Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-12-07
Il WAS TOUCH AND co
Party Of Filibusters Has a Close
Shave for Capture by
the Spaniards.
s0H00NER.L0AD OF AENs LANDED,
But the Vessel Carrying Them Has To he
Beached and the Crew Takes to the Boats
Ono Boats Crew Cannot Get Away and
Goes to the Interior Of Cuba, While the
Other Reaches Florida-Capture of Guisa
- Per Onlcial Account.

Other Reaches Florida-Capture of Guiss
- Per OfRcial Account.
New York, Dec. IA dispatch to The
Press from Fort Pierce, Fla, says:
For the last two weeks the officials OF
the Spanish consulate in Jacksonville
have been constantly on the alert, the
guarded actions Of prominent Cuban
leaders occasioning them much trouble
The filibuster Dauntless that has been
In the vicinity was watched, and Span
ish spies have been up and down the
coast looking for members of a fill
clustering expedition who were trying
to get away. But the Cuban leaders
entirely fooled them. For several weeks
1,6o0 rifles and large quantity of small
stores have been lying under guard on
the keys south of Miami, which were, SO
the story goes, to be shipped to Cuba
on the Dauntless, but the close watch
maintained caused a change of plans,
and on Nov. 20, a dozen members of the
Dauntless' crew went south to Miami
by rail, and with small, boats went to
the rendezvous.
Arms Landed; Spanish Cruiser Appears.
The White Wings, small schooner
from Bahamas, met them and took the
cargo off and Immediately set sail for
Cuba. On Friday last the crew of the
schooner succeeded in making a landing
in Nuevitas. 1t was one of the most
daring expeditions yet reported. jas,
as the last of the munitions of war had
been taken in small boats off the
schooner and transferred to shore a
large Spanish vessel was seen bearing
down upon the schooner. The men in
the small boats pulled for their lives
and managed to reach the White
Wings, but when they got her under
way it was found that she had sprung
a leak. anu they were compelled to
beach her, the crew putting to sea in
the small boats.
One of the Boats Picked Tn.
Captain Metz, of the White Wings
commanded the first boat to leaye, and
the steward, a man named MONTGOMERY
commanded the second. The second
boat had no compass or mariner aboard
and got lost, beating around the greater
part of Friday night, being finally
picked up by Norwegian fruit vessel
and landed at Nassau. The men did
not'remain there long, but shipped on a
Key West sponge boat for Florida On
reaching the Land Of Flowers they were
| at their request put into their boat in
Indian river and sailed around to Fort
Pierce, coming in here yesterday morn
ing.
Other Boats Crew Is I'm Cuba.
The men in the boat with Captain
Metz We're undoubtedly compelled to
land on the Cuban shore.The cabin boy
Of the White Wings, whose name was
Streeks, first discovered the Spanish
vessel. he being on the outlook in the
cross-trees OF the schooner, and it was
due to his vigilance that the members
Of the expedition were not captured and
| the war stores confiscated. The men
with Captain Metz who were forced, as
| supposed. to land, will probably escape
to the interior, although the Cubans
who met the expedition had already
left for the interior when the boats were
| returning to their vessel. Had the
White Wings not sprung a leak she
might have succeeded in evading the
Spanish vessel, by going into a small
lagoon. but the leaktcompelled the crew
to beach her d,abandon her.