The age-herald., 1898-09-14
THE ONLY
 AMERICAN. SPY

There came to this city Wednesday with General Miles a young man whose claim to the title of a hero is borne out by his achievement. The man is Capt. Henry H. Whitney an adjutant of Miles..staff. He was the only military spy the American side during the recent war.
 How does it feel to be a spy?" a repor- ter asked him Wednesday.
 DO you know" was the answer, tits for all the world like poker-a little nerve and a big bluff
 "Exciting?"
 "Splendidly so and faseinating-so fasci- hating that you can't do without it'
 Captain Whitney is small-the smallest man on General Miles staff His height is about five feet nine, and he does not weigh more than TAO pounds. He has blue eyes that look squarely, but not fercey, and his features are delicate as a womans. His voice is low and finely modulated, and he chooses his words with precision.
 This business of being a spy" he said, ''is bad on the morals. It makes a fellow hate himself to stand and hear his country traduced and to join in the vituperation. You feel like warning your friends not to trust you"
 | by General Miles. He was dispatched there secretly to make maps of the harbors and fortifcations, to discover whether mines were in the harbor of Ponce, and last-and it is doubtful if a more difficult task could fall to a spy--to discover the genuine feel ing of Porto Ricans toward America. This must he do, and not allow even the one questioned to know that it was being done.
 "I was in Porto Rico two weeks. 1 en- tered the country disguised as English sailor. l had three weeks growth of beard, which hid my face. and I anticipated trouble in landing though I was ready for any emergency. The Spanish officers searched the boat thoroughly. 1 learned the next day that the officers were hunting an American spy. A girl told me.
 An American spy l said to her with g. laugh. If we catch one of those pigs we shall hang him!
 "'Aye, ave-, said the girl, and bought some cigars from her.
 If you had been caught how long would you have had, do you think, to repent of your past sins?'
 Perhaps until sunrise, and the spy did not smile.
 By the way, you speak Spanish fiuently, of course-ike native?' was asked.
 Mot a bit. Just enough to get along"
 Yet he covered 200 miles of the western tion he was sent to get.
 q was at the next town and I wanted to find out how the natives regarded us in that part of the country. It might be use- full, you know, in case we landed near llao,, to the United States-very friendly, after their fashion I found so many who were anxious to be annexed if they were sure the Americans could protect them that grew bit careless.
 See here,' said one, I believe you are a newspaper correspondent
 'I accepted the role boldly and said: Well, what if I am?'
 There is an order to imprison all news- paper correspondents, and the authorities are on the watch for them.' said my infor- mant, So I dropped the newspaper work quickly"
 Captain Whitney was also an English of- fcer. This honor, too, was thrust upon him, and he was made to play the part of a Britisher with violent anti-Amercan sympathies
 There was long delay about getting out of the island. The small boat missed him at first. He was likely to remain in Porto Rico and be captured But he did get away, and the fruit of the information that he gained is General Miles campaign. Captain Whitney fully explored that part of Porto Rico invaded by General Miles. Whitney's chance came in this wise: He was appointed military attache to Buenos Ayres, and last April was selected to go on a secret mission to Cuba and Porto Rico. Time dragged and delays became dangerous. Carranzas spies were watch ing him. Then one day he received per- mission to go. He did not wait for details, but drew his own money from bank, spent it, borrowed from a consul and went on. He fought his way at the head of Cubans through a Spanish force five times larger. He was chased by Spanish officers, and, merely rounding hill, came back on the other side, passed them and was safe. Whitney bore dispatches to General Co., mez He delivered them, was off again, turned up mysteriously in Porto Rico with Spanish officers hunting him all the whe and in two months was back again laying his information before the president at Washington. It was two months of quick, cool work-paft of 1t was hard fighting part of it the scheming and consummate daring of a spy. It was for this and the information he obtained that he was raised from lieutenant to captain and placed on General Miles staff.
 When he was in Ponce he met the pre- feet of police of the captured city. T think" said his excellency, "I have seen you before"
 "I am sure I have seen you," said the American. "Do you know where?" 'Yes: you were buying photographs in a shop. They were photographs of Ponce" "True," the spy answered, "I was then an enthusiastic amateur photographer" "Whatp said the mayor of the town 'this little man, the one we were looking for so and who pulled the wool over our eyes" Then he looked into Whnney's laughing eyes and-understood. DEPEw WILL NAME ROOSEVELT From the New York Mail and Express Maphattan Beach-Chauncey M Depew is