The San Francisco call., 1898-04-15
How He Gave Evidence Before the Senate
 Committee.
Declared That Mines Were Laid in Havana and Connected
 With Moro Castle.
It Is Probable 8 Spanish Officer and Not g Novice Blew Up the
 Maine.
Special Dispatch to The Call.
Call Office, Riggs House,

Call Office, Riggs House,
 Washington, April 14.
 The testimony taken before the Sen ate Committee on Foreign Relations in connection with the investigation into the relation between the United States and Cuba was made public to-day. It constitutes a book of about $50 pages and includes not only the testimony taken since the disaster of the Maine, but also much that was taken before, running back for year or more.
 The statement which contains the greatest cu.Ient interest is that made by Consul General Lee on the 12th inst. In this General Lee said that he was in formed on very good authority that the Spaniards had placed two rows of tor pedoes just at the mouth of Havana harbor by Morro Castle within the past two months or subsequent to the Maine disaster, and that the switchboard is in a room in the castle. He said, how ever, that he had no information of the placing of any torpedoes before the Maine was destroyed and none in re- gard to their purchase a-road by the Spanish authorities.
 Have you any reason to suppose that the harbor was mined at all be- fore the blowing up of the Maine?" asked Senator Frye.
 No, sir; I had no reason to suspect anything of that sort"
 He then went on to say that General Weylers letter to Santos Guzman had led him to believe that mines might have been placed there previous to the Maine incident, and he said that this supposition was strengthened by telegram from General Weyler, of which he had cognizance. Upon the whole he thought the Weyler letter (the Laine letter. was a correct copy of the genuine letter.
 The telegram to which he referred was addressed to Eva Canela, a noted Spanish woman, and an admirer of General Weyler, and to Senor Guzman, and it read as follows: Grave cir cumstances cause he to ask you to de- stroy the last letter of February 12"
 General Lee said that this telegram had never before been published, and he found in it strong confrmatory evil l dence of the genuineness of the Weyler letter
 With reference to the responsibility for the destruction of the Maine, Gen | eral Lee said:
 am satisfied the explosion was from the outside. l cabled the State Depart | ment few oays after the board assero | bled that it was almost certain that inc | explosion was from the exterior. I have | always had an idea about the Maine that IL was not blown up by any private in- dividual CT by any private citizen. but | that 1t was blown up by some of the off | fcers who had charge of the mines and | electrical wires and torpedoes in the ar senal there, who thoroughly understood | their business, for it was done remark | ably well.
 I don't think General Blanco, the pres | ent Captain-General of the island of | Cuba, had anything to do with it. I don't | think he had any knowledge of it. I saw him shortly after the occurrence I was eitting in my room at the hotel I heard | the explosion, and from the balcony of | the hotel saw a great column of fire go mn | In the air. A few moments after ascer- taining that 1t was the Maine I went right down f~ 'hA Palaca and asked for Cen