The record-union., 1897-11-19
Were Turned Over to Consul-Gen-
eral Lee Last Monday.
Official Notice Received at the State De-
partment From Madrid.
History of a Case Which Has Call
ed Forth Much Diplomatic Cor.
respondence Between This Gov
ernment and the Government or
Spain.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1S.-Minister
Woodford has telegraphed the state De-
partment that the Spanish Cabinet has
notified him that the Queen has par
doned the Competitor prisoners. Inc
State Department 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.
lit is not doubted here that the pris-
oners are liberated on some such con-
9ftions as We're imposed in the case of
former prisoners, that is, that they will
not return to Cuba.
1t is singular that the men should
have been four days in the custody of
Consul General Lee without the fact
having become generally known, but
1t is supposed that the secrecy was ob-
served in order to insure departure
from Havana without exciting troub-
le'from the extreme conservative Span
ISh faction.
There were four prisoners, namely:
Alfredo Laborde, the captain of the
Competitor, native of New Orleans;
William Gildea, the mate, a naturalized
citizen; Ona Melton, who claims Kan
sas as his native State, and who went
on the Competitor in the capacity of a
newspaper correspondent; Charles Bar
nett, of British birth, but who claimed
the protection of the United States
Government by virtue of his sailing on
an American vessel.
The conditions under which the Com
petitor was captured April %, 1896, off
the Cuban coast, while engaged in land
ing arms for the insurgents, have been
often described. The defense of the
men was that they We're forced into the
expedition against their will by the in
surgent party on board the vessel. They
We're tried by naval court martial,
before which they could make only a
poor showing, principally because Of
their ignorance of the Spanish Ian
guage in which the proceedings were
conducted, so that their conviction and
the imposition of the death sentence
was not matter of surprise.
AT that point, however, the case as
sumed diplomatic Importance. Our
Government, through its Consul Cen
eral at Havana, Ramon Williams, and
also through Minister Taylor at Mad
rid, interposed an energetic protest
against the execution of the sentence,
claiming that the men We're improperly
tried without the guarantees held out
in the famous Gushing protocol.
This protest caused the removal of
the case to the higher judicial authori-
ties at Madrid, by whom a new trial
was ordered. The Spanish Govern
ment, however, did not and has not yet
conceded that the Gushing protocol ap-
plies to such cases. To admit that
would, in the opinion of the Spanish
authorities, greatly stimulate the fit
ting out of filibuStering parties in the
United States.
The new trial had been ordered by the
Madrid Supreme Court on the ground
of irregularities in the original trial
not because of any concession of the
soundness of the objections interposed
10y the United States. 1t was to have
begun last Monday, and it is thought
would have resulted in the imposition
of the death sentence again. This
would have provoked an explosion in
this country, according to the antic-
ipations of the Department officials,
that would have been hardly less vio-
lent than the feeling caused by the
famous Nirginius episode. SO it 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
Minister, had a long conference with
Assistant Secretary Day to-day, and it
is believed the Spanish Government is
voluntarily about to remove another
troublesome factor from the field of ne
gotiations in revoking the decree made
by Weyler prohibiting the expectation
of tobacco from Cuba. This prohibi-
ton has worked hardships on Ameri-
can cigar making interests, and up to
this time all efforts of the State Depart
ment to secure an amelioration of the
harsh conditions of the decree have
been unavaiing. The reason set up by
General Weyler for the order was the
necessity of keeping in Havana the sup
ply of tobacco necessary to run the do
Inestic cigar factories and thus, by
giving employment to workmen, keep
them from drifting away into the insur-
gent ranks. 1t was matter of COM
mon report, however, that another po-
tent 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 that the new crop of to-
haccO that viii be riDes in February