The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-06-09
A HAZARDOUS JOURNEY
THROUGH THE HEART OF THE
ENEMY's COUNTRY
EMERsoM's PORTO RICO TRIP
Shows That the Island Can Be Easily
Taken by United States
Forces



NEW YORK, June S.-Edward Emerson,
Jr., an attache of the War Department
Bureau of Information, arrived here today
on board the steamer Madiana from st.
Thomas, after having performed some haz-
ardous service and undergone some thrill
ing experiences in Porto Rico. Transform
ing his name into Emerssohn he secured
D. bogus passport and went to San Juan os-
tensibly as a correspondent of the Berlin
Deutcher Zeitung.
"At San Juan" said Mr.. Emerson to-
day, "they would not permit me to go
through the Notifications, nor would they
allow me to make a visit to the newspaper
correspondent, Halstead, who is held IN
prison as a spy. l was permitted to walk
through the streets, however.
THE War Department, L may say, need
have no fears of difficulty in taking San
Juan whenever the attempt is made. While
l could not see that any great damage was
done by the bombardment of the city, tho
Notifications are in such shape that they
offer almost no resistance.
II succeeded in penetrating to the exact
center of the island to a place called Ca
guas, when my papers were examined and
the Alcalde was not altogether satisfied
| with their regularity. said that had been
| employed as the overseer of sugar plan
| taton belonging to German, situated be-
yond that place, but was promptly thrown
| into Jail. The Alcalde said he would have
| to communicate with San Juan to find out
whether or not l was all right.
| ".How long will that take?' inquired.
| at may take two or three weeks he
replied. We will have an answer by the
middle of the summer. anyhow
"This was not a cheerful prospect, es-
pecially as l feared that my identity had
| been discovered at San Juan. 1 wrote a
| telegram to the German Consul and also
offered to pay for telegram to the Cow
| ernor of San Juan. This gave me a little
better standing with the Alcalde and
was allowed measure of liberty.
| May 2S l walked some distance from the
prison at noon and found a number Of
horses standing outside blacksmith shop.
The hostlers were taking their MONDAY
meal and I appropriated the best horse
could find and decamped. To get to Ponce
1 must go to the west, but as that seemed
dangerous l went in an opposite direction,
| riding bareback for two days and two
nights.
II met Spanish boy and offered him
| jack-knife if he would draw me map of the
| surrounding country. From that grew the
published statement that foreigner had
compelled boy to draw map under threat
of Sitting his throat. The map have now
in my possession for the War Department
and found it correct in every detail,
when l rode again to the east crossed
a range Of hills to find the entire east side
of the island in the possession of the in
surgents. The insurgents welcomed me
and gave me an escort to the coast, where
found schooner at anchor. Though this
schooner belonged to a Spaniard, the Cap
tain was prevailed upon to take me away.
We had Just lost sight of land on May 2Sth
when a warship hove in sight that we took
for an American. Our Captain was greatly
| excited and began to pray, until l dis
covered that the. stranger flew the Spanish
flag. 1t proved to be the torpedo boat de-
stroyer Terror.
"She steamed up alongside and an officer
was sent aboard who was dressed as sailor
and had taken a position at the masthead.
After an examination of the books the
Cruz. There 1 boarded the Madiana and
found a number of newspaper correspond
ents and artists aboard.
1.-The Spanish Alcalde had sent telegram
to the Danish authorities to hold me upon
arrival as a horse-thief Major Moore, the
United States consul at st. Thomas, posi-
lively refused to surrender me, and even
took me in a boat himself out to the Madi-
ana"
When Emerson left San Juan he saw four
Spanish war vessels in the harbor, the
Isabel II, Alicante, Calcho and Terror.