Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-03-18
A YELLOW JOURNAL STORY.
Copy of an Alleged Letter by Weylcr
Telling of "PreDaring" Ha-
nm HarlOr.

New York, March 1.-THE New York
Journal this afternoon prints statement
written by Honore f. Laine, the newspaper
correspondent recently arrested and search
ed by Spanish officials in Cabanas prison.
Havana, and later expelled from the island.
This is the opening of LANES statement:
.On January "a. at 10 o'clock at night. I
met in the cafe lnglaterra, the headquart-
ers of the reporters in Havana. Francisco
Diaz, a reporter of the rabid Spanish paper
La Union Constitutional. with whom I
frequently exchanged views. On asking him
If he had anything to give me. he took
from his pocket Il letter and handed 1t
to me, saying: 'Weyler wrote this letter
to SaEtos GuZman. who sent 1t to Move
lthe editor of the Union ConstitutionaD
for him to read and write an article on the
acceptance by Weyler of the candidacy of
deputy to the cortes for Havana. l took
this copy which you can keep
The following is the alleged letter referred
to above:
His Excellency Don Francisco De Lossan-
tos Guzman. Havana.
MY Distinguished Personal and Political
Friend:-Since the latest events, l have
changed my views about the attitude
which our political party in Cuba ought to
assume. If / had thought before that it
was more dignified for us to abstain from
the electoral contest, I believe now that it
is patriotic duty for us to go to the polls.
Our success cannot be doubted. nor that,
with programme of defense of the nation
al honor, We will have side by side with
us all those lukewarm politicians who
though Spaniards by heart. are deceived
by the inside combinations of Moret and
Sagasta, and take. as scientific solutions
of our colonial problems. what are really
dishonorable humiliations of our country
before the United States.
Write on your flag. the flag of Spain.
Defense of national honor and I offer
you my name as your candidate.
After having commanded, during two
years, 100000 Spanish heroes in Cuba in
the title. I shall be more proud of that
of deputy from Havana at the cortes of
Spain.
by the way. have read these days that
Americans are pondering about sending
one of their warships TO that city. During
my command in Cuba, they did not even
dare to dream about it. They knew the ter
rible punishment that awaited them had
Havana harbor well prepared for such an
emergency rapidly finished the work that
Martinez Campos carelessly abandoned. If
the insult is made. hope that there will be
a Spanish hand to punish it as terribly as
than his friends could have expected and.
notwithstanding how morally sick 1 feel,
breathing this humiliating atmosphere. 1
also am well. Your affectionate friend and
servant, VALERIANO WEYLER.
Madrid. January s. 1885,
Laine says that he read the letter and
pigeonholed it. When the Maine arrived.
he called at the Office of the Union Con-
stitutional to see Diaz. in an effort to Sc
after the Maine explosion, Laine met Diaz.
who asked him if he remembered the let
ter and what its contents were about the
American warship. The American corre-
spondent replied that he did. and that he
believed some one had followed Weylers
advice. Laine says that he has since found
out that Diaz informed the chief of police
that he Uaine) had copy of a letter writ
ten by Weyler. which might bring trouble
to the Spanish government. Laine was
shortly arrested.
LANES narrative continues: During my
previous imprisonment in the Cabanas fort
ress. which lasted for more than year,
during the most bloody period of. the reign
OF Weyler, I noticed for several nights
mysterious works which were being done
in the fortress. On inquiring from a soldier
whom 1 knew what it was, he informed
me that they were carrying from the mag
azine of the fortress large quantities Of
dynamite, which were being laid in the
harbor. My Investigations during my per-
iod of Imprisonment were carried as far as
a political prisoner could do in Spanish
fortress. but it was sufficient for me to as
certain with certainty that quantity of
dynamite placed in the harbor in different
places was two tons, and that the wires Of
the mines were connected with the Cabanas
fortress and the Capitania Puerto. or ma
rine headquarters"