The record-union., 1898-02-14
How II Was Diverted From Its
Course.
II Never Reached the Hands Of Sencr
CanaIejas.
Spotted by Person in the Employ
of the Embassy and Inform tion
of It's Contents Given to the
Cubans, It Was Intercepted in
Havana and Sent to the Cuban
Leaders.
PHILADELPHIA.

AAdsdAd dnu ScAC TO tAe Cupau
Leaders.
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 13.-The
Press will print tomorrow what it
asserts to be the true version of the
acquisition and publication of the let
ter of Minister De Lone to Senior Can
alejas. The authority cited for its au-
thenticity is a Cuban of the highest
standing in the councils of his party
who received his information from
headquarters in New York
The story proceeds to say: The let
ter was not stolen from United States
mails but was secured by an agent OF
the Cuban junta in the Postoffice at
Havana. Don Jose Canalejas, to whom
the letter was addressed, never saw the
original He did not know until eight
days after the letter reached Havana
that such letter from Spain's repre-
sentative at Washington had been
written to him.
De Lone wrote the letter in his pri-
vate residence in Washington instead
of at the Spanish Legation. The pa
per, however, was marked with the
official type and read in the corner
Legation de Espana." The same in
scription was upon the left-hand up
per corner of the envelope.
Senor De Lone did not mail the let
ter from his house. In fact he had
not quite completed it upon the morn
ing it was written and carried it to
the Legation, where it was first seen
and noticed by a person who is in the
ON r,Io Of ha l.oc
sub-officiai capacity. The letter lay
upon the desk of the Minister in his
inner office, the outer office being his
place of reception to visitors. During
an absence of half an hour from the
inner office of De LONE, the clerk in
question saw the open letter and read
some of it.
The next day this same person sent
word to his Cuban associates in Wash
ngton to the effect that he had seen
letter from De Lone TO Canalejas in
which President Mckinley was vilined
and autonomy called a scheme. Ser-
eral of the Cuban patriots got together
and asked the employe of the Embassy
to secure the letter They did not be-
lieve implicitly in his sNry, although
he urged them to come into the public
prints and make charges against De
LONE. Because they did not have the
letter in their possession, the leaders
refused TO say anything about it. The
employe of the Legation was urged TO
use all means in his power to secure the
letter, although it was considered prob
able that the letter was already IN the
mails when the Cubans at the Hotel
Raleigh We're informed Of its existence.
The clerk in the employ of Minister
De LONE saw no more of the letter.
His memory written abstracts We're for
warded TO New York and it was quickly
agreed that could possession Of the let
ter be obtained and his statements
proven to he true, the letter would be
of incalculable value to the Cuban
cause as substantiating what Cuban
leaders had maintained regarding auto
nomy and the general Spanish policy, in
official circles, toward this country and
it's officers Immediately words of
warning and urgings to be on the alert
were sent to every Cuban who might
be in a position to obtain track of or
intercept the much-sought for missive.
The letter reached Havana five days
after its postmark in Washington. An
agent of the Cuban party who is an
of the Spanish Postoffice knew
that the letter was on the way and
when it came into his hands it was car
ried from the Postoffice and a copy was
made of it. Word to this effect was
sent to the Cuban leader in Jackson
ville who at once asked the secret Gu
ban junta in Havana to secure the
original letter-that copy was not
what was desired. The Havana Post
office clerk was not willing TO do this
at first, but afterwards consented. as
he was obliged 10 account for it to the
other employees of the department. The
original was then taken, several blank
sheets were substituted in place of the
paper upon which De AHme had writ
ten and the letter finally postnarlled in
the Havana office and sent on its rou-
tine way. Eight days from its ar
rival in the Havana office the sealed
envelope, properly addressed to Senior
Canalejas, was delivered al the Ho-
ter Ingleterre. Senor Canalejas did
not regard the matter seriously at the
time. although the hotel boy who
brought him the letter and the Post
office employe who had last charge OF
it were arrested So also was the no.
tel employe who went several times
daily to the Postoffice for the mails. All
three were discharged after an exami-
nation.
Senior Canaiejas communicated al
most Immediately with Minister De
Lone and for several weeks letters and
cablegrams passed between the two.
but no trace of the letter could be
found. Canalejas shortly afterward
left Havana. going to Madrid.
1t is not explained why the letter
was kept by the Cubans for several
weeks before it was given out for pub
lication An information, other than
the person who gave the foregoing, but
inside the Cuban official circles. de-
clares that the delay was at first oc-
casioned by desire on the part of the
junta to be assured absolutely that the
writing was that of the Spanish Minis
ter so that he might not have any
chance to deny its authorship and thus
cause a reaction which undoubtedly
would have been the result of the pro-
pagation of a fake.