Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-04-15
GEN. LEES
Statements Made Before Senate Commit
tee on Foreign Relations.
MAINE EXPLOSION FROM OUTSIDE.
Caused by Some of the OffCerS Who
Had Charge Of Mines.
NO HABAEA LIGHTS WENT OUT.
Spanish Officers Celebrated Blowing UpOf
Maine by Drinking Champagne.
ARMIsTICE AMOUNTS TO NOTHING.
Habana Would Surrender In short
Time. IL BIOckaded-A Number OF
DrstitutiOn.
DrstitutiOn.

testimony taken before the Senate toW-
mittee on Foreign Relations In regard
to the relations between the United
States and Cuba was made public TO-
day.
The statement which contains the great
eat interest was made by General Lee
on the 18th instant. He said 1t was
affirmed on very good authority that the
Spanish had placed two rows of torpe-
does lust at the mouth of Habana mar
bor by Moro Castle within the past TWO
months. or subsequently to the Maine
destruction and that the switchboard
Is I'm a room in the Castle. lie said,
however. that he had no information OF
the placing Of any torpedoes before lhe
Maine WAS destroyed, and none In regard
to the purchase abroad of torpedoe. or
mines by the Spanish authorities. He
also stated that he mad no reason 10
suspect the harbor was mino" before the
blowing up of the Maine.
WEYLER LETTER.
General Lee stated that he thousht
| that the Weyler letter Ghe Lame iellep
was a correct copy Of the genuine lettel'
| He had information of telegram from
/ iffneINl VI eyer ~ IVA 't-'''''Nf
SDanish woman. and an admirer OF Ney-
! Ier's. and also to Senor Guzman, whlch
rad. "Grave circumstances cause me 10
| ask Won 10 destroy the last letter OF
Tebruerv 18th" General Lee said that
/ this telegram had never BEFORE peeh pun
ished. and ne found TN II strong col
| frmatory evidence Of the genuinehess ol
the Weyler letter.
MAINE DISASTER.
With reference to the resDohsipiilty
/ for the destruction Of the Maine hei"i
! Lee said ne was satisfied that tne ~
! nlosbon was from the outside, ana thaI
! a. uroe caused by some of the officers VINO
| had charge OF the mines and electrical
v,ires and torpedoes I'm the arsenal he
| did not think General Blanco had any
| thing to do with it.
"EI.ECTRICAL CABLES
| cenaral Lee said that he had seen
| con, of n telegram from Admiral Man
! torola. dated In Habana, prior 10 tle eN-
rlosion oil the Maine. TO the Spanish COM
mission in London, asking the commission
TO hurry up the electrlcal capieS' . .,,h-
| "yvbether that referred TO wire Tor SUD
,,,orinn mines or torpedoes l do not
Lrow " ne continued. IL tried 10 ascer-
toI,, II any of the wire or electrical cduies
| bod arrived i'm Habana." he said, put
they came on Spanish ships, ana cou'u
| not find out. ,. ..i,,o,,,,
| General Lee said that this testimony
| In regard 10 Mauterola ana also ~
! Win reference 10 the Weyler telegram
had bean furnished to the court OF IN
| o,,irv which investigated the Maine MS
aeter hut had not been sent 20 Congress.
nor nuhlished because Of request ol
! his made 10 the state Department hot "
make them public. "as ! was airaiu tne
Gnon,sh napers there would repubhsh H.
and they would probably XIII the man
| that gave IT to me-
NO LIGHTS WENT OUT.
Continuing his testimony. General Lee
| said that he had made inquiries anu
aecertained that none of the electric llgnts
| % ~ cit,, vent out at the time OF the
! ovrlosion. He had also heard that Some
! 80 tba Spanish officers celebrated the
hiowin0 up Of the Maine by Drinking
In renIv 70 a question from Senator
| Cray General Lee stated that 'ho
| spanish population is not especialIy noa iI
! file toward the United states. ne - -
that the condition of the recohcentTrI,,u r,,I,,
was lust as bad now as In Gener"i "''
~ % ARMIsTICE ABSURD.
=, ,o,ard 70 the cessation of hostilities'
C,dnaroi lee thought the armislce
amounted TO practically nothing. lie uiu
not think the insurgents would pay any
attention to ii. ,..... -,.,ro
General Lee stated that provisions Weie
scarce in Habana, and he thought ina
i'm case of a blockade the town WIZ
surrender in short time. The lnsur-
cents were also living from mana u
mouth.
| General Lee said that he had expehueu
all but about 5000 of the $oo'vo apPio-
priated for the relief Of American cru
1ans in Cuba. He described the condi-
stl,, - the Snanish soldiers in the island
as being very bad, and said that II SPAN
hos really appropriated 100000 for the
sustenance of the reconcentrados tnose
neonle would get very little OF NJ put Ne
d,d not believe they had appropriated
ANYTHING of the kind.
SPAIN WILL NEVER CONQUER.
ue did not think that there was the
SLIGHTEST possibility Of Spain's conquerins
III insurgents and restoring peace III th'
island. ..,. ..u1
| A number of American citizens are sun
| tbere he said. for whom active steps
| will have to be taken, as they are SUI
| fering and starving. General Lee S"l'
| +bot the same conditions Of Things eA'
ietad when President Cleveland frst SEM
him TO Habana, and that ne had 50 re-
norted. Continuing, he SAID: II hau
20 write that report over l would not uo'
an or cross a t. although nave peei
there two years since then.
| Concerning the insurgent government
| General Lee said he had never thoushl
tbat the insurgents had any government
excent the skeleton form OF govern
ment-a moving capital
| General Lee said that when he iei'
Habana the Spanish troops had not peer
| raid for about nine months. nor had the
Snanish officers for about four months.
He thought that an American army ol
occupation could go into the island Will
safety now. ..
SPANS FISH PROPOSITION
Admiral John Irwin, a torpedo expert
appeared before the committee on the q
instant He Is familiar with Habana
harbor. and said i'm effect that the fac'
that there were no dead hsh the daS
after the explosion was not surprising
as there were no fish there.
CAPTAIN Sigsbee. the commander OF M
Maine. was examined March 3lst. He re-
heated his opinion that the Maine was
, DESTROYED by mine, either temporary
or permanent.
In reply TO question. Captain Sigsbe'
said he thought II possible ,nat the ex
nIosion could have occurred without thu
knowledge Of the higher officials. H.
said that the examination mace py th'
Spanish commission was absurd. as com
pared with that Of the American ooaru'
THAT FLOTILI.A.
Commander Bradford. torpedo expert
stationed at Newport, was before th'