The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-11
A spy IN PORTO RICO.
The Adventures of Capt. whitney OF
Gen. Miles STAFF.
From New York Journal.

Gen. Miles staff.
From New York Journal
There came to this city yesterday with
Gen. Miles a young man whose claim to
the tit.e of a hero of the first magnitude
is borne out by his achievement.
The man is Capt. Henry H. Whitney, an
adjutant of Miles staff In the glamour
that surrounded the commanding general
of the armies of the United States, Capt.
Whitney was obscured. He sat buried I'M
der his canvas helmet absorbed in news
papers. and the visitors to the OLDHAM
passed by without glance at the only mil
itary spy on the American side during the
recent war.
Capt. Whitney is a model hero; his deeds
have all the fire of romance of the old
school, his actions are the acme of the
drawing room repression of the new school.
His trip through the western part of Porto
Rico was flied with narrow escapes. 1t is
as thrilling as any tale of adventure, yet
he never drew his pistol, never had to
fight his way to liberty, and all that he
did was done quietly by pure nerve and
bluff
How does 1t feel to be spy" a Jour-
nal reporter asked him yesterday.
DO you know was the answer, 'Pts
for all the world like poker-a little nerve
and a big bluff"
"Exciting?"
"Splendidly SO. and fascinating. So fas-
cinating that you can't do without 1t.
don't play poker because 1 know if 1 did
l should do nothing else"
Capt. Whitney Is small-the smallest man
on Gen. Miles staff. His hight is about
five feet nine and he does not weigh more
than $40 pounds. He has soft blue eyes that
look squarely, but not fiercely, and his
features nrn oh 70 ans
His voice is low and finely modulated, and
he chooses his words with precision. His
manner is the perfection of cordiality, and
his laugh is warming and true, so that
one who hears wonders how he could lie
and laugh in that way-but that is his
bluff.
This business of being spy" he said,
lis bad on the morals. 1t 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
Capt. Whitney was sent to Porto Rico
by Gen. Miles. He was dispatched there
secretly to make maps of the harbors and
Notifications, to discover whether mines
were in the harbor of Ponce, and last
and 1t is doubtful if a more difficult task
could fall to a spy-to discover the gem
uine feeling of Porto Ricans toward Amer
lea This must he do; and not allow even
being done.
Il was in Porto Rico two weeks. 1 en-
tered the country disguised as an English
sailor l had a three weeks growth of
beard which hid my face, and I antici-
pated no trouble in landing, though 1 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.
American spyH 1 said to her, with a
laugh. If we catch one of those pigs we
shall hang him!
Aye, aye said the girl, and 1 bought
some cigars from her.
Capt. Whitney smiled He has a pleas
ant way of smiling, and one thought of
the pleasant Irritation he had with the
dark-eyed senorita who was telling him
how near he had come to death and how
close the officers were on his track.
IF you had been caught how long would
you have had, do you think, 10 repent of
your past sns?"
Perhaps until sunrise" and the spy did
not smile.
by the way, you speak Spanish fluent
ly, of course--like a native?" was asked.
mot a bit. Just enough to get along"
Yet he covered 200 miles of the western
part of the island and got all the informa-
ton he was sent TO get.
II was in the next town and wanted to
find out how the natives regarded us n
that part Of the country. 1t might be use
full, you k1Dw, in case we landed near
there. The Porto Ricans are really friend
ly to the United States-very friendly af-
ter their fashion. l found so many who
were anxious to be annexed If they were
sure the Americans could protect them
that / grew a bit careless.
" See here said one, L believe you arc
a newspaper correspondent.
II accepted the role boldly and said:
Well, what if 1 am?
There is an order to imprison all news
paper correspondents, and the authorities
are on the watch for them said my in
formant, so l dropped newspaper work
quickly"
Capt Whitney was also an English Off
Ger This honor, too, was thrust upon
him, and he was made to play the part of
Britisher with violent anti-American
sympathies.
For two weeks the ignominious death of
spy was always on either side of the
road within which he walked. Yet "Har-
ry" Whitney is as young as when he was
graduated from West Point, president OF
his class, IN 1892. There is not a nerve
that has weakened under the strain.
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 dad get
away, and the fruit of the information
that he gained is Gen. Miles campaign.
Are you in large part responsible for
that plan?"
"Oh. the reports will show enough. They
viii show the information l furnished.
Yet it is nearly certain that Gen. Miles
followed his young staff officers advice.
Capt Whitney fully explored that part
of Porto Rico invaded by Gen. Miles.
Whitneys 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 danger
Gus. Carranzas spies were watching him.
Then one day he received permission to
GO He did not wait for details, but drew
his own money from bank, spent it, Dor
rowed from a consul and went on
He fought his way at the head of Cubans
through Spanish force five times larger.
He was chased by Spanish officers, and,
merely rounding a hill, came back on the
other side, passed them, and was safe.
whitney bore dispatches to Gen. Go
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