Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-30
HENRY DRAWS TESTIMONY.
The Anonymous Letter Received BY
Lee Just After Maine Disaster.


Lee just After Maine Disaster.
WASHINGTON, March 2s.-An inter-
esting feature of the published report OF
the Maine testimony issued from the
Government Printing ONCE to-day. is
the famous anonymous letter mentioned
in the evidence of Henry Drain. the
clerk of the American consulate at Ha-
hana The letter was received by Gene
raj Lee a few days after the Maine dis
aster. IL is dated February IS, 1885, and
signed "An Admirer." 1t is in Spanish,
written apparently by a fairly well-edu-
Gated person. The certified translation
is as follows:
''It should be remembered that at dawn
of the day OF the terrible catastrophe an
individual was killed in small boat, to-
gether with another who was found
wounded and a prisoner. They were go-
ing about the cruisers Maine and AL
phonso XII. and as the said individuals
are OF the worst antecedents as harbor-
thieves. / have Interested myself in in
yestigating what connection this occur
renee could have had with the explosion
Of the Maine. and | have discovered that
these two men, together with another.
hardware store In Mercaderes street.
called lie Marina, a hose such as is used
by divers, and that the three left Regla
ir a small boat, which they placed un-
der the wharves of Santa Catalina, and
they were lettering about more than az
hour and a half while Pepe Taco, who is
a corker and diver probably the best in
these parts. did the work to bring about,
the exploSfOn of the Maine"
With these data, ! went TO Regla and
discovered that the family Of the dead
man, who lived In the utmost misery in
house in Rodriguez Batista street, had
moved 10 a well-furnished one on Celia
bert street. There | learned that they
had agreed with some merchants of Mu-
raIla street for the work of blowing up
the ship for the sum of s6.0co-2 coo in
advance and the other $1,000 after seeing
the result. But as they did not come out
of the adventure very well. having been
attacked when they were retiring, the
result of which was the death Of one,
who left his teeth in the boat, and an
other one wounded, the third one has not
presented himself to collect the rest OF
the money, and IL could be probably sa-
cretly done that by paying him the rest
that the others will not now pay him. he
would declare the truth of all this.
"The one whom ] call the third Is the
diver, Pepe Taco. who is unwounded,
and who is no doubt afraid TO present
himself TO collect the rest. In Muralla
street, they tell me. was the place where
the business was arranged with Messrs.
Garcia Corujedo. Villasuso, Maribona,
and others whom l do not remember.
The man who is arrested is being admin
istered more morphine constantly. to see
IL he will die and not give evidence, so as
not as they express ii. spoil the affair,
after il has come off so much to their
taste"
''I certify that the above is true copy.
(SlgneO "a. MARK,
Lieutenant Commander. United States
Navy. and Judge Advocate"
Mr.. Drain. the consular clerk, stated
in his evidence that an effort was made
to ascertain the authenticity of this let
ter. although the consulate. was handi-
capped, having no secret fund. Witness
discovered however, that the name Pepe
Taco must have been a mistake, as the
man mentioned had died a few days
before the explosion took place. witness
thought the name should have been Pepe
Barquin. who had died a couple Of days
after the explosion.