The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-04-12
WHAT LEE KNOWS
Abeut the Slowing mp Of the sfaine--E Eli
Houto 10 Nyashington.

About the BiowinH mp Of the sfainc--En
Route 10 Warrington. !, 2 4
NEW YORK. April 11.-A dispatch 10
tho Tribune from Key West. says.
Consul General Lee went north via
Tampa, in the belief that his presence
was wanted In Washington TO giyo III
formation about the probabilities In
Cuba during the next fortnight. He did
not receive Instructions until hc reached
Key West. Vice !consuis Springer and
Consul Barker, OF sagua, are also In
structed to report at Headquarters. This
was construed as indicating the opinion
In official quarters chat an early re-
opening Of the American consulates In
Cuba Is not probable.
General Ice may be able TO add some
knowledge to what is already known re-
Barding the plot by which the Maine was
blown up, though not, perhaps, TO the
extent of fixing the conspiracy officially
OF the Spanish government. After the
departure OF the Sampson court OF In
quiry II was left to him 10 follow up the
clews regarding conspirators. While the
board reported Its inability to fix the re-
sponsfbility for the explosion on any
person or persons, Il was well under
stood that the suspicious of Its members
were definite. Had they received as
surance that the Spanish authorities
could be depended on TO cooperate in
tho Investigation, valuable evidence
might have been placed In the hands of
the latter. But with Spain stubbornly
holding to the theory OF accident, the
only effect OF placing In their la.nds evi-
dence as to the probable identity az the
conspirators would have been Its de-
struction. So General Lee continued HID
Inquiries on independent lines. The re-
suit was to show the fallacy Of some OF
the clctys. but not Of all.
Perhaps General Lee would not feel
justified in making stronger assertions
officially than did the board about the
Identity Of the conspirators. yet he un-
covered enough to satisfy him that a
single fanatic could not have fixed the
mine which blew up tho Maine In Hava-
ma harbor. or have Hired It. When the
Spanish attache Sobral gave out In
Washington an official statement that
no nlneA had been laid In Havana har-
Dor evidence that this was mistake
was quickly accumulated at the consul
late before the board had established
that fact to its own satisfaction.
Whether some OF the Junior officers who
were stationed at the arsenal under
Wcyler were directly implicated in the
plot may DO matter OF Individual op!n-
Ion rather than OF demonstrated EVIL
1ence.
On one point information Is definite.
General Lee believes the letter OF Janu-
airy last, attributed to General Weyler.
In which Weyler speaks boastfully OF
having prepared Havana harbor so that
Yankee ships could be destroyed, IS gen.
uine. Whether he has seen the original
is not known, but his opinion that such
a letter was written by Weyler IS clear.
Since the Maine disaster is expected to
be n feature ofrhe general Cuban case
intsead OF mere incident, the consul
generals presence In Washington may
be useful in supplementing with later
details the information gathered by the
court OF inquiry. The Spanish authori-
ties have n suspicion that Lee Is taking
to Washington with him the original Of
Wcylers letter about the mines in the
harbor us well as q full plan of the
mi n .s7ITt-.