The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-05-04
DINNER IN 7 COURSES
THE IMPRISONED OFFICERS EN-
TERRAIN THEIR CApTORS.
THE PATHETIC WORDS OF THE CAPTAIN
It Put Ashore at Key West there is Danger
That There will be Trouble Between
Cubans and Spanish Soldiers.

| (COpyrlght 1898 by Associated IreSS.)
Key West, Fla, April 29-Some of
the Spanish seamen detained here on the
captured vessels live like princes of
| large inheritance and entertain their
guests with all the elaborate poiteness
and generous hospitality of their race.
/ They give course dinners, have the
choicest of Spanish wines and cigars and
treat the United States officials who
visit them as if they were petted friends
| instead of dreaded captors.
| Through the courtesy of United States
Attorney j. NJ. STRIPPING, the Associa-
ted Press correspondent, was permitted
to visit all the Spanish ships and dined
| with the captain and officers of the ele-
CANT merchant steamer Miguel .Jover.
| This vessel has cargo of rice and other
| food supplies from the tropics, and is
| owned in Barcelona, Spain. She hailed
| from New Orleans on the Dist instant,
her crew being ignorant of the fact that
! Rear Admiral SIMPSONS fleet was pa
trolling the Gulf. Next to the Panama
she is the most valuable prize and is es-
timated to he worth 100000. BY far,
she is the best equipped vessel in the
captive fleet and the elegance and rich
ness of her cabin and officers quar-
tiers can scarcely he excelled by any
merchant ship ahoat.
Her cabin is finished in Italian marble
with the finest of mahogany furniture.
beautiful and expensive carpets and
lraperies. elaborate electric light fix
lures, n piano, and in brief, the best of
everything.
The representative of the Associated
Press was received by the captain and
his officers with great courtesy and pc
lite welcome The crew numbers fifty
eight men and all of the officers OF
higher rank are men of education and
refinement. Captain Juan Bill, is appar-
emily about 90 years of age. stern, dig
niiied and with an exceptionally strong,
determined face. The first officer. Vim
centc Terol, is a bright. genial LITTLE
Spaniard. bubbling over with good ma
turc and politeness and talking inccs-
sanity, with gestures and broken Eng
lish, of the beauties of old Spain. Joseph
Layares. the chief engineer, is n shrewd,
diplomatic man of about %. dark.
handsome, and speaks English perfectly.
lose Gomenz, the ships surgeon, from
his general make up, might be talSeg
for an artist or writer of aesthetic
poetry. He is genteel and difident and
an accomplished pianist.
The old captain had very little to say
except IN way of protesting most vigo-
ronsly against being sent ashore.
Leave lis here he said to District At
torney Stripping, through the chief en-
gineer as interpreter, for If we go
...l,r,x L.,
pen. Spaniards and Cubans might not
be friends over there''-and he moved
his hand toward the barracks on the is
land.
NO one would injure YOU" said Dis
trict Attorney Stripping.
Il do not fear that so MUCH said
the old captain, but nobody knows
what some of the Spanish sailors might
do and then j should be held responsible
for what happened The Americans
would hold the captain responsible fol
all the sailors. Educated Spaniards I'M
derStand it all, but the Spaniard who is
ignorant is hard to control.
No doubt, Captain Bill spoke with
much truth, for among the crews of
each vessel there were faces dark and
cruel. AS the officers grouped about
the Americans discussing for the release
Of the prisoners, the sailors stood aparl
and watched the strangers with catlilIe
fnesse Half clad, salIow or swarthy.
with eyes dark. sunken. cleaning with
hatred and cruelty. they were indeed I'M
friendly looking fellows
AT 6 o'clock the call for dinner was
sounded and the Captain took his place
at the head Of the table A better din
ner would be difficult to obtain at any
table on the American continent 1t con
sisted Of seven courses with three kinds
of wine including the best champagne.
the finest brand of cigars and Spanish
cigarettes. Many of the dishes were
Spanish and deiciously palatable. AT
ter the dinner was finished. DIR. Con
menz went to the piano and played for
half an hour 1t was a striking picture.
Here sat these proud Spanish prisoners
in their floating palace. Their guests
who sat with them were their captors
and their enemies. Within the soft
light of the tropical sunset streaming
in through the cabin windows, they sang
together the national airs of Spain. while
IA hundred yards away the black guns of
Il United States battleship frowned upon
them. Perhaps it was their last song,
their last night in the ship which to
lHiDS vi IlltlH WAS NOME, lHey ulu not
know. The song ceased and the Anal.
can visitors arose in silence to 60 As
they left the cabin. the venerable com
mandcr of the ship gave each a hearty
grasp Of the hand As the little party
were about to leave the dock, the old
Captain turned to his interpreter and
said
TEL them / thank them for the kind
ness they have shown us. We are their
prisoners, but they have treated us as
gentlemen and a Spaniard knows how
TO appreciate such consideration. Say to
them that the Spaniard in Spain is one
man and the Spaniard in Cuba quite
another man. We are sorry for this
war. We are not to blame for it, nor
are these American gentlemen we have
met. 1t is the fault of our unwise
| leaders in Cuba and we deplore it. Ii
we lose our ship we will give it up like
men. Ask the man of the press to send
a message to Barcelona telling our fami-
lies that we are all right and in the
hands Of Christian gentlemen"