The age-herald., 1898-05-18

Havana, May 1z-Inquiries made at tho palace here show that Captain General Banco was unwilling to receive Lieutenant Brainerd, United States Navy, to be special agent of the government of the United States in the matter of the proposal to ex- change Spanish prisoners for two newspa- per men, Messrs. Thrall and Jones' because the general considered the lieutenant was not empowered with sufficient authority.
 Therefore hesimply accepted the docu- ments presented by the lieutenant and con- suited with the Spanish government on the subject. The answer from Madrid has not yet been received.
 News just received here from Porto Rico confirms the report that Mir Freeman Hal stead, the American newspaper correspond ent, has been sentenced by military court martial to nine years imprisonment, after having been convicted of taking pictures of the Notifications with the use of a camera.
 All sorts of war rumors are in circulation here from Spanish sources. Among them 1t is said that a number of Americans in a boat recently tried to remove some for- pedoes at the entrance of Cardenas bay, whereupon one of the torpedoes exploded the boat and it's crew, it is alleged, being blown up. The report, however, Is not off, cially confirmed.
 Another report has it that documents found on American correspondents con- fined in Cabanas fortress are in the possess sion of Captain General Banco Their money is said to have been deposited at the British consulate.
 Spanish Victory
 The Spaniards say an American boat attempted to make a landing on May 13 at Tabla, ,Agua beach, and that after two hours fighting the Americans retired.
 It is announced that a Spanish force on Saturday last was engaged at Chimborazo. province of Havana, with a combined force or Insurgents under the leadership of Maya. Acea, Colazo and Pacinto Hernandez The whole insurgent force is said to have mum. bered 500 men, and it is alleged that the enemy lost eleven mn killd.
 The Spanish loss is officially represented as being two lieutenants and three soldiers wounded.
 Captain-General Blanco yesterday defin- itely appointed the secretaries of the col onial council. They are: Senor GaIvez president of council; Senor Montero, secre- tary of finance; Senor Govin, secretary of justice; Senor Dolz, secretary of public works and communications; Senor Rod riguez, secretary of commences; Senor Zayas, secretary of public instruction.
 There are seven American warships in sight of Havana this afternoon, and rumor has it that the Spanish fleet Is making for an important port of the United States.
 The captafn-general of Porto Rico has cabled to Captain-General Blanco saying that although the bombardment of San Juan de Porto Rico took place at rifle shot distance, not a gun of the Notifications was silenced, and, he adds, the Spanish losses were only eighteen men wounded among the troops composing the garrison and few persons wounded among the civil population of the place.
 Only Eighteen Mea Killed
 The captain-general of Porto Rico further reports that the United States warships Indiana, New York, Montgomery and Am phtrite were in sight of Porto Rico during Saturday last.
 La Lucha in an editorial yesterday, says: "The American government gave the Span ish government forty-eight hours to remove its troops from this island, and it now finds after twenty-three days of blockade that 1t cannot land American troops. Apparently the island contains more soldiers than they thought. Such number could not be rec moved in forty-eight hours"
 This last remark was intended to be sar- castle.