The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-05-10
SPANISH DECEPTION
WHITE FLAG WAS HOIsTED IN OR
DER TO GAIN TIME.
Commander Lumberton Gave SPAN
iards Two Hours to Cnpitniaic
and They Violated Pledge.

| New York, May "a dispatch to the
Herald from Hong Kong says; Early in the
morning Of Monday, the day after the bat
! tie In Manila bay Commander Lambort0n
and the Herald correspondent were ordered
TO 20 TO The Capite arsenal and take pos-
session. The Petrol took us within 500
| yards of the landing, when we were sur
| prlsed to see that the arncsaI was stilI oc-
cupied by abo,r 500 men armed with Maui
ser rifles AS "A white flag had been hoist
ed on the arnesal the day before. COM
mander Lamberton could not understand
what the spanards intended to do and be-
fore leaving the Potrc he ordered Com
mander Wood to keep his men nj tho guns
with directions that II We were not back
IN one hour he Ghenld open fire on me
arsenah On landing we were met by Can
tain Sostoa, OF the Spanish navy, next In
rank az this station to Admiral Monteio.
Commander Lamberton Lieutenant Wood
Of the Petrol and the Herald correspond
ont went with Captain Sostoa to arsenal
headquarters, which was at once surround
"a by an armed guard. Commander Lam
berton told Captain Sostoa that he Vas sur
prsed to see his men under arms after
they had surrendered the day before. Can
tain sostoa replied that they had not sur
rendered, but had merely hostel the white
flag In order TO enahic them to remove wo-
men and children to places of safety.
Commander Lamberton said that when
tna Spanish flag came down and the white
nag went up no other Interpretation could
DO put upon 1t THAI ii was an unconditional
surrender and tue women and children
ought not to have been there anyhow. Gnu
tain Sostoa remarked that We came 50
eayiy Ia tho day they had no time to re-
move them. II we had not begun the fight
80 soon the women Would have been oni ~
tho way
Commander I.amhorton reminded him
That the spanlards had fired the first shot
However, he added, he was not There Ia
discuss past events. re had come a4 Com
modore peweys representative Ia inl,c
possession of the arsenal An spaniarls
there, he said, must surrender their arms
anu persons as Prisoners OF war, Otherwise
our ships would open Are on them
The" Captain Sostca said he could do
nothing, not being in command, and would
have to consult his Supporters.
COMMANDER l@mbcrton refused ia reeoe
nlac any one but the senior Officer actually
present, who, he said, must comply with
Coamodoro peweys conditions CaptnIn
Sostoa asked to have the terms of snrrend-
er put down IN writing, which was done
these being the conditions:
Without further delay all Spanish off,
GERS and men must he Withdrawn and no
buildings or stores must be injured. IA
Commodore Dewey does not wish further
hostility with the Spanish naval forces.
the Spanish officers will he paroled ana the
FORCES at the arsenal will deliver al, their
small arms"
Captain sostoa then pleaded for more
time. II the white flag was not raised over
inc arnesal at noon, we should reopen
ilre.
| we returned to the Petrol Just in time
and started back across the bay TO report
10 the commodore.
Al . quarter TO II o'clock the white flau
was hoistod, but when we went 10 take
possession OF the arnesal IN the afternoon
we 'ounu ,hat every seaman had marched
on 10 Manila carrying their Mauser rifles
with them. ''''s'