The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-02-17
{ STOLEN IN HAVANA. .


STOLEN IN HAVANA.
How De Lome'. Fam ana. , u. Letter Fell
Into Wrong Hands.
Philadelphia. Feb. l4.-The Press
prints what it asserts to be the true
version Of the acquisition. and pubiica-
ton Of the letter from Mr.. De LONE to-
Senior Canalejas. The authority cited
for its authenticity is "a Cuban Of The
highest standing in the councils of his
party" who receives his information
from headquarters in New York" The
story proceeds to say: s
''The letter was not stolen from the
United States mails, but was secured by
an agent Of the Cuban junta in the post Of
nee at Havana. Don Jose Canalejas, to
whom the letter was addressed. never saw
the original. He did not know until eight
days after the letter:reached Havana that
such letter from Spain's representative
IN washington had been written him. De
LONE wrote the letter in his private resi-
dence in Washington, instead Of at the
spanish legation. The paper, however, was
marked with the official type and read in
the corner Legation de Espana'%. The
same inscription was upon the left-hand
upper corner OF the envelope. Senior de
LONE did not mail the letter from his
house. In fact. he had not quite com
pleted 1t upon the morning it was writ
ten, and carried 1t to the legation, where
1t was first seen and noticed by a person
who Is IN the employ of the embassy, act
ing IN subothcial capacity. The letter
lay upon the desk Of the minister in his
inner office. the outer office being his
place of reception to visitors. During an
absence Of half an hour from the inner
Office OF De LONE the clerk in question
saw the open letter and read some of It,
me next day this same person sent
word to his Cuban associates in Washing
ton to the effect that he had seen a letter
from De LONE to Canalejas, in which
President Mckinley was vllifed and au-
tonomy called scheme. Several OF. the
Cuban leaders got together and asked the
ter. They did not believe implicitly in his
story, although he urged them to come
into the public print and make charges
against De LONE. Because they did not
have the letter in their possession, the lead
ers refused to say anything about it. The
employe of the legation was urged to use
all means in his power to secure the letter,
although 1t was considered probable that
the letter was already in the mails when
the Cubans at the Hotel Raleigh were in
formed of its existence.
1.-THE clerk in the employe of Minister De
LONE saw no more of the letter. His men,
ory-written abstracts were forwarded to
New York, and it was quickly agreed that
could possession of the letter be obtained
ano his statements proven to be true, the
letter would be of incalculable value to
the Cuban cause, as substantiatfne what
Cuban leaders had maintained regarding
autonomy and the general Spanish policy,
In official circles. toward this country and
its officers. Immediately words of warning
and urgings to be on the alert were sent
to every Cuban who might be in position
to obtain track Of or intercept the much
sought-for missive.
1.-The letter reached Havana five DAYS
after it's postmark in Washington. An
agent OF the Cuban party who is an en-
ploye Of the Spanish post office. knew that
the letter was on the way, and when it
came into his hands it was carried from
the post office and copy was made of it.
Word to this effect was sent to the Cuban
leader In Jacksonville, Fla, who at once
asked the secret Cuban junta in Havana
to secure the original letter-that copy
was not what was desired. The Havana
post office clerk was not willing to do this
at first. but afterward consented, as he
was obliged to account for certain num-
Der of letters to other employees of the de-
partment. The original was then taken.
several blank sheets were substituted in
place of the paper upon which De LONE
had written, and the letter finally post
marked In the Havana office, and sent on
it's way.
Eight days from its arrival in the Ha-
vana office, sthe sealed envelope, properly
addressed to Senior Canalejas, was deliy-
cred at the Hotel Inglaterra. Senior Canal
ejas communicated almost Immediately
with Minister de Lone, and for several
weeks letters and cablegrams passed be-
tween the two, but no trace of the letter
could be obtained. Canalejas shortly there
after left Havana. going to Madrid.
1T Is not explained why the letter was
kept by the Cubans for several weeks be-
fore 1t was given out for publication. An
informant, other than the person who gave
the foregoing, but who is on the inside in
Cuban official circles. declares that the
delay was occasioned by desire on the
part of the junta to be assured absoluteiv
that the writing was that of the Spanish
minister, so that he might not have any
chance to deny its authorship, and thus
cause reaction which undoubtedly would
have been the result of the propagation Of
a fake"
Washington, Feb. 14.-The 30o-word
cipher dispatch received from Minister
Woodford Saturday night was trans
lated at the state department Sunday,
but no intimation of its import could
be secured from official sources. AS
sistant Secretary of State Day, who has
been entrusted with the whole cor
respondence by the president, refused
to discuss the message. He said mere
ly that there was no development in the
case which properly could be made pub
lie at this time. In one instance he sup-
plemented this statement by the re-
mark that the mere fact of information
being withheld is not to be taken as
serious Indication. Secretary Day
dined at the white house. Mrs.
Day still being out of town. Every
effort to supplement Secretary Days
statement with some information from
the white house failed. To urgent ap-
peals for something definite the presi-
dent replied through Secretary Porter
that the whole matter was in Secretary
Days hands and that the president re-
lied on him to handle the information
for the press.
It was stated at the white house, how
ever, that there was no truth in the
rumor of censure upon Minister Wood
ford for allowing Dupuy De Lone to
forestall him in presenting the appli-
cation for the minister's recall.
It could not be ascertained positively
whether or not%ar answer to Minister
Woodford's last dispatch has been sent.
Il is almost certain, however, that re-
ply has been drafted and that it was put
il cipher at the state department Sun
day evening. Mr.. Sidney T. Smith,
chief of the diplomatic bureau, was at
the department till after nine o'clock.
Special orders had been issued also to
allow no one in the building without
pass.