Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-02-14
HOW It WAS STOLEN.
That Letter Of De LONE Which
Spoke So Extensively Of
President Mckinley.
UNCLE sAIs NAIL NOT ROBBED.
Thief II . Spy Of the Cuban Junta in the
PostofRce st Havana-Never Received by
Cansaejas, who Got Nothing but Blank
Paper-Remarkable System Of Spies Re
vealed In the Spanish Service, Even In
De Lome's Household.


veaied In the Spanish Service, Even In
De Lomeis Household.
New York, Feb. IA dispatch to The
World from Madrid says: a formal
statement OF regret at and censure OF
Dupuy de Lome's conduct, coupled with
an expression Of sincere desire that the
Canalejas letter incident shall not i'm
pair the present friendly relations be-
tween the governments Of Spain and the
United States or fnteISlpt the negotia-
tions for a commercial treaty. will be
made by Foreign Minister Gullon inme-
diately following the gazetting Of the
royal decree accepting Senor de Bones
resignation and appointing his successor
as Spain's representative at Washing
ton.
The Theft Of DE LoIne's Letter.
Philadelphia. Feb. 14.-The Press
prints this morag what it asserts to be
the true version of the stealing and
publication Of the letter from Senior de
Lone TO Senor Canalejas. The au-
thorSy cited for its authenticity is "a
Cuban Of the highest standing in the
councils of his party" who receives his
Information from headquarters in New
Yors." The story proceeds TO say: THE
letter was not stolen from the United
States mail. but was secured by an
agent Of the Cuba junta i'm the postoflice
AZ lAta IN
whom the letter was addressed. never
saw the original. He did not know until
eight days after the letter reached Ha-
vana that such letter from SPANS
representative in Washington had been
written him De ZONE wrote the letter
In his private residence in Washington
instead Il at the Spanish legation. The
paper. however. was marked with the
official type and reai in the corner Le-
tion was upon the lrft-hand uppsr cor
ner IL the envelope.
Treason In the Minister. Own House.
'-Senur de Lone did not mail the let
ter from his house. In fact he had not
quite completed IL upon the morning 1t
was written and carried IL to the lega-
tiCn. whsrc IL was first seen and no-
ticcd by a person who Is in the employ
OF the embassy. acting in a sub-ofiicial
CAPACITY. The letter lay upon the desk
Of the minister in his inner Office. the
| outer Office being his place of reception
Of visitors. During an absence Of half
an hour from the inner Office Of De
LONE the clerk In question saw theopen
letter and read some Of 1t. The next day
this same person sent word to his Gu
han associates in Washington to the -
| feet that he had seen letter from De
lone To- Canalejas in which President
Mckinley was villified and autonomy
called scheme.
Cuban Juuta Proceeds to Its Work.
Several of the Cuban leaders got to-
gether and asked the employe of the
| embassy to secure the letter. They did
not believe implicitly in his story, si-
though he urged them to come into the
| public print and make charges against
DE LONE. Because they did not have
the letter In their possession the leaders
refused to say anything about It. The
employe Of the legation was urged to
use all means in his power to secure the
| letter. although II was considered prob
| able that the letter was, already in the
mails when the Cubans at the Hotel
Raleigh were Informed Of its existence.