The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1898-05-21
lAE NEWS FROM HAVANA.
Why Blanco Refused to Receive the
Americans Sent with a
Flag of Truce.
AMERICAN PRISONERS HELD AS SPIES.
Report Of an American Repulse at Tabia
AEua-WOman and Child Killed by the
Itombardment of Cardenas the Wife
and Daughter of an American Pilot
Secretaries Appointed.

0AN
Secretaries Appointed.
HAVANA, May 1S.-Inquiries made at
the palace here show that Capt. Gen
BIanco was unwilling to receive Lieut..
Brainard, L. ). N, the special agento of
the government OF the United States in
the mattOr of the proposal to exchange
prisoners for the two newspaper men.
MeSSrS. Thrall and Jones, because the
general considered the lieutenant was
not empowered with sufficient author
ity.
Therefore, he simply accepted the
documents presented by the lieutenant
and consulted with the Spanish gov.
on the subject. The answer
from Madrid has not vet been received.
On Sunday morning, the day the rep.
r~esentative of the United States gov
eminent arrived oft this harbor on a
small steamer bearing a flag of truce,
there were five American vessels in
sight of Havana, and four of them
were in sight the same afternoon. 10
addition, a vessel, supposed to be a
Norwegian frigate, was in the Otfing.
HACAANug AHOAh AhS "N-S
lean vessels in sight of this harbor.
The French cruiser Dubourdieu left
Havana Monday afternoon for Hayti.
having on board a number of French
refugees.
News Just received here from Porto
Rico confirms the report that Mr.. Free
man Halstead, the American newspa-
per correspondent, has been sentenced
by a military c~ourt-martial at a
Juan de Porto Rico ito nine years i'm
prisOnment after having been convicted
of taking pictures of the fort with the
use of a camera,
All sorts of war rumorS are in circu-
lation here from Spanish sources.
Among them it is said that a number OF
Americans in a boat recently tried tC
remove some torpedoeS at the entrance
of the Cardenas bay, whereupon one of
the tOrpedoes exploded. The boat and
its crew is alleged to have been blown
up. The report, however, is not ofici-
ally confirmed.
Another report has it that documents
taken from the American correspond
ents confined in the Cabanas fortress
are in the possession of Capt.-Gen.
Blanco. Their money is said to have
been deposited at the British consul.
ate.
Still another report says the woman
and child killed during the lombard.
ment of Cardenas by American vessels
were the wife and daughter of one o.
the pilots on the American ships.
nv c.. 1000
attempted to make a landing on May
ID al Tabia Aqua beach, and that after
two hours firing the Americans re.
tired.
Three American war ships were re-
ported off Mariel on Sunday, three
were sighted off Cardenas and there
were some American ships off Cienfue-
Gos.
1t is announced at the palace that a
Spanish force OF Saturday last was en-
gagged at Chimboraez, province of Ha-
vaua, with a combined force of insur-
gents under the leadership of Maya,
Acea, Colazo and Jacinto Hernandez.
The whole insurgent force is said to
have numbered 800 men, and it is al.
legged that the enemy lost IL men killed.
, The Spanish loss is officially reported
as being two lieutenants killed and
three soldiers wounded.
The French third-class cruiser DIES
taing is expected here shortly.
The Norwegian steamer Bratsborg
arrived on Sunday at Sagua la Grande
and will leave there on May Is with
passengers for New York.
Capt.-Gen. Blanco Monday definitely
appointed the secretaries of the colonial
council, who have been reelected.
They are:
Senior Galvez, president of the coun.
ell.
Senior Montero, secretary of finance.
Senior Gown, secretary of justice.
Senor Dolz, secretary of public works
and communications.
Senior Rodriguez, secretary of COM
merce.
Senior Zavas, secretary of public in
struction.
There were seven American war
ships in sight off Havana yesterday
afternoon and rumor has it that the
Spanish feet is making for an impor-
tant part of the United States.
The captain general of Porto Rico
has cabled to Capt.-Gen. Blanco, say
ing that although the bombardment Of
San Juan de Porto Rico took place at
rife-shOt distance, not a gun of the
forts was silenced and, he adds, the
Spanish losses were only 13 men
wounded, among the troops composing
the garrison, and a few persons were
wounded among the civil population of
the place.
The captain general of Porto Rico
further reports that the United States
war ships Indiana, Iowa, Montgomery
and Amphitrite were in sight off Porto
Rico during Saturday last.