The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-03-23


The New York Journal prints state
ment from Honore I.aiBe, the newspaper
correspondent recently expelled from
Cuba by the Spanish authorities, who
says that on January e he met in Havana
Francisco Diaz, reporter OF the Spanish
paper La Union Constitutional" who
handed him a copy of the following letter
addressed from Madrid on January 6 by
Gen. weyler to Move. editor Of the paper:
''Since the latest events have changed
nv views about the attitude which our
political party in Cuba ought to assume
II / have thought before that it was more
dignified for US to abstain from the cleo
torssl contest, believe now that it is a pa
triotic duty for us 70 go to the polls Our
success can not be doubted, nor that with
program of defense of the national
honor we will have side by side with
us all those lukewarm politicians, who,
though Spaniards by heart. are deceived
by the inside combinations of Moret and
Sagasta, and take as scientific solutions
of our colonial problems what are really
dishonorable humiliations of cur country
before the United States. Write on your
flag, the flag Of Spain, Defense Of the
national honor and offer you my name
as your candidate. After having COM
manded during two years 10000 Spanish
heroes in Cuba in the title, shall be
more proud Of that Of deputy from Ha-
vana al the Cortes of Spain.
"By the way, have read these days
that the Americans are pondering about
sending one of their warships 70 thst
city. During my stay in Cuba they did
not even dare 10 dream about it. They
knew the terrible punishment that await
ed them. had Havana harbor well pre-
pared for such an emergency. / rapidly
finished the work that Martinez Campos
carelessly abandoned. If the insult is
made hope that there will be Spanish
hand to punish it as terribly as it de-
serves"
Laine says that he read the letter and
pige0n-holed it. When the Maine arrived
he called at the Office of the Union Con-
stitucional'' to see Diaz in an effort to Sc
cure the original of the letter. Some days
afier the Maine explosion Laine met Diaz
who asked him if he remembered the let
ter, and what its contents were, about an
American warship. The American cor
respondent replied that he did, and thai
he believed someone had followed Wey-
ler's advice Laine says that he has since
found out that Diaz informed the chief o.
police that he Laine) had copy OF 9
letter written by Weyler. which might
bring trouble to the Spanish government
especially as he was an American news
paper correspondent who was associafins
with Capt Sigsbee.
ON March 4 Laine was arrested by Col
Paglieri, chief of police of Havana. Ac
cording to Laine Chief Paglieri said Il
him: Let me tell you that hesecret tha
| / know you possess will never be knowT
through you by others, as no one vii
ever know what becomes of you"
Laine replied: ''If you think that yor
can murder me as were Aria and Posasa
the two young men who were taken from
here and killed in the Cerro, you are mis-
taken"
The Colonel replied: "No, sir, l am no
mistaken. 1 know all about copy of 1
letter Of Gen. Weyler's which you have
and the trouble you intend to cause will
IT, but do not care very much about that
What want to know now is what infor
nation you gave to Consul General Lee
on February q about your suspicious o
a plot suggested by that letter, and thu
placing of dynamite mines in the harbor
with which fact you said you became ac
quainted during your Incarceration in tn
time of Weyler."
This was really surprise to me-
LANES narrative continues. II had re
ferred to the incident of the letter to Gen
Lee and had also spoken to him abOu
what ] had seen during my imprison
ment in the Cabanas fortress, which last
ed for more than year, during the mos
bloody period of the reign Of Weyler.
had noticed for several nights mysteriou
works in the fortress. On inquiring from
a soldier what it was, he informed IN
that they were carrying from the maga
zine Of the fortress large quantities of dy
Mantle which were being laid in tn
harbor.
"My investigations daring my impris
onment were carried as far as politics
prisoner could do in Spanish fortress
but it was sufficient for me TO ascertain
with certainty that the quantity of dyDs
mite placed in the harbor in differen
places was two tons, and that the wire
OF the mines were connected with tn
Cabanas fortress and the Capitana de Pu
erto, or marine headquarters
wEYLER LETTER DENIED.
a Madrid dispatch dated March Is says
Gen. Weyler denies the authenticity Z
the letter published in the New Yorl
Journal yesterday, in which the forme
captains general of Cuba is alleged TO hav
said that the United States would hav
not dared to send warship TO Havan
while he was in command there, as ''the
knew the terrible punishment that await
ed them," adding that he had Havan
harbor swell prepared for such an emeT
gency," having rapidly finished tn
work that Martinez Compos carelessl.
abandoned"
HAVANA, March lS-Late last night
correspondent saw Don Francisco de Bo
Santos Guzman, TO whom Gen. Weyler
alleged to have writer letter, publish
ed in the New York Journal yesterday
apparently suggesting the destruction o
the United States battleship Maine. Tn
former president of the cortes was mucl
surprised when asked IL he had receives
such a letter. He said: II have not re
ceived any such letter from Gen. Wey
Ter, and for that reason il is impossbl
that anyone can have stolen such a lette
from me. 1 am ignorant Of the existenc
Of such letter, and consequently of il
alleged contents"
SenOr Francisco Diaz, the reporter o
the Union Constitutional, who is said q
have given a copy of the alleged letter q
Journal correspondent At Havana. wa
even more surprised when questioned oI
the subject He said: sit is the first tim
have heard Of such a letter from Gen
Weyler, or from anyone else. This being
true, of course, / could not have given tn
alleged copy TO anyone"
Sunday Cabinet Meeting.