The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1898-04-12
Local Gfeaninss.

Mrs. Reese and Mrs. BarseloW
of Pahsimari visited friends in
Challis last week.
w. G. Brann, editor of the Ic-
onoclast, fought a duel in Waco,
Texas, on the End inst. with Cap
tain T. E. Davis, and both Brann
and Davis were killed.
John Finnegan visited Clay
ton last week.
Uncle Bill Burnett came up
from Lost river with a load of
produce. He was seven days on
the road owing to the snow on
the summit.
NJ. ]. Sanderson was out from
Custer one day last week on
business. He returned home on
Tuesday, the 4th..
The Woman's edition of the
Mt. Home Republican has rriv-
ed, and is a very creditable is
sue. We notice that Mrs. G. E.
Mason, recently of Challis, is the
editor -in-chief of this edition.
We are under obligations this
week to Senator Heitfeld for a
copy of the message from the
President transmitting to the
Senate the report of the Naval
Court of Inquiry upon the des-
truction of the battle ship Maine
in Havana harbor, Feb. IS. to-
gether with the testimony taken
before the Court. 1t is a book
of 307 pages, and also contains
many fine page illustrations and
maps of the sunken Maine. We
take from this report one item
which may be of interest. 1t is
certified to by A. Mark, Lieut..
Com. U. S. Navy, Judge Advo-
cate
1T should be remembered that
at dawn of the day of the terrible
catastrophe an individual was
killed in a small boat, together
with another, who is to be found
wounded and prisoner. They
were going about the cruisers
Maine and Alfonso XII, and as
the said individuals are the worst
antecedents as harbor thieves, |
have interested myself in investi-
eating what connection this oc-
currence could have with the ex-
plosion of the Maine, and | have
discovered that those two men,
together with another, who is
called Pepe Taco, had bought in
a hardware store in Mercaderes
street, called La Marina, a hose
such as is used by divers, and
that the three left Regla in a
small boat, which they placed
under the wharves of Sta. Cat
alma, and they were lettering
more than an hour and a half,
while Pepe Taco, who is a calker
and diver, probably the best in
these parts, did the work to
bring about the explosion of the
Maine. With this data l went to
Regla and discovered that the
family of the dead man, who liv-
ed in the utmost misery in
house in Rodriguez Batista
street, had moved to a well-fur-
nished one in Gelabert street.
there l learned that they had
agreed with some merchants o
Muralla street for the work o
blowing up the ship for the sum
of Sc, 000-$2, 900 in advance. the
other 81, 900 after seeing the re-
suit. But as they did not come
out of the adventure very well.
having been attacked when they
were retiring, the result of which
was the death of one, who left
his teeth in the boat, and another
one wounded, the third one has
not presented himself to collect
the rest of the money, and it
could probably be secretly done
that, by paying him the rest
that the others will not pay him,
he would declare the truth Of all
this. The one whom [ call the
third is the diver Pepe Taco, who
was unwounded, who no doubt is
afraid to present himself to col
lect the rest. In Muralla street
they tell me was the place where
the business was arranged with
Messrs. Garcia Corujedo, Villas
uso, Maribona, and others, whom
l do not remember. The man
arrested is being administered
morphine constantly to see if he
will die and not give evidence,
so as not, as they express it, TO
spoil the affair after it has come
of so much tc their TASTE"