The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-18

WeyIer's Friends at Havana May
Have Blown UD the Maine.

WeyIer's Friends at Havana May
Have Blown Up the Maine.
NEW YORK. March 1.-THE New York
Journal this afternoon prints a statement,
written by Honore F. Laine, the newspaper
correspondent recently arrested and
searched by Spanish officials in Cabanas
prison, Havana, and later expelled from the
island This is the opening of LANES state
ment:
"On Jan. "a, at 10 o'clock at night, I met
in the Cafe Inglaterra, the headquarters of
the reporters in Havana. Francisco Diaz, a
reporter of the rabid Spanish paper, La
Union Constitutional. with whom I fire.
quently exchanged news. On asking him it
he had anything to give me- he took from
his pocket letter and handed it to me,
saying: 'Weyler wrote this letter to Santos
Guzman, who sent it to Move (the editor of
the Union ConsitutionaD for him to read
and write an article on the acceptance by
Weyler OF the candidacy of deputy to the
Cortes for Havana. took this copy, which
you can keep"
Following is the alleged letter referred to
above:
His Excellency. Don Francisco De Los
Santos Guzman, Havana:
my Distinguished Personal and Political
Friend-Since the latest events / have
changed my views about the attitude which
our political party in Cuba ought to as
sumo If 1 have thought before that 1t was
more dignified for US to abstain from the
electoral contest, believe now that it is a
patriotic duty for us to go to the polls Our
success cannot be doubted, nor that with a
programme of defense of the national hon.
or, we will have side by side with us all
those lukewarm politicians who, though
Spaniards by heart, are deceived by the in
side combinations of Moret and Sagasta,
and take as scientific solutions of cur CO.
lonial problems what are really dishonor-
able humiliations of our country before the
United States.
Write on your flag, the flag of Spain,
Defense of National Horror and 1 offer you
my name as your candidate. After having
commanded during two years two hundred
thousand Spanish heroes in Cuba, shall be
more proud of the title of deputy from Ha-
vana at the Cortes of Spain.
'By the way, have read these days that
Americans are pondering about sending one
Of their war ships to that city. During my
command in Cuba they did not. even dare
to dream about it. They knew the terrible
punishment that awaited them. / had Ha-
vana harbor well prepared for such an
emergency. rapidly finished the work that
Martinez Campos carelessly abandoned. If
the insult is made hope there will be a
Spanish hand to punish it as terribly as it
deserves. Romero is in better health than
his friends could have expected, and, not
withstanding how morally sick 1 feel
breathing this humiliating atmosphere, is
well; also your affectionate friend and serv-
ant, VALERIANO WEYLER.
Madrid, Jan. s, 1S9S"
Mr. Laine says that he has since found
out that Diaz informed the chief of police
that he Laine) had a copy of a letter writ
ten by Weyler, which might bring trouble
to the Spanish government, especially as he
was an American newspaper correspondent
who was associating with Captain Sigsbee.
On March Laine was arrested by Colonel
Paglieri chief Of police of Havana His
friends were informed of his being impris-
oned by a cabman who knew him. Accord
ing to Laine, Chief Paglieri said to him:
We'll, sir; we have you here secured, and
let me tell you that the secret that know
you possess will never be known through
you by others, as no one will ever know
what becomes of you Laine informed him
that both the French and the American
consul were already INFORMED OF MS Cap
ture. This changed the chiefs attitude
somewhat, but he persisted in trying to Sc
cure information from Laine. He asked him
what information he gave to Consul Lee on
the 21st of February about his suspicious OF
a plot suggested by that letter and the
placing of dynamite mines in the harbor
This was really a surprise to me- Lame $
narrative continues. 'I had referred to the
incident of the letter to General Lee and
had also spoken to him about what I had
seen during my Imprisonment in the Ca
banas fortress.
IT had noticed for several nights mys-
terious works which were being done in the
fortress. On inquiring of soldier whom I
knew what it was, he informed me that
they were carrying from the magazine of
the fortress large quantities Of dynamite,
which were being laid in the harbor l as
certained with certainty that the quantity
of dynamite placed in the harbor in differ
ent places was two tons and that wires to
the mines were connected with the Cabanas
fort and the Capitania De Puerto and ma
rine headquarters"