Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-02
ABOUT THE MAINE.
Visitor at Grafton Tells Re-
markable Story.
Cites Conversation of a Spanish Colonel
Was Not Surprised TO Hear Explosion
Story in New York.

Grafton, March Last night Grafton
had in it's midst a man who left Key
West three days before the battleship
Maine was destroyed, and heard at that
time that Americans need not be sur
prised if the wrecked ship was blown
up, and so strong was it believed that
such would be the case, that all on
board the ship Lampasas, one Of the
ships of the Malony line of New York,
expected to hear of fearful
disaster on arriving in New York har-
bor which they did the day after,
This gentleman is Melville o. STRAIT
ton, travelling man of Denver Col,
and a son-in-law of d. Webster Norcross
of this town. Mr.. Stratton is east on a
business trip, and arrived in town from
Nashua, N. H, last night, soon after
which he was asked for an account of
his experience at Key West, and of the
things he learned there about the situ-
alton in Cuba, which he told in the fol-
lowing straightforward and unreserved
manner:
"I was In Galveston, Texas, and took
the ocean trip to Key West for my
health. At Key West I became very
well acquainted with C. B. Pendalton,
editor of the Equator Democrat, and on
the afternoon of Saturday, Feb. II, at 4
o'clock, when l left Key West, l found
that Mr.. Pendalton had business which
would bring him to New York, and that
he was to be passenger on the LAM
pasas with me. He had been in Ha-
vana that morning, and had had a
lengthy conversation with a Spanish
consul, the name of whom forget, and
during the conversation, he had good
naturedly chaffed the Spaniard as to
the relative strength of the two -coun-
tries, and told him that If war should
be declared, Spain would only be little
plaything beside Uncle Sam. At this
the consul, who had already been much
excited, replied: Havana harbor is un-
dermined with torpedoes, mines, ETC.,
and the warship Maine would be blown
into the air any time that any demon
stration was made on the part of the
officers of the Maine"
Mr.. Stratton continued by saying that
it was unanimously expected on arriv-
ing at New York. to hear that the ship
had been blown up, and when it was
found to be a reality Editor Pendalton
said: THAT confirms exactly what
told your'
In talking of the suffering of the Gu
bans, Mr.. Stratton said that the Amer
lean public does not realize the fearful
condition of the people there, who are
dying of starvation by the thousands,
and those in this condition are herded
together in small quarters, that they
may be easier to look after Cuba is not
SO much in want of men as she is in
want of arms and ammunition, and the
only means Of securing these is through
the aid of filibusters, but the patrol
boats now make 1t almost impossible to
get anything to the island that would
be of use in battle. The island of Key
West, Mr. Stratton says, is the home
of more Cubans than of any other ma
tionality, although there are enough
Spaniards there to make very heated
discussions and strained feelings a
common thing.
A REPORTER IN IT.
The synopsis of "a Capital joke to
be delivered in the town hall tomorrow
evening, is as follows: A noted inven-
tor is interviewed in his laboratory by
an old friend disguised as a reporter
the friends identity revealed-the in
ventor thinks it was an attempted joke
on his wife; the inventor allows the
friend to continue his impersonation as
reporter; the inventors wife and
daughter overhear the plot; reporter has
a private interview with the daughter;
an elopement; the inventor and his wife
jump from the windows; the reporter,
William F. Little of Worcester, and the
inventors daughter, Anna Louise Dunn.
enter and announce their marriage.
The entertainment will be followed by
a social hop.