LIVING DEATH.
Competitor Prisoners Again Under
the Flag Of the Free.
PALIlD fAcESAND EMAClATED FORMS
Bespsak Their Awful Trials, but
They Are Alive.
STORY OF YOUNG QUEsADA.
He Would Have Been shot, hut Hts
Death Would Have Brought Ruin
to Prominent spaninrds.
STORY OF YOUNG QUEsADA.


New York, November ae.-The steamer
Saratoga, from Havana having on board the
released members of the Competitor fill
clustering expedition, has arrived. The men
are Captain Alfredo Laborde, William Gill
dea ona Melton, William Leayitt ana
Charles Barnett, an Englishman The five
men were In fairly good health and excel
lent spirits on reaching quarantine. Cap
tain Laborde suffers somewhat from paraly-
sis. which he contracted during his long
confinement in the Cabanas fortress
Joseph A. Springer. the United States
vice consul at Havana, was also passen-
ger on the Saratoga. He declined to talk
for publication.
The released men wore the clothes which
they had on at the time of the capture.
Another happy passenger on the Saratoga
was Julio Attega Quesada, the young Gu
ban insurgent who was ordered to be shot
by Weyler, but who was pardoned by Cen
eral Blanco, a friend OF the prisoners
father.
The six men were greeted upon their ar
rival in New York by an enthusiastic
crowd. who gave them hearty welcome.
The poor wretches were 100 weak to ro-
epond to the cheers which had been given
In their honor. Captain Laborde's brother
was one of those assembled on the dock.
The meeting between the brothers was a
touching one. The friends OF the others
cried with Joy as they grasped the hands Of
the released prisoners. whose eyes were
sunken, faces pallid and forms emaciated
Representatives of the Cuban junta were
also present and they added their greeting
TO the men.
This is the story which young Quesada
| told tonight concerning his release:
While member Of the army corps In
the Pinar del Rio district | became pos
sessed OF the information to the knowledge
OF which owe the saving OF my life.
Last march wandered about half a
mile from our hospital tent in search Of
some herbs OF which ! desired TO make
medicine, when a detachment of Spanish
infantry captured me. The noise made by
my struggle to free myself aroused my
| twelve companions and they rushed to my
assistance During the fight that followed
my friends were beaten and one Of them
was killed.
| After the conflict was over was bound
aud thrown on the ground and beaten un-
mercfully. was iold If would confess
where my comrades had their dynamite
| stored they would stop beating me. This
declined to do. and seeing that they could
not force confession from me they sent
me to Artemisa prison, where / was tried
ard sentenced 10 be shot.
ut was at this juncture that my knowl-
edge stood me In good stead. Two promi-
/ rent Spanish generals. one hrigadler
general. whose name do not care TO men
ton. and General Arolas principally can.
cerued themselves In my release. They
feared me because they knew | had dis
closures TO make which would ruin them,
1 They thought that IL had to die would
tell what knew.
| 'TheSe men are ellHcr Uiec CoNdius W
their desire to hold their positions over
came their scruples. They were In constant
communication with the insurgent gen
erals. having written letters to them which
saw while in the Pinar del Rio district
in which they stated that they wanted tf
make arrangements by which Spanish aol'
disrs would not be attacked in the dis
trlcts controlled by them. In return the In.
surgents were TO have free access TO tn
trocha and be permitted to pass at Will
Tie propcsi ion was accepted and In tht
way we were eble to kesp In constant com
munica.ion with Gomez, Maceo and Garcia
1--WE had about 5000 men under command
Of General Nunez while the Spaniards ha'
. between 40, 600 and SO. 900. yet We were abb
10 cope with them
Il The friends OF young Quesada were sur
prissd to learn he had secured his reieas
| by giving away secret which betraye,
the allies OF the insurgents in the Sran 81
army II was this Information and no
General Blanco's friendship for the lat
Professor Quesada that secured his pardon
Probably the most wretched OF the Com
e petitor,s crsw is Ona Melton. the newspo
a per correspondent. whose intention ID 80
/, | ing 10 Cuba was not TO participate In IN
D war but to report the true situation
y III describing his capture and subsequet
i enlightenment, Melton said that when u
4 40, was fired by the Spanish gnnboat. =
and two OF his companions lowered sins
bo,t and tried to escape. They were pun
sued and captured short distance iiol
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