The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-26
BIT OF JERSEY JUSTICE.
SPANISH DIPLoMATIsTs WE'RE UP
IT AT CAPE

AIssru.sn wares Defiance Of spain ana Dersnce
or His Foes In . Case inveivinE n Local
Orain.uee-A Case In which Consul CenEos-
20 Felt the Power Of = Justice OF the Peaca.
CAPE MAY, Feb. 25.-Jose ConRosto. the now
Autonomist Secretary. General Of Cuba and
lately Spanish Consul at Philad elphia, once had
an experience at Cape May in which he learned
that a Jersey Justice of the Peace might under
Some circumstances be a bigger man than n
Spanish %diplomatist. A local ordinance had
been broken by some members OF the Spanish
Legation at Washington, and DR.. Congosto in.
terfered. Had Il not been for the Intervention
Of some citizens, tho Secretary General might
have spent at least q night In the city prison.
and thus caused an international complication.
1t was during the summer OF 1892, when
President Harrison was making Cape May his
mmmerh home. and the town was in consequence
more or less visited BY foreign Ministers and
members Of tho legations. in Washington.
Among the guests at Congress Hall, tho head
quarters Of Private Secretary Halford. were the
Spanish Charge d'Affaires. Felipe Sagrario; Man.
uel Multedo, the third secretary, and two other
attaches, Rodrigo dc Saavedra and Perez
Seoane. Ono warm July afternoon tho two
attaches and the secretary hired OF the son of q
Baptist preacher q horse and two-seated wagon
for a drive. In tho course Of the afternoon. 1t
was alleged, they overdrove the horse to tho
point of cruelty, and, besides, broke tho local
ordinance against fast driving. The Alderman,
who 10 by virtue of his office a Justice Of the
Peace, was John G.. w. Ware. q crusty old Jer-
seymnn, who cared no moro for q king than he
did for a peasant. COMPLAINT was made be-
foro him against the three Spaniards. and q
constable was sent the next morning to Con-
gress Hall. The constable, with, his rustic
clothes. long beard. and SLOUGH hat,
q country farmer. He walked up to the hotol
desk and said to the clerk:
W have" came the answer. What do
you want OF themi They are in their room;
from force of habit touching the bell. at tho
summons a bell boy quickly came to the front
"TI be dcrncd Of do; Ill 20 an see them
myself" replied tho officer, and he followed tho
bell boy to the rooms of tho three Standards;
were inclined to mock him at. irst, and then
when the constable took one of them by the col:
they concluded they had better. go at least to
the office OF the Justice and explain matters.
In 2 few minutes the three diplopatists ap-
peared in Justice Wares office and began pro-
wooden chair behind an ordinary, kitchen table
to them. Their mixture OF Spanish and Ameri-
can words was. jargon to him, and. in fact he
did not care what they said. He was waiting
After the three men had been there about
twenty minutes, 10 O'Clock arrived. Promptly
with the hour came in the witness to tho
charge. In a deliberate. slow way tho Alder.
What is the charged" 1t was soon stated.
and then the magistrate, turning to the Span
iards. asked: Are you guilty or not guiltyf"
The three men began talking all at. once. and
legation and were only punishable through the
intervention OF tho State Department.
You yniS win II nI pas for MafS L" RI reiyu H1 oFG the i m s!hiGsH ef0
But we will appeal to the President" said
Appeal, sir: but you la are fined r apiece iscen and
Ware wero more than the fines usually.
Blu we will not. pay they replied.
constable. TAKE ie' one ssS at a lime: A"' ~ "
started to 60. The spaniards saw that it was
pay or go TO Jail, and they paid.
ua ln t tas s Spanish Of cd 5hs DAY az P RTi SSnsSSnsohl s %aG
of the episode. He went TO the Alderman to de-
mand satisfaction, and in a state of Indignation
entered the Alderman's presence.
II demand the return of that fine and costs"
he "RSo in thunder arc vo0," asked tn, Alder
II am Doctor Congosto."
And 1 AM plain John Ware. and 4 you don't
"Bu:, sir. I am an officer of the Spanish Gov
And / am an officer of this town"
from members of tho legation"
The Alderman slammed the door OF his office
to and shut the angry Consul out. DIR. Con.
gosto walked away. but returned about .
o'clock in the evening to make another demand.
This time he was accompanied by some citizens
of the place. who coniprehended the situation.
II demand a return OF the money" said DR..
Congosto before the others could interfere.
IF i hear any more out of you I will lock you
up roared Alderman Ware, and he stepped
to the door to call an officer who was passing.
gan to make explanations. After much parley-
Ing the Alderman concluded TO remit tho fines,
which he did, but tho costs. which were his. he
would not surrender, "even If it caused war
with Spain," he said.
And when in. the following April tho Duke Of
Veragua rode up Broadway as the nations
guest, behind him in another carriage rode
Mcssrs. Saavedra and Multedo. They had just
passed Spring street when they espied on tho
watching tho passing OF the notRbles
one of the Cape May citizens who had interviewed.
They nodded to him, and Saavedra called out:
We're out riding again, but we won't be
fined this time"
Tho Cape May man smiled. and so did they,
and distance came between them.