The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1898-04-21
LEES TESTIMONY
Regarding the Destruction Of Our Bat.
tie Ship Maine In Havana Harbor.
Gen. Blanco Had Nothing to DO with the
Blowing Up Of the vessel--He wept
1t the Palace Over the Ter
rible Deed.


WASHINGTON, April l5.-The testi.
mony of Gen. Lee. given to the senate
foreign relations committee, was made
public Thursday.
The most interesting portion of the
consul generals testimony, that relnt-
ing to the Maine, was lengthy. Lee
said he was informed that the Span.
iards had placed two rows of torpedoes
at the mouth of the Havana harbo by
MORO castle, within the last two
months, or subsequent to the Maine
disaster, and that the switchboard was
In room in the castle. He said, how
ever, that he had no information of
the placing of any torpedoes before
the Maine was destroyed.
The letter of Gen. Weyler brought
to light by Correspondent .Laine was
referred to. Lee thought the letter
genuine. This belief was based on "a
telegram of which he knew. 1t came
from Weyler and read: ''Grave circum-
stances cause me to ask you to destroy
the last letter, of February 49," Gen.
before been published.
With reference to the responsibility
for the destruction of the Maine, Gen.
Lee said:
II am satisfied the explosion was
from the outside. l have always had
an idea about the Maine that. of course,
it was not blown up by any private i'm
dividual, or by any private citizen, but
was blown up by some of the officers
who had charge of the mines and elec-
trical wires and torpedoes in the arse
nal there, who thoroughly understood
the business"
Gen. Lee said he did not believe
Capt. Gen. Blanco had anything to do
with it, or even any knowledge of it.
His reason for this belief was that he
saw Blanco just after the disaster, and
tears were coming from his eyes. He
regretted it as much as anyone in
Havana.
Lee said he thought the explosion
was the work of some of the subaltern
officers who had been under Weyler.
Gen. Lee said he had seen a copy of
telegram from Adm. Manterol. dated
in Havana prior to the explosion, to
the Spanish commission in London,
asking the commission to 'hurry up
the electrical cables" Whether that
referred to wire for submarine mines
or torpedoes he did not know.
He continued: II heard two or three
days afterward," said Gen. Lee in an
swer to a question by Senator Frye,
shat there was a great deal of rejoice
ing among some of the officers. All
reports I got said they were drinking
champagne, quite q thing to do in hon.
or of the event, and in different por.
tions of the city officers were making
merry"
He said that he had not heard any
threats of or illusions to the destruc-
tion Of the Maine previous to the ex.
plosion.
Senator Lodge asked if he had heard
of an attempt on the Montgomery.
Gen. Lee answered that he had heard
talk to that effect, but it was found, he
believed, on investigation that it did
not amount to anything.
In reply to question by Foraker,
Lee said he was sure no novice could
have destroyed the Maine. The work
was we'll done and by an expert.
Continuing, he said: 81 never have
been certain that the submarine ex-
plosive was placed there prior to the
entrance of the Maine into the barber.
1t might have been done afterward.
The Maine was anchored to buoy by
some little chain. A vessel swingi ng
around that way sometimes gets at
various places all around the circle.
When she would swing off that way,
with the bow next to the buoy, and
hon &C. 1vvsv oh l. ,1><
the time, anybody could go pretty well
in front of her, on q dark night, and
drop one of these submarine mines OF
500 pounds.
"They have fingers, as 1t were, and,
as the boat goes around, it would touch
the fingers, which makes conta and
explodes the mine. That might have
been done after the Maine got in there.
One or two men in boat could drop it
off the stern of the boat on dark
night. The harbor is full of little
boats. A mine weighs about 500
pounds, and suppose it would take
probably three or four men to handle
it."
The Cubans he said were all for frea
Cuba. The reconcentrados' condition,
he said, in reply to another question,
were almost as bad as Weyler's days.
Suppose Havana was blockaded?"
said Senator Mills, $50 that no provi.
sions could go in, would the people
there have any way to get any?"
None whatever" responded Gen.
Lee. 1.-THE town would surrender in
short while..'
Gen. Lee said that all but about 3OO.-
900 Spaniards of the population OF
Cuba were Cubans.
Lee, in speaking Of the physical con.
dition of the Spanish soldiers, said
that it was very poor.
spanish Parliament TO Open Next wsdnes.
day.
MADRID April ia cabinet council
has decided to reopen the Spanish par
lament on Wednesday next, instead
of April 25. The queen regent at the