The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-04-14
THREATENED HIS LIFE.
Thriiiing Experiences of Consul Brice at
Matankas.

New York. April 13.-United States
Consul Alexander c. Brice, who has
just arrived here on the steamer Her
mann from Matanzas. speaking or the
steps hat led to his departure from his
post in Cuba, said:
.'On April 5 I was notified by General
Lee. who sent a special messenger with
the dispatch, TO be ready TO leave
Matanzas at a moments notice ana
hat when ] received the signal agreed
upon / was {. lose no time in getting
and to be sure that j did not go
by the way OF Havana. He also in
structed me to notify the consuls at
Sagua. Cienfuegos and Santiago de
Cuba to be ready to leave the country
on short notice.
''The feeling against the Americans
has been most bitter OF late and just at
the time I received General Lees mes.
sage IL was particularly so on account
of the provisions that arrived on the
steamer Utstein. The captain was the
most scared man j ever saw. Two
newspaper men accompanied him, and
when they attempted to pass through
the streets they were nearly moobed.
The Spaniards jeered and spat at them
and with the utmost difficulty were
restrained from doing them bodily
harm. They came to me and i told
them they had better stay on the
steamer and get out OF the harbor as
soon AZ possible. They hurried the un-
loading Of the nearly 500 tons OF sup
plies the steamer had brought and sail
ed on Monday. I began at once to dis
tribute the supplies among the starving
reconcentrados n a already issued
tickets to 5000 which. with their fami-
lies. represented about $4,000 people in
the city alone. There are about $4,000
starving in the province.
Il kept on handing out the provisions
as fast as I could, although i had re-
ceived notice that the volunteers were
going to kill me and drag me through
b streets. n the governor, Francisco
de Aramas. sent a messenger twice TO
my once warning me to desist from
issuing any further supplies and TO lock
up and 60 home. j lie not follow his
Instructions. but kept at work.
Last Thursday evening. about )
O'Clock. after ! had finished my work
and was sitting at home alone, I re-
which read as follows: 'Brice-Funds
for American citizens exhausted. Lee.
That was the sigma agreed upon.
and when i received the message ]
knew ] must act quickly. 1t was Holy
Thursday. and there were no vehicles
TO be had on the streets. | hurried out
afo0t and after a while found Mr.
Brinkerhoof and Mr.. Delgado and noti'
oed them OF the news. We got together
and talked the matter over and aftel
some discussion all decided that tbs
only way we could get out of the cit,
alive was to go by steamer. Mr.. Brink
erho6 and myself went to the govern
or's palace TO get General de Aramai
to Wis our passports. and when We tol'
him we were going to leave he 5
how we were going TO do IL.
Il told him of our plans and to show
what control the governor had over IN
city and what protection he could guar
antee any one. he answered: That
right; slip out as quickly as you can.
I'VE then began to pack up wha
effects we could gather together hur
riedIy and made our final arrangement
Luckily the Jariberg happened to be II
port taking on a cargo of and a
the time / received General Lees hna
warning she had gotten her clearsnc
papers and was all ready to leave.
sent word TO the captain TO wait for US
~ = vas our only chance OF gettinl
away At 10 O'Clock We left the cit.
one by one and went two miles up IN
YumuTi river. where we loaded GU
baggage on q small boat. and gettinI
in ourselves foated down the river an
out into the bay.
Here " where b funny part come