Omaha daily bee., 1897-11-19
PARDONED BY THE QUEEN
Royal Favor Through Which the Compel
itor Prisoners Are Released.
PUT IN CHARGE OF CONSUL GENERAL LEE
Escaping One Death Sentence, and
Facing Another the Filibus-
ters Are Liberated by Ex-
ecutive CIemency.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1s.-Minis:er Wood
ford has telegraphed the State department
that the Spanish Cabinet has notified him
that the queen has pardoned the Competitor
prisoners.
The State department now announces that
the Competitor prisoners were turned over
10 Consul General Lee last Monday and
will be sent by him direct to New York
today.
1t is not doubted here tha. the prisoners
are liberated on some such conditions 90
were imposed in the case of former prison
ers, that is that they will not return TO
Cuba
After their bitter experience in the Cuban
iais II is not believed here that the men
will be disposed 10 violate any understand
ing OF this kind to which they may be
parties. 1t is singular that the men should
have been for four days in the custody OF
General Lee without the fact becoming gen.
orally known, but it is supposed that
crecy was observed in order TO insure de-
parture from Havana without exciting trou-
BILE from the extreme Spanish faction.
FOUR OF THE PRISONERS.
There are four prisoners-Alfredo La
! borde, the captain OF the Competitor, a na>
tive of New Orleans; William Gildea, the
mate. a na;uralized citizen; Ona Melton.
who claims Kansas as his native state ana
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 Unied States government
| by virtue of his sailing on an American
vessel.
The conditions under which the Compel
| itor was captured April q. 1896, off the
Cuban coast while engaged in landing arms
! for the insurgents, have been often de-
scribed. The defense of the men was that
they were forced into the expedition
against their will by the insurgent party
On board. They were tried by naval
court-martial, before which they could make
only poor showing, principally because of
their ignorance OF the Spanish language in
which the proceedings were conducted, so
that their conviction and the imposition o.
the death sentence was not matter OF sur
prise At that paint, however, the case
assumed diplomatic importance.
THIS GOVERNMENT PROTESTS.
Our government, through its consul gen.
eral at Havana, then Ramon Williams and
also through Minister Taylor at Madrid, in
I terposed an energetic protest against the
execution OF the sentence, claiming that the
men were improperly tried without the
/ guarantees he!j out in the famous Cushing
! 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 government, however, did not
and has not yet conceded that the Cushing
/ protocol applied to such cases. To admit
! that would, in the opinion Of the Spanish
| authorities, greatly stimulate the fitting out
! Of flibustering parties in the United States
| A new trial had been ordered by the Madrid
supreme court on the ground Of irregularities
! - the original trial and not by any conces-
| sion Of the unsoundness OF the objections
| II was TO be given last Monday, and it is
thought would have resulted in the imposi-
! tion OF the death sentence. This would have
| provoked an explosion IN this country that
would have been hardly less than the feel
! ing caused by the famous Virginium episode
I So it is a matter Of satisfaction that the
! Spanish queen has cut the diplomatic tang.e
! by the pardon Of the men before the second
| trial.
MAY REVOKE TOBACCO DECREE
! Sencr Dupuy de Lone the Spanish minis
! ter had a long conference with Assistant
/ Secretary Day this morning, and it is be-
I lleyed the Spanish government is about to
/ remove another troublesome factor from the
/ field OF negotiations in revoking the decree
made by Weyler prohibiting the expectation
! OF tobacco from Cuba. This prohibition has
/ worked a hardship on large american cigar
making interests, and up TO this time all ef-
/ forts Of the State department to secure an
! amelioration OF the harsh condition OF the
| decree have been unayalllng.
The reason set up by General Weyler for
| the order the necessity Of keeping in
! Havana the supply of tobacco necessary to
| run the domestic cigar factories and thus,
by giving employment to workmea, keep
them from drifting away into the insurgents
rankE. II was a matter Of common report,
however, that another potent relson was a
desire to cripple the Cuban cIgarmakers in
the United States from whom the insurgents
drew funds.
1t now seems probable that the decree will
soon be vacated. The reports that come to
! Washington are TO the effect that the new
crop of tobacco, which viii be ripe in Feb
rpary next. is OF excellent quality, and
amounts 10 four-hfths of an average crop.
buyers for foreign consumers are already in
AA4p HSih iOoh4L5 ONNI tue pIauNdAlOAss anu IL
is expected that to facilitate sales the reyoca-
tlon CT the decree of prohibition will soon be
/ made.
! HAVANA, Nov. 1s.-In pursuance Of cabled
instructions from Spain received yesterday
Captain General Blanco today released from
Cabanas fortress Alfred LAborde, Charles
Barnett, ona Melton and William Gildea,
! members Of the crew of the American
schooner Competitor. arrested in April, 1896.
\ by the Spanish gunboat Mesagra. on a charge
OF filibustering They were delivered to the
American and British consuls and have taken
passage on the steamer Saratoga Of the Ward
line for New York.
| AFTER WEYLER's CHIEF OF STAFF.
Blanco Wants Him to Explain His