The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-03-30
DO THESE MEN % IT?
VERY PLAUSIBLE STORY
Three Men Hired to Blow Up the Maine
They Were to Receive eo!ooo-One
Was Killed and Another
Has since Died.

washington, March 2s.-An interest
ing feature of the published report of
the Maine testimony. issued from the
government printing office to-day. was
the famous anonymous letter men
toned in the testimony of Henry
Drain. clerk OF the American consul
ate at avana The letter was re-
ceived by Genera Lee a few days after
the Maine disaster. 1t was dated Feb.
IS, 1895, and signed IAN Admirer." Ii
WA In Spanish. written apparently by
q fairly well educated person. 1t fol-
lows:
1T should be remembered that at
dawn of the day of the terrible catas-
trophe, an individual was killed in "a
small boat. together with another who
was found wounded and a prisoner.
They were going about the cruisers
Maine and Alfonso Kill. and as the
eai individuals are of the worst ante
cedents as harbor thieves. ! nave in
terested myself investigating what con-
nection this occurrence could have had
with the explosion of the Maine, and
i have discovered that those two men.
together with another, who is called
Pope Taco. had bought. in a hardware
store in Mercaderes street, called
Marina, a hose such as Is used by
divers. n that the three left I'm "A
small boat which they placed under the
wharves of Santa Catalina. They were
lettering about more than a half hour,
while Pope Taco. who is a caulker and
diver. probably the best I'm these parts.
did the work to bring about the explo-
sion of the ain
with this data. I went to Regla and
discovered hat the family of the dead
man. who lived in the utmost misery
In a hut in Roderiguez Bastisa street.
had moved TO a well-furnished one on
Gelabert street. There ! learned hat
they had agreed with some merchants
OF Muralla street for the work of blow
ing up the ship for the sum of 5000
$1,000 in advance and the other $4,000
after seeing the result. But as they
did not come out of the venture very
well, having been attacked when they
were retiring, the result of which was
the death of one. who left his teeth in
the boat. and another one was wound
ed, the third one has not yet presented
himself to collect the rest of the mon
ey. and II il could be secretly done II is
probable that. by paying him the rest
OF the money the others will not now
nay him, he would declare the truth of
all this. The n whom I called the
third Is the diver, Pepe Taco. who is
u~nwounded, who Is no doubt afraid to
present himself to collect the rest.
In Muralla street. they tell me. was
the place where the business was ar
ranged with Garcia CoruJodo. villas
Usea. Maribona and others whom ! dc
not remember. The man who is arrest
ed is being administered with morphine
copiously to see IL he will die and not
give evidence. so as not, they express 1t
10 spoil the affair after IL has come on
so much to their taste"
81 certify that the above Is a true
copy. tSigned). A. Mark. Lieutenant
Commander. U. s. N, and Judge Ad'
vocate."
Drain. the consular clerk. stated I'm his
evidence that an effort was made TO as
certain the authenticity of this letter
although the consulate was handi-
CAPPED. having no secret service fund
The witness discovered, however. thai
the name Pepe Taco must have been d
mistake. as the man mentioned had died
a few days before the explosion tool
place. The witness thought the nam,
should have been Pope Barquin. wh'
died a couple of days after the explo
gfou.