The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-25
SUPPOSED SPANISH SPY.
Important Arrest Thought to Have
Been Mnde-The Cardenas Fight.


Been Made-The Cardenas Fight.
KEY WEST. Fla, May 24.-An important
arrest of a supposed Spanish spy was made
this evening by United States Marshal
Hoar. The prisoner is Rongno Sapetero
Jiminez who was among those captured on
the steamer Panama, and has since been
held aboard ship as prisoner of war. Jim
inez is supposed to have obtained informa-
ton concerning New York harbor and it's
defenses, with charts of the harbor, which
he is attempting to get to the Spanish au-
thorities. He is about forty years of age,
Spaniard and civil engineer.
Late this afternoon Marshal Hoar, with
several deputies and United States Commits
sioner Otto, received information from the
North, in consequence of which they slipped
quietly out to the Panama, arrested Jiminez
and brought him ashore. He was taken to
the Key West Hotel and put through a
vigorous examination in private. So per-
fectly was the affair managed, however,
that only one or two persons knew of it.
Jimnez stoutly denied the accusation that
he was a spy, but his story was of such a
contradictory nature that it confirmed the
suspicious of the federal authorities He
said he had left Cuba in 1877 date which
set back a few years. He lived, he ad-
mitted, in New York since that time but
he had decided to return to Cuba to engage
in mercantile business and was on his way
there when the Panama was captured. He
asserted also that he had spent considerable
time in Venezuela and other South Ameri-
can ports. His story, though, was so con-
hicting on the whole to be meaningless
A thorough search of the Panama was
m in hn n tn n "a ri
but no trace of them could be found. The
examination will be resumed and Jiminez
will be held under arrest meanwhile.
The Panama case was before the United
States District Court to-day. The argument
on both sides was largely in the same lines
as in the case of the other big prizes, and
Judge Locke reserved decision. 1t has been
decided that such ships as are held to be
legitimate prizes Of war shall be sent North
for sale SO as to bring better prices: This is
the cases have been finally determined.
A new aspect was given to-day to the en-
gagement at Cardenas, where Ensign Bagley
and four men of the United States torpedo
boat Winslow were killed, by statement
of insurgent Colonel John j. iowa, who has
been lighting under General Maxine Gomez
Colonel iowa has been in Cardenas since
the engagement, and he says the mortality
on the Spanish side was by no means so
great as reported at that time in the United
States. According to his information, which
seems to be corroborated by the testimony
of other Cubans taken aboard from Car
denas by the vessels of the blockading fleet
only nine persons were killed on the Spanish
side. A she'll from one of the American
ships fell in one of the streets of the town,
killing two women and three children, while
three sailors and one medical officer on a
Spanish gunboat fell under the fire o. the
United States ships. The firing from the
shore was not from a masked bat
terry, but from the three Spanish gum
boats, to attack which the Winslow was
not permanently injured and the third ran
away. According to Jova's information, the
shells from the gunboat Wilmington did
little execution, because she lay too far off
shore No fewer than three Spanish flags
were brought down by the stray shots from
the Wilmingtons guns. One shell struck
the town, crashing through the roof and
exploding in china shop below. The place
was wrecked, but no one was hurt. The
second flag TO come down was flying from
the Spanish barracks, and the third from
a building formerly used by the American
consulate, flying defiantly on the very pole
where the stars and stripes had once
waved. Curiously enough, not one of the
shots had been aimed at the flags, but the
Spaniards were amazed at what they
considered the marvellous skill of the Amer
lean gunners that every Spanish flag was
hauled down.
The day has been exceedingly quiet, ex-
cept for the customary quota of alarming
rumorS, which was lacking of confirmation
The presence Of the Spanish squadron in
coming bulletins, although no informat ton
has been received from out ships. The
1eeling tnat great naval Dattle Is 1mml-
nent amounts almost to conviction. Seven
hundred marines came ashore to-day, and
are camped near the barracks pending the
return of their ships or some other vessels
The United States auxiliary tug Wampa-
tuck brought in to-day a story Of a sharp
skirmish off Santiago de>Cuba last Wednes-
day. The tug, with the United States
auxiliary cruiser ST. Louis, went into the
Santiago channel to cut the cable. While
the vessels were engaged in the work they
We're fired on by the shore batteries. The
St. Louis returned the fire and lively fusil-
lade ensued for about half an hour. The
Wampatuck eventually succeeded in cutting
the cable. None of the Spanish shots
reached either boat, while neither OF them
in turn boasts of having inflicted any dam
age upon the enemy. From Santiago the
two ships proceeded to Guantanamo, the
Wampatuck going in about 4O0 yards from
shore to cut the cables there, the ST. Louis
lying out of range. The shore batteries
again opened fire and the st. Louis signaled
the tug TO come out, which she did, without
having cut the cable at that point This
adventure was equally harmless. Accounts
OF IL reached here to-day in grossly ex-
eggerated form. including report that the
cruiser and the little tug had silenced the
spanish batteries on shore.
Munitions of War for Cubans.
MOBILE, Ala, May 24-The Fanita, the