The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-19
COMPETITOR CASE CLOSED.
THE QUEEN PARDONs THE PRISON
ERS AND THEY ARE FREE.

The Four Men Turned Over to Con.
sui General Lee Last NOnday-ThC
Fact Kept Secret in Order to Avoid
Any Excitement on the Part of the
Ultra-Spanish Population Of Ha-
VanR-A story of the Incidents Oi
the Capture-RevOcntiOn OF the De-
cree Prohibiting the Expectation
of Tobacco Possible.
Washington, Nov. 1S-Mnister Wood
ford has telegraphed the state department
that the Spanish cabinet has notified him
that the queen has pardoned the Competi-
tor prisoners. The state department now
announces that the Competitor prisoners
were turned over to Consul General Lee
last Monday, and will be sent by him
direct to New York to-day. 1t is not
doubted here that the prisoners are liber-
ated on some such conditions as were i'm
posed in the case of former prisoners
that is, that they will not return to Cuba.
After their bitter experience in the Cuban
Jails, it is not believed here that the men
will be disposed to violate any under
standing Of this kind to which they may
be parties. 1t is singular that the men
should have been free for four days with
out the fact becoming generally known.
but it is supposed that secrecy was OBJ
served in order to ensure departure from
Havana without exciting trouble from the
extreme conservative Spanish faction
There were four overwhelmingly, AL
fredo Laborde, the captain of the Com
petitor, native of New Orleans; William
Gildea, the mate, a naturalized citizen;
Ona Melton. who claims Kansas as his
native state, and who went on the Com
petitor in the capacity of newspaper
correspondent and Charles Barnett of
British birth, but who claimed the pro-
lection of the United States by virtue of
his sailing on an American vessel.
The conditions under which the Competi-
tor was captured April 25, 1896, off the
Cuban coast while engaged in landing
arms for the insurgents, have been often
described. The defense of the men was
that they were forced into the expedi-
ton against their win by the insurgent
party aboard the boat. They were tried
by a naval court martial before which
they could make only poor Showing.
principally because of their ignorance Of
0t'eNAA@NAA
ceedings were conducted. So that their
conviction and the imposition of the death
sentence was not matter of surprise
At that point, however, the case assum-
ed diplomatic importance. Our govern
ment, through its consul general at Ha-
vana, then Ramon Williams and also
through Minister Hannis Taylor at Mad
rid, interposed an energetic protest against
the execution of the sentence, claiming
that the men were improperly tried with
out the guarantees held out in the famous
Gushing protocol This protest caused the
removal of the case to the higher judicial
authorities at Madrid, by whom a new
trial was ordered. The Spanish govern
ment, however, did not and has not con-
ceded that the Gushing protocol applied
TO such cases. To admit that would, in
the opinion of the Spanish au.
thorities, greatly stimulate the
fitting out of filibusterng par
ties in The United States. The new
trial had been ordered by the Madrid su-
preme court on the ground of Irregular
tiles in the original trial, not because of
any concessions of the soundness of the
objections in the premises by the United
States officers. 1t was to have begun last
Monday, and it is thought would have re-
suited in the imposition of the death sent
ence again. This would have provoked
an explosion in this country according to
ficials, that would have been hardly less
violent than the feeling caused by the
famous VirginiuS episode. So ii is to them
a matter of satisfaction that the Spanish
queen has cut The diplomatic tangle by
the pardon of the men before the second
trial.
Senior Dupuy de LONE, the Spanish min
lister, had long conference with Assist
ant Secretary Day this morning, and it is
believed that the Spanish government is
voluntarily about 10 remove another trou-
blesome factor from the field of negotia-
tions in revoking the decree made by
Gen. Weyler prohibiting the expectation
of tobacco from Cuba. This prohibition
has worked great hardships upon large
American cigar interests, and up to this
time all the efforts of the state depart
ment to secure an amelioration of the
hard conditions of the decree have been
unavaiing. The reason set up by Gen
Weyier for the order was the necessity
of keeping in Havana the supply Of to-
bacco necessary to run the domestic cigar
factories and thus. by giving employment
to workmen, keep them from drifting
away into the insurgent ranks. 1t was a
matter of common report, however, that
another potent reason was a desire to
cripple the Cuban cigar makers in the
United States, from whom the insurgents
drew funds.
Reports that come to Washington are
to the effect thatthe new crop of tobacco
that will be ripe in February next is Of
excellent quality and amounts to four
ffths of an average crop Buyers for for
eign consumers are already in the field
looking over the plantations, and 1t is ex-
pected that to facilitate sales, the revoca-
ton of the decree of prohibition will soon
be made.
Havana, Nov. 1S.-In pursuance to cable
instructions from Spain received here,
Capt. Gen. Blanco to-day released from
Cabana fortress Alfredo Laborde, Charles
Barnett, Ona Melton and William Gildea,
members of the crew of the American
schooner Competitor, captured in April,
1896, by the Spanish gunboat Mesagra, on
charge of filibusterlng.
MEYLER OFF CORUNNA.