The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-09
GEN. WOODFORD HOME
ATTACK ON HIS TRAIN IN SPAIN WAS
NOT A SERIOUS AFFAIR.
Feeling Abroad Against the United
states Is Most Pronounced i'm Paris,
Where Indignities Are offered.

Woodford, United States minister TO Spain,
arrived on La Touraine this morning
and left for Washington this afternoon.
La Touraine also had on board number of
the attaches of the United States legation
at Madrid, including George Stanford Sick
les, first secretary of the legation; Captain
T. H. Bliss, Colonel Kellogg, military at
tache, and Captain c. L. Dyer naval at
tache. Besides these were Shy Ting, secre-
tary of the Chinese legation at Washington,
accompanied by Hon. 500, also of the lega-
ton. A reception committee from the Union
League Club and Ulysses S. Grant Post,
No. 327, G. A r., met General Woodford
at quarantine, and accompanied him to this
city. General Woodford declined to be in
terviewed by reporters, stating that he was
still in the diplomatic service of the gov
eminent and could say absolutely nothing
for publication.
Mr. Sickles, when infol med that cable dis
patches had stated that the train on which
the members of the legation had come from
Madrid to Paris had been attacked by
mob, and that stones had been thrown at
the party, said: We'll some things were
thrown at the train, but the demonstration
was not of serious character. A number
of students, not a large number, had gath
SPAIN and few other patriotic cries. They
were not directed against us particularly,
I assure you. but were the result of pa
triotic feeling on their part. A few win
dowS in one of the cars next to the party
were broken, but none of us was injured;
no one at all was hurt. While at Madrid
we were treated with the utmost COURTESY"
When asked how it happened that Minis
ter Woodford had received his passports
previous to his handing to the Spanish gov
eminent the ultimatum of the United States,
Mr.. Sickles said we rather expected that,
at least we were not surprised when the
passports arrived, as we knew that when
the Spanish minister at Washington
ceiyed his papers, the Spanish Cabinet
would probably assure ours to us and there
by sever all diplomatic relations. But any
further information / cannot give"
Naval Attache Dyer, when asked about
the reception of his passports by Minister
Woodford, said that he had not been present
at the time, as he had accompanied the wife
and mother of Minister Woodford to Paris
and had left on the day preceding that on
which the passports had been handed in.
Colonel Kellogg, of the Fourth United
States Cavalry, the military attache> at
Paris, was also on the steamer and when
this country, said II am simply going to.
Washington to be permitted to take part
in the active operations in the army when
they take place. Captain Rodgers of the
Fourth Cavalry is compelled to remain
abroad. and will make every effort to be
transferred to this country as soon as pos
sibie."
J. s. Highlands, another American on the
steamer, said he had gone abroad to visit
his son at Madrid He had intended stay
ing for about six months but the anti
American demonstrations had been great
that he was forced to leave that place
within three weeks after his arrival, and
that his son was forced to fee to LISBON on,
Office of the American house had been
smashed and torn down.
Mr.. w. G. Cannon, of Denver. Col, who
had been travelling abroad. said he was
forced to return to this country, and he
could not continue through Spain during
the present state of affairs. In Paris, Mr..
Cannon said, the feeling is most bitterly
anti-AmericaE. Every person who is
thought to be an American is elbowed off
the Sidewalks, jostled by the crowds and
everything possible done to show the an
tipathy of the French. Petty annoyances
will not stop to take on American passen-
gers rates of exchange in money in most
cases are exorbitant, and small purchases
are not encouraged by many of the shop
keepers except at figures three or four
times the actual value.
Bishop John L. Spaulding, of Peoria,
stated that the feeling of the French to-
wards the Americans was intensely hostile.
He said that he understood that one of the
reasons for this was that nine-tenths of the
public debt of Spain was held by the
French people, and that the latter coun-
try also owned nearly all of the railroads
in operation in Spain.
Shu Ting, secretary of the Chinese lega-
ton at Madrid, was asked as to his trip
to this country. He said that he was en-
route to Washington to report to his coun-
try's minister there, and would probably re-
main there until ali hostilities between this
fry nd in had Ga6 ACE od nc
to the feeling of his country to the pres
ent situation, he said: MY country is in
favor of the United States: We have been
friendly for many years. and we shall con-
tinue to be So"