Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-04-15
WE|GHTY TESTIMONY
Consul General Lees State
ments Made Known.
THAT "zytER LErxe
strong Evidence Of It's Gcnu,neness. Tor
peo"es fiaced In Havana Harbor,
Spanish Officers Responsible for
the Maine Disaster
(By Telegraph.>

Lee on the Eth instant in which, ma
s,lo ne was informed on Very good
auuncriiy that the STsaniards had placed
nwo rows OF torpedoeS just at tins.
mouth ot Havana harbor by Alorro Cas-
Ire WIuhin the past two months or s1rb-
seuuent:y to THE Maine disaster, and
e.'stt tne switchboard is i'm a room i'm
the Gazette He said, however, that he
had no informant ton OF the placing OF
any tcrpedoes before the Maine was
dest royed and none i'm regard to the
purchase abroad by the Spanish au-
thorities. He also stated that he alad no
reason TO suspect that the harbor WAS
mined before the blowing up OF the
Maine.
General Lee stated that he Thought
the 'Weyder letter (the Lame lette.,.
was correct COPY OF the genuine letter.
He had information OF a telegram from
General Weyier to Evacanel, a. noted
Spanish woman and an adulirer OF
Weyier's also, to Senior Gal1man, which
read:
Grave circu1as tances cause me to ask
YOU to destroy the last letter OF Feb
luary u.s."
General Lee said that this telegram
had never before been published, and
he found in 1T strong confrmatoTy ev-
idence OF the genuineness of the Wey-
Ter letter. With reference ITO the re-,
sporsibtity for the destruction Of the
Maine General Lee said he was sat
isiied that tlhe explosion was from the
outside and that it was caused by some
of the officers who had charge II the
mines and electrical wires and torpedoteS
in the arsenal. He Gid not think Gen.
ei=,l Bianco had anything to do with
it. ."
General Lee snid that 1le had seen
a copy OF a telegram from Admiral
Mante>ola, dated in Havana prlo- to
the explosion OF the Maine. to the Span
ish commission in London, ASKING the
commission 10 hurry UP the electrical
cables.''
Whether that referred to wire tor
su bmlai'ine mines or tocpedoes do not
know" he continued. II tried to as
certain if any of the wire or electrical
cables had arrived here but they came
on Spanish ships. and I could not ind
out"
General Lee said that his testimony
In regard to .Manlerola and alSo with
reference to the Weyler telegram. had
been furnished TO the court of inquiry
which investigated the Maine disaster,
but had not been sent to Congress nor
published because OF q request OF his
| made to the State Department not to
Spanish papers there would repub lisn
it and they would probably kill the
man that gave it to me-
Continuing his :;e= timony. General
Lee said that The had made inquiries and
asceI7taned that none OF the electric
lights of the city nab went out at the
twne of the explosion. He had also
heard that some OF The Spanish officers
celebrated t.4e blowing up of the bait
t.eship by drinking cham pa.gna.
In reply 10 question from Sena,tor
Gray. General Lee stated that the Span
ish population is not especially hostile
toward The United States. He said
that the condition OF the TeconcentrA-
does was just as bad now as In Gen.
etal Weyler's day.
n ai>t1 Ia IL
tiles General Lee Thought the ai'lnlstiee
lalctunted 10 practically nothing. He
did not think the insurgents wouid pay
airy attention to 1T.
General Lee stated that provisions
We're secure in FLajvynna and he
thought that in case OF a bl ockale the
tow, would surrender i'm a sh 1;s While
The insurgents also were living from
hand to mouth. General Lee laid that
he had expended all but about $4,000
OF the $4,000 approprlatsl for the re-
lief of Americans in Cuba. He described
the conditions OF the Spanish soldiers
in THE island as being very bad and said
That if Spain had realty appropriated
$500, 600 for the sustenanee OF the
rt-coucentaados, those people would
set but very little OF it. gu. he did not
think that there was the slightest pos
sibilpty of Spain conquerinS the an-
>urSents and restoring peace IN the
island. A number OF American citi-
zens are still there, he SAD, for whom
active steps will have to be taken, as
they are suffering and starving. Gen
eral Lee said that the same condiSlcn
OF Things existed when President
Cleveland first sent him TO Havana and
that he had 50 reported. Continuing,
he said: ~
IF / had to write that report over
would not dot an .i' or cross a 81.
although 1 have been .herc TWO years
since then"
Concerning tine Snsurgent government
General Lee said he had never thought
that the insurgents had anything eX-
cept the skeleton form OF a, govern
ment--a moving capital
General Lee said that when he left
Havana THE Spanish troops had not
been paid for about Mite months nor
had the Spanish officers for about
American army Of occupation could
go into the island with safety now.
admiral John Irwin. torpedo ex-
pert appeared before the committee
on the second instant. Ge Is fAnMliaT
with Havana ilarbor and said in effect,
the fact that there was no dead fish
the day after THE explosion was not
surprising, as there was no fish
there.
Captain Sigsbee. the commander Of
the Maine. was examined March olst-
He repeated his opinion THAT the
Maine was destroyed by q. nlinc.
either temporary or permanent
In reply to question. Captain S.Ess-
bee said he thought it possible that
the explosion could have occurred with
out the knowledge of the higher ohs-
Gals Tie said that the exanl patton
made by the Spanish board was absurd
as compared with that OF the American
board.
Commander Bradford. torpedo expert,
stationed at Newport. was before the
y y yxrSl- OF rod
10 state the danger from the Spanish
hotilla Of torpedo boats and torpedo
boat dess,truyers. He said he was not
impressed as many naval officers with
the dangerous character of these boats.
In his opinion their chief value Is in