The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-04-01

cilitieS from all sections of the count
leading to the points on the gulf named
above. No determination has yet been
reached on the subject.
Surgeon General Van Reypen, of the
ANY has about completed the prelim-
mary arrangements necessary to the
fitting out and manning OF a floating
hospitaJble ship for use In case of war.
He has several vessels in mind which
he believes well adapted for this pur-
pose, but non has been purchased as
yet.
The formal report OF the medical
board of officers of the North Atlantic
squadron that sat in Admiral Sica-d's
cas- shows that he was suffering from
what is technically known as chronic
malaria" 1t was upon the report OF
this board that the admiral was re-
lieved of his and granted six
months 1eave of absence.
The Ina bureau is actively at
| work preparing for the armament of
the yachts and tugs which have just
been acquired by purchase by the nav
and by o from the treasury depart
ment. On h tugs and yachts the ord
nance bureau will install such 6 pound
ers as may be available for the pur-
pose while on the cutters will be put
some 4 inch and several 6 Founders, all
of tine rapid fire class.
Tt was stated ait the navy department
today that the steam yacht Gfralda,
just purchased by Spain, cost that gov
eminent probably $3.50, 600. She is not
regarded as a very formidable acquisi-
ton to h Spanish navy, as she is in
ferior to the Mayfiower, the yacht
bought by Secretary Long about two
weeks ago. The Giralda was construct
ed ON the Clyde.
COLORED TROOPS ORDERED TO
THE FRONT.
AT the war department the most i'm
portant development of the day was the
announcement that the Twenty-fifth
regiment of infantry, now sta toned in
Montana, would be transferred to Dry
TOrtugaS in the gulf of Mexico. This
regiment is composed entirely of COL
ored troops whohave been located in the
northwest for a umbe of years. Their
stay in the gulf climate will prepare
them for any service in Cuba should
this fDe necessary. Tine troops will first
go to Key West. 1t may be that the de-
partment will keep some of them
there and send only a portion of the
regiment to Tor|tugas, but this has not
been determined definitely.
The ordnance officials of the army
report that the firms which have been
given contracts for supplying ammunf-
ton, guns, p~rojectiles, and gun car
r'iages are keeping We'll to their prom
Uses in the matter of supplying these
munitions of war in time and they are
being hurried to the Notifications need
ing them.
THE ANONYMOUS LETTER.
Am interesting feature of the pub
lished report of the Maine testimony,
issued from the government printing
- no oIo --o- II ON,
letter mentioned i'm the evidence of
Henry Drain, the clerk of the Ameri-
can consulate at Havana. The letter
was received by General Lee a few
days after the Maine disaster. Tt is
dated February IS, 1898, and signed
tan Admirer." 1t is Spanish, written
apparently by a fairly we'll educated
person. The certified translation is as
follows:
TT should be remembered that at
dawn of the day of the terrible catas-
trOphe an Individual was killed in a
small boat, together with another who
was found wounded and a prisoner.
They were going about the cruisers
Maine and Alphonso XII, and as the
aid individuals are of the worst ante
cedents as parlOr Thieves, 7 have inter
ested myself in investigating what
connection this occurrence could have
Idu Wllu uIe explosion OF the MARINE,
and nave discovered that those two
men, together with another, who is
called Pope Taco, had bought in a
hardware store in Mercaderes street,
called La Marina, a hose such as is
used by divers, and THAT the three left
Rigla in a small boat, which, they
placed under the wFharves of Santa Ca
talina, and they were lettering about
more than an I'll and a half, while
D~-N TD-~o IL :- "
yer, probably the best in these parts,
did the work to bring about the explo-
sion OF the Maine. With the data I
went to Regla and discovered that the
family of the dead man who lived i'm
the utmost misery in a house in RO-
drigueZ BatiSta street, had moved to a
we'll furnished one ON Gelabert street.
There I learned that they had agreed
with some merchants of Mur'alla street,
for the work of blowing up THE ship
for the sum of Sc, OOO-$2, 600 in advance
and the other 81, 900 after seeing the
result
But as they did not come out of the
adventure very we'll, having been at
tackled when they We're retiring, the
result of which was the death of one,
other one wounded, the third one has
not presented himself to collect the rest
of the money, n it could be probably
secretly dOne that by paying him the
rest THAT the others will mot now pay
him, he would declare the TRUTH of all
his. The whom I called the third
is the diver Pepe Taco,wh is unwound-
ed, who is nc doubt afraid to present
himself to collect the rest. I'm Maui
r'alla street, they tell me vas the place
where the business was arranged with
Messrs. Garcia C~orujedo, Villa Suzo,
Maribona and others whom I do not re-
The man who is arrested is
being administered morphine constant
ly to see if he will die and mot give
evidence, SO as not, as they express lit,
to spoil the affair after it has come off
so much to their taste"
Il certify that the above is a TRUE
copy.
lQSfgned) A MARK.
Lieutenant Commander United states
Navy, and judge advocate"
Drain, the consular clerk, stated in
his evidence that an effort was made to
ascertain the authenticity of this litter,
although the consulate was handi-
capped, having no secret fund. The
witness discovered, however, that the
name. fPeDe Taco. mllS!t have haon q