The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-04-16

reported arrest of Weyler's alleged torpedo
agent Crandal. alias Escadaro, is diaicult
if not impossible here There is a DISPOSE
ton among acquaintance of John Will1e
the new chief of the United States secret
service, to credit him with the arrest and
some go so far. as to assert that he IN per-
son was probably one of the three officers
who are said to have arrested Crandall.
Highwood, where the arrest Is described as
having taken place, is a little hamlet near
Fort Sheridan The people are largely ex-
soldiers and others having more or less
connection with the fort. Today Highwood
was all astir over the alleged arrest but
no such person as Crandall is remembered
and the first inkling of the matter came
to Highwood people to-day through news
paper men.
No incident remotely suggesting the ar
rest is recalled. The Baltimore and Ohio
officials in Chicago say they nave no
knowledge as to the truth or otherwise of
the report of Crandall and his captors go
ing east from Chicago over the Baltimore
and Ohio Captain Porter, who Is In
charge of the federal secret service matters
in Chicago, said today that he had no
knowledge of such an arrest and does not
believe it has taken place. At the office
of Chief of Police Ripley similar state
ments were made.
Sigsbees Evidence
Washington, April 15-The following Is
the testimony of Captain Sigsbee before the
senate committee on foreign affairs. Cap
tain Sigsbee was examined March 81. He
repeated his opinion that the Maine was
destroyed by a mine, either temporary OF
permanent. He thought 1t had been very
large mine, but in his opinion no larger
than could be planted near the vessel in
broad daylight and under direct super
vision, with the means available In Havana
for that purpose. He thought twelve men,
having mutual confidence and preservins
secrecy could have planted it and that 1t
could have been done while the ordinary
discipline and Watchfulness was observed
on the ship.
A ship moored at harbor buoy would
swing around to given point where a
mine might be located and when 1T should
reach that point the mine would be expioo-
ed. He thought 1t could have been planted
from scow between decks. He said there
were a lot of army officers in Havana, and
while he would not charge them with any
thing, he thought 1t not out of place to
talk of possibilities of the case.
Captain Sigsbee said he had shown
sketch involving these theories to Captain
Sampson, who had also commanded tor
pedo station, and had asked OF MIN II a
vessel could drop a mine like the one ne
had described instantly, and that Captain
Sampson and other officers had replied that
It could, and that twelve men could do it,.
.That." said Sigsbee, "is the real reason
I asked to have the Montgomery taken
away. If they were going to do anything
to blow us up / wanted to have 1t done
with a smaller vessel The vigilance was
great where their own vessels were con-
cerned Their boats were coming and go
ing all the time, and they generally refused
to answer when we hailed them When
they did reply it was generally IN an I'M
pudent manner" q
Examination Absurd
In reply to a question Captain Sigsbee
said he thought it possible that the ex-
plosion could have occurred without the
knowledge Of the higher officials. Contin-
ung he said it was, curious fact that the
officers of the deck said that the vessel
had never swunk before in that particular
direction in which it swung on the nlgnt
of the explosion, and continuing ne salo'
"The Maine is lying now In about the po-
siton she would have taken to play on the
Spanish batteries. Now, If a mine had
been planted there, assume it would have
been planted just in that place. Ii any
had been planted it would have been just
there"
In reply to a question as to what exam
nation the Spanish board made of the ac-
cident Captain Sigsbee said: "They had
| not done anything for week, had NOT
| been down at all. Our people laughed at
them They did very little work at the.
wreck. 1t is absurd as compared with
our work" ls
Captain Sigsbee said that the keel plate
was driven up about three feet from its
normal place by the explosion.
Asked why he had advised that no war
vessels be sent to Havana after the explo-
sion Captain Sigsbee replied: I'm the
first place there was a great deal of excite
ment, and I wanted to work along without
men-of-war, and to allay the excitement in
the city, and in the next place, If there
were any more mines did not want any
more war vessels blown up. Up to that
time had strongly recommended that the
Indiana be sent there, that the Maine was
not the only war vessel in the navy, nor
the most powerful. After that time had
no more confidence in the people, Treach-
cry had been shown us, and there was no
special care for us; they had not attempt
ed to protect us we did the Vizcaya in
New York"