The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-26
other Passengers ON the Steamer
Panama Alleged to BE Implicated
in the E'Suspect's" Scheme.
INCIDENTS OF THE BLOCKADE
ALL QUIET AMONG THE SHIPS
GUARDING THE CUBAN COAST.
Not n Shot Fired in n Weelz-MOrrO
Castle Dark Again mt Night-A
FURRY on Monday.

KEY WEST, Fla, May 25.-There is moth
ing definitely known here about the possible
operations in eastern Cuba, but the view Is
accepted at this place as fact that the
Spanish fleet is blockaded in Santiago har-
Dor, in which event the naval opinion here
is that the Spanish fleet has committed
suicide" 1t is now no breach Of confidence
to say that Commodore Schley and Rear
Admiral Sampson are believed to have Ad-
miral Cervera in their reach, and If the
Spaniards are in Santiago harbor they can
be blockaded and starved out. single
heavy American vessel can hold the har-
boris narrow exit, through which the Span
iards could emerge only singly. The Span
ish fleet is very fast, but it is not composed
of heavily armored vessels. Indeed, any, of
Admiral SIMPSONS battle ships could, in
the opinion of naval experts, engage the en-
tire Spanish fleet with a fair chance of
coming off victorious. The American COM
mander has not only ships for battle, but
for the chase as we'll This is the view here,
where the movements of the American fleet
are approximately well known. Among
naval officers and people at Key West gen
orally there is the most thorough confidence
in the skill and energy of both the American
commanders, and it is believed their
The investigation of the case of the sus-
pected Spanish spy, Remigro Zapatero
Jiminez, a passenger on the prize steamer
Panama, was continued to-day by the fed
eral authorities, and brought out some new
facts While the suspicion involving the
whole affair has increased, positive evidence
sufficient to warrant conviction is still
lacking A search of Jiminez's effects re-
I@kA 1, fnI1k 11Yr 1od IN
be the key to fifty-nine charts of the At
lantic coast from Maine to Florida, par
ticular minuteness being shown as to the
vicinity of Norfolk, New York, Boston and
Providence harbors, and the inlets around
Tampa. All the Florida keys and the Tor
tugas are also explained in detail. The bill
for these charts is made out in the name of
M. Rapurta. Under examination Jiminez
at first asserted that he had shipped them
to Rapurta at some South American port
on April IS, but later he contradicted this,
and eventually declared that he had made
them for the United States naval commits
sion at New York. Other papers found on
him apparently verified this. showing that
he had bought the charts from a New York
firm on April 10 for $27.25. and sold them to
the naval commission for $50. A rigorous
search failed to locate the charts. Jiminez
swears that he was an engineer in the
Spanish navy in Cuban waters, but ran
away in 1890. since which time he has lived
in New York at No. n Fourth avenue. An
old sword and a pair OF new epaulets
found in his trunk, he said, were a part of
his equipment.
Passengers on the Pan say they recog~
nize Jinlinez as lieutel of the Spanish
navy. Letters from a mel and other rel
ativea seem to fix his nah , as given. The
officials are inclined to the belief that 9TH
ers ON the Panama are associated with
Jiminez in whatever scheme he may be en-
cheering, and for this reason the prisoner
was taken off the steamer to-day and placed
under guard on little fishing smack as
war prisoner. Several persons claimed to
recognize in the suspect Lieutenant Sobral,
former naval attache of the Spanish lega-
ton in Washington, but there is nothing to
warrant such story.
The United States Court to-day entered a
decree of pro confesso in the cases of the
schooner Espana and the barkentine Lo-
renzo. which makes them legitimate prizes
of war. No claims against the ships or car
go have been made. The cases of the steam
ers Guido and Pedro were heard and de-
cision was reserved. The argument in these
cases was based on Section of the Presi-
dents proclamation and it's interpretation.