The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1898-06-18
MYSTERIOUS SIONANAY.
Particulars of the Capture of the
Collier Twickenham by the
Cruiser St. Louis.
A PRISONER With TEARS IN HIS EYES.
Undertook q Mission Which He was As
sured Involved No Danger and Found
Himself a Captive in an international
Arsir-Wm Have an Opportunity to
Explain.

I4PIhihs
KEY WEST, Fla, June 16.-Jamie
Fernieres, who says he is the first Off
Ger of the Spanish hospital ship Ali
cante, was brought in here yesterday
morning, as a prisoner of war, on
board the British prize steamer Twick-
enham, captured by the cruiser St.
Louis on June 10.
Conflicting stories are told concern
ing the Spaniard's presence on board
the Twickenham, and there is strong
suspicion that he is a more important
capture Than superficial circumstances
might indicate.
The Twickenham was captured at
three o'clock in the morning of June
10, when about ten miles off the south
coast of Jamaica. The St. Louis,
which took her, Of course without a
show of resistance, was the only ship
of the American fleet in or about these
waters at the time. The British
steamer had been picked up in West
N'A'Auh "oISlo oDOuI q III dSO. dIu
was warned to avoid the blockade yes
sells. Recently it was learned hat sh
was at Martinique, where the Spanish
hospital ship Alicante, under command
Of Capt. Antonio Genia, has been lying
for some time.
Their was a report that the Alicante
and other ships of the enemy had been
securing coal from the Twickenham,
n upon learning hat the latter had
left that port, ostensibly for Jamaica,
the st. Louis secuted for and eventu-
ally found her. The auxiliary cruis-
er's information vas that the Twicken-
ham had sailed on April 81 from New
castle-on-Tyne for st. Thomas, filled to
her capacity of 5000 tons of coal. At
st. Thomas the cargo appeared to have
passed, according to papers, into the
charge of a person named Clark,
to whom the Twickenham had been
chartered by the owners the British
Steamship Co. She left st. Thomas ON
May Is and sailed for Fort de France,
but Capt. Goodrich of the st. Louis
could find no papers to indicate to
whom the ship and cargo were con-
signed.
On June S, the United States consul,
at st. Pierre, Martinique wired to the
state department at Washington that
the Twickenham's cargo of coal, vas
consigned to the Spanish consul in that
island, but that the local government
refused permission to that official to
land it.
On the same day the Twickenham
sailed for Jamaica and was picked up
off that coast five days later by the st.
Louis.
Capt. Robinson of the Twickenham
professed complete ignorance concern
ing the ownership of the cargo, and
could produce nothing tending to fix
this point. He said that at Mar
Unique he was informed by a man
named Lebat that he (Lebat) was the
ships broker; but Capt. Robinson
added that Lebat had kilograms re-
lating to the Twickenham which he
did not show.
Capt. Goodrich put on board the
Twickenham a prize crew consisting
of Ensign +. r. Payne and five ma
%rines, and after reporting the capture
to the squadron at Santiago de Cuba
he sent the vessel here. Ensign Payne
says it was not until the ship was
bound for Key West that Ferniers. the
mysterious S%paniard, was discovered
slowed away in the hold.
~, a., ,+La, Lo-l T.-. Dzlszz. |
declares he took him aboard as a pas
scnger at Fort de France, at the re-
quest of Capt. GEMS of the Alicante.
Ferniers, who is an imposing-looking
person of about 50 years, is a much
worried Spaniard. and tears stood in
his eyes as he told his story, through
an interpreter. to a representative OF
the press. He said he was going, by
order of Capt. GEMS, from Martinique
20 Jamaica. where he hoped to board a
steamer for the Pacific coast in order
to transact business with the agents
of the Spanish Transatlantic company.
He was also to see the cOmpany's agent
at Jamaica, but, strange to say he did
not ever know this agents name, and
was to secure all necessary informa-
ton from the Spanish consul there.
Capt. GEMS, the captive said, had as
sured him there was no element of
danger in his mission, yet here he was,
a prisoner of war involved in an inter-
national affair.
The agitation of Ferniers, taken in
connection with the unlikely phase OF
his story, leads to the belief that he
may be an important prisoner. He
will have an opportunity later in the
day, or tomorrow, to tell his story to
the United States officials, when Capt.
Robinson will also be examined, and
the entire case will be thoroughly in
v~estigated.