The herald., 1898-04-14
BRICE LEFT MATANzAS
AND WASTED NO TIME IN HIS
,1zAvErAK1Na
His Greatest Anxiety Now Is for the
Three Hundred Americans Still
in the City

NEW YORK, April 1S.-The United
States Consul Alexander c. Bryce. who
has Just arrived here on the steamer
Hermann from Matanzas. speaking OF
the steps that led to his departure from
his post in Cuba, said:
"On April 1 was notified by General
Lee, who sent special messenger with
the dispatch to be ready to leave Ma
tanxas at a moments notice, and that
when I received the signal agreed upon.
1 was to lose no time In getting away
and to be sure that did not go by the
way of Havana. He also instructed me
to notify the Consuls at Sagua. Cienfue-
gos and Santiago de Cuba to be ready
to leave the country on short notice.
"The feeling against Americans has
been most bitter of late and just at the
time I received General Lees message
1t was particularly SO on account OF
the provisions that had arrived on the
steamer Utstein. The captain was the
worst scared man 1 ever saw.
"The Spaniards jeered and spat at the
crew and with the utmost difficulty were
restrained from doing them bodily harm.
They hurried the unloading OF nearly
500 tons of supplies the steamer had
brought and sailed on Monday. began
at once to distribute the supplies among
the starving people and had already
issued the relief tickets to 5000, which,
with their families, represented about
$4,000 in the city alone. There are about
$4,000 starving in the province. I kept
on handing out the provisions as fast as
I could, although had received notice
that the volunteers were going to kill
me and drag me through the streets,
and the Governor sent message to my
office, warning me to desist from issuing
further supplies and to lock up and 60
home. I did not follow his instructions,
but kept at work.
Last Thursday evening about Ave
o'clock, after I had finished my work
and was sitting at home alone received
a telegram from General Lee which
read: 'Brice: Funds for American
citizens exhausted. Lee
THAT was the signal agreed upon, and
when I received the message knew I
must act quickly. 1t was Holy Thurs
day and there were no vehicles to be
had on the streets. I hurried out afoot
to find Mr.. Brinkerhoff and Mr.. Delgado.
We talked the matter over and, after
some discussion, decided the only way
we could get out of the city alive was to
go by stealth. Mr.. Brinkerhoff and my
self went to the Governors palace to get
him to wise our passports. and when we
told him we were going to leave he
asked how we were going to do it.
II told him our plans, and to show
what control the Governor had over the
city and what protection he could guar
antee any one he answered.: That's
right. Slip out as quietly as you can
We then began to pack up what effects
we could get together hurriedly and
made our final arrangements.
Luckily, the Jarlsberg happened to
be in port taking on sugar at the time
1 received General Lees final warning.
She had gotten her clearance papers and
was ready to leave. I sent word out to
the captain to wait for us, as it was our
only chance of getting away. At 10
o'clock we left the city, one by one, and
went two miles UP the Yumuri River,
where we loaded our baggage on small
boat, and, getting in ourselves, floated
down the river and out into the bay
Here's where the funny part comes
in. We had been told that there was
only one steamer in the harbor, and
what do you suppose we did? ran smack
up against a Spanish steamer and had
part of our baggage and ourselves on
board before we found out our mistake.
1.-THE captain was not on board and
we only saw two sailors, but you can
bet that we got off that ship without
losing any time We finally got safely
aboard the Jarlsberg, and at midnight
steamed out of the harbor and then all