The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-04-16
SPAIN SINKS
DEEPER IN MESHES
Man Found Who Laid Mine In Havana
HarbOr.
HE WORKED UNDER WEYLER
Since Received instructions to Destroy
all eliminating Evidence.
WAS ONCE IN THE U. S. NAVY
The Man is Charles A. .Crandall, Who Is Now
In Custody Of the Secret Ser
viceAgeuts Ofthe Gov
eminent
WAS ONCE IN THE U. S. NAVY

Chicago, April = l6.-The TimeS-Herald
says: Charles A. Crandall alias Emanuel
Escardora, who, acting under the personal
orders of Captan-General Weyler, planted
the mines and torpedoes in the harbor of
Havana, has been run to earth in Chicago.
Last night he was in the custody of three
United States secret service agents, who
are taking him Washington, where he
is expected to give information to prove
beyond any possible doubt that the Maine
was blown up by a mine and her 266 officers
and crew murdered designedly by agencies
known to the Spanish officials. He was
run down by Cuban spy.
Ever since the Maine was blown up
Crandall, or Escardaro, has been lodging
about the country. When the United
States secret service agents promised that
he would be protected he volunteered to
accompany them Crandalps statements are
substantiated by letters in his possession
from Weyler's officers and from Weyler
himself. His story is as follows:
my name Is Charles A. Crandall. am
an American by birth, and formerly lived
In New York city. l served in the United
States navy on the cruiser San Francisco,
under Captain Sampson and Admiral
Brown 1t was while in the United States
service that made study of mines and
torpedoeS.
Met an Agent of Spain
ct left the navy and went to Lima, Peru.
where entered the employ of Grace q Co..
of London, in their nitre beds. While at
Lima met many Spaniards. One of them,
Emil L. Castillo, an agent of the Spanish
government, induced me to go to Cuba as
an expert on coast defense for General
Weyler I was given free transportation
to the island, and when arrived there l
met Antonio Marco Diaz, who assigned me
to harbor work and plotting for torpedo
and mine anchorage.
st began LAYING the mines and torpedoes
early in the spring of 1896 and finished
about a year later. My work was per-
formed at night. I was assisted by five
italian laborers and two Spanish boatmen.
In all seventeen mines and ten torpedoes
were placed
1.-THE mines were made in England and
torpedoes in Italy. The work of laying
them; was very slow, because 1t was or
dered that should not work on moonlight
nights.
isWhen my work was completed I made
chart showing the location of all the
mines and torpedoes and submitted 1t to
General Weyler. / was then directed to-
place three mines and seven torpedoes in
the harbor of Matanzas. This was COM
pleted early in last July. When 1 had
finished General Weyler ordered me to
place an additional mine near buoy No. 4,
which made a complete chain OF mines
about the harbor from side to side, from
the mouth of the harbor to the last anchor
age.
ION one occasion General Weyler sent
for me to visit him at the palace, with di-
rections that should appear in the uni
form of an officer of artillery sent me for
that purpose.
''When went to the palace General Wey-
Ter asked me If 1t were possible for a ship
to enter the harbor or leave it with the
chain of torpedoes and mines there. l
showed him my rough chart and he person.
ally directed several changes, and placed
channels opposite the navy yard.
when my work was done and his ar
tllery men had approved the plans, he
handed me my passport to Key West and
assured me that I would receive pay when
the first mine or torpedo was used.
81 remained in Havana until Feb TO-
when l went to Key West, where stayed
until March 8, which date I received my
last Spanish gold from Havana from a
Spanish messenger.
after the Maine was blown up kept in
hiding with a colored family near Fort
Taylor or the barracks, and as soon as
received word to skip out, left as a stow
away on the first steamer for Miami
1.-The Maine was anchored at the Identical
buoy where General Weyler ordered me
to place the additional mine, officially
known as buoy No. 4. From Miami went
to Nashville, where I received the following
letter from Havana, dated March 1, 1898:
Destroy all evidence. Go to New York.
Ticket to London awaits you there.
'DIAZ.'
This was from Weyler's most trusted
adjutant and spy, who executed all edicts
issued by Weyler from Spain.
"Crandall AYERS that he was directed to
assume the name of Escadaro by General
weyler. He has several letters from Wey-
Ter regarding his work, and a military pass
from that officer All Of these he has turned
over to the United States secret service
agents, and they will be used at Washing
ton."
Cannot Be Confirmed
|; Chicago, April discrimination of the