The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-05-18
ARE NOT YET RELEASED.
American Correspondents Are Held
Prisoners by BancO.
CASE HAS BEEN REFERRED TO MADRID
Reports of Victories over Americans
and Insurgents Arc Numerous.
Reports from Porto Rico.

Havana. May copyrighted 1898. by
the Associated Press.)--Inquirils made at
the palace here show that Captain Cen
eial Blanco was unwilling TO receive Lieu
tenant Brainord, L. s. ~, the special ascn;
| OF the United States government Ia the
matter Of the pogo Il TO exchange SPANS n
prisoners ior the newspaper men, Aessrs
lAi2ll aud Jones. because the general con-
eiletcd the lieutenant was rot empowered
with sufficient authority. Therefore h.
simply accepted the documents presenter
by the lieutenant and consulted with the
Spanish government on the subject. The
answer from Madrid has not been re-
eelved.
News just received here from Porto Rico
| confirms the report that SIR. Freeman Hal
5tcai, the Aueriean newspaper correspond
ont, las been sentenced by military court
martial to nine years imprisonment after
having been convicted OF taking pictures OF
| the forts with camera.
Al sorts Of war runners are in circulation
here from Spanish sources Among them
1t is said a number OF Americans IN a boat
recently tried TO remove some totpedoes at
! thu entrance OF Cardenas bay. whersupon
one OF the torpcdoes exploded. the boat and
iIs crew, it is alleged being blown up The
| report. however, is not officially confirmed.
Another report has It that documents
| tAhtu from tue newspaper Correspondents
are in the hands Of General Blanco. Their
ncney is said TO have been posted with
the British consulate.
| The Spanish say that thu Americans at
| tempted TO land May Is at Nadia, ana that
after Two hours fighting the Amei leans re-
| tired.
| II is said at the palace that Spanish
! force on last Saturday was engaged at
| Cltambora, province of Havana, with com
hlned force of insurgents under the leader
! ship OF Marcia, Aceo, Coluza and JacintU
| Hernandez, The whole insurgCnt force Is
said TO have numbered 500 men and it is
alleged that the enemy lost eleven men
killed. The Spanards lost only two lieu
tenants and three soldiers wounded
Captain General Blanco yesterday defi-
nittly appointed the secretaries OF the CO.
lonial council who have been re-elected.
They are Senior Galyez, president of the
| council; Senior Montero. secretary of
| finance Senior GOWN secretary of Justice
Senior Dolz, secretary OF public works and
communication; Senior Rodriguez. secretary
OF commerce. Senior Zayes, 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 in the United States
The captain general of Porto Rico has
cabled to Captain General Banco saying
that although the bombardment of San
Juan dc Porto Rico took place at rifle shot
distance, not a gun Of the forts was ST.
fenced and, he adds, tho Spaniards' loss
were only eighteen men wounded and few
persons wounded among the civil popula
ton of the place. The captain general Of
Porto Rico further reports that the United
States warships Indiana. New York, Mont
gomery and Amphtrlte were in sight o,
Porto Rico during Saturday last
n pI.p
day. SAID: The American government
gave the Spanish government forty-elght
hours to remove its troops from this island
and 1t now finds, after twenty-thrae DAYS
OF blockade, that it can not land American
troops. Apparently the island contains
more soldiers than they thought Such =
number could not be removed in forty
eight hours"
This last remark was intended TO be
sarcastic