Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-04-13
WOULD have BEEN KILLED,


New York. April 1s-u. s. Consul
Alexander c. Brce. who has just ar
rived here on the steamer Hermann
from Matanzas. speaking OF the steps
that led to his departure from his post
in Cuba said;
ION April 8, l was notified by Gen.
Lee, who sent special messenger with
the dispatch, to be ready to leave Ma
tanzas at moments notice, and that
when l received the signal agreed up
on, was to lose no time in getting
away. and to be sure that did not go
by way OF Havana. He also instructed
me to notify the consuls at Sagua CT
enfuegos and Santiago de Cuba to be
ready to leave the country on short
notice.
"rhe feeling against the Americans
has been most bitter of late and just
ut the time [ received Gen. Lees mes
sage 1t was particularly SO on account
OF the provisions that arrived on the
steamer Utstein. The captain was the
most scared man you ever saw. Two
newspaper men accompanied him and
when they attempted 20 pass through
the streets they were nearly mobbed.
The Spaniards jeered and spat at them
ana with the utmost difficulty were re-
strained from'doing them ODDLY harm.
They came to me and told them they
had better stay on the steamer and
get out OF the harbor as soon AS posi-
bic. They hurried the unloading of the
nearly 900 tons of supplies the steamer
mad brought, and sailed on Monday.
began at once to distribute the supplies
Ef- lftln
and had already issued tax tickets to
1900 which, with their families repre-
sented about $4,000 people in the city
alone. There are about 10000 starving
In the province.
| kept on handing out the provisions
as iast as could, although l had re-
ceiVed notice that the volunteers were
going 20 XIII me and drag me through
the streets, and the governor Francis
co dc Aramas, sent Il messenger twice
10 my office, warning me to desist from
issuing any further supplies and to
LOCK up and go home. did not follow
MS instructions. but kept at work.
Last Thursday evening, about five
o CLOCK, after | had finished my work
and was sitting home alone. 1 re-
celved letter from General Lee which
read ss follows Brice Funds for
american citizens exhausted. Lee.
That was the signal agreed upon and
when l received the message / knew
must act quickly. 1t was holy Thurs
day and there were no vehicles to be
mad on the streets. hurried out afoot
ana after while found Mr.. Brinker-
hon and Mr.. Delgado and notified them
OF the news. We got together and
taikeu the matter over and after some
discussion all decided that the on;y
way We could get out of the city alive
was to go by steam. Mr.. Brotherhood
ana myself went to the governors pal
ace to get Gen. De Aramas to wise our
passports, and when we told him we
We're going to do it,
II told him of our plans. and to show
what control the governor had over the |
city and what protection he could guar |
ahtee any one, he answered.: That's |
right. SIP out as quietly as you cam
fects we could gather together hurriedly |
and made our final arrangements.
Luckily. the Jarlborg happened to be |
IN port taxing on cargo OF sugar |
at the time l received Gen. Lees final |
warning. She had gotten her clear |
ance papers and was all ready to leave.
sent word out to the captain to walt |
for us. as 1t was our only chance of |
getting away. At 10 O'Clock we left tho
,ity one by one and went two miles up |
he Yumuri river, where we loaded our
baggage. on small boat, and getting
" ourselves fioated down the river and
out into the bay.
Here's where the funny part comes
m. We had been told that there was
1nly one steamer in the harbor and |
what do You suppose we did? Ran |
smack up against a Spanish steamer,
Saturnina, and had part of our baggage
and ourselves on board before we found
,ut our mistake.
The captain was not on board and
we only saw two sailors, but you can
bet that We got off that ship without
osing any time. We finally got safe
y aboard the Jarlborg and at midnight
steamed out of the harbor and then ali
oreathed sigh of relief Had thcre
been an inkling that we We're going to
cave. every one of us would have been
,orpses.
Il turned over all my papers to the