The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-04-16
PLANTED NINE AT BUOY FOUR
Haihe kss Anchored to It ksylsrs rsfiidy
ShoNn tp-Still Directs Affairs 10
Cuba Through His Faithful DiaL.
DESTROY ALL EVIDENCE
60 TO NEW YORK. TICKET FOR
LONDON AWAITS YOU THERE.
DIAZ."


Chicago. Aprl G.-Unltcd States secret
service agents. who through the services
~ q Cuban Spy captured here Charles A.
CrandAll alias Emanuel Escado. the man
who under the personal orders Of Weyier
planted the mines In Havana harbor. are
on their way Co Washington with him
where hc will probably testify that the
Maine was blown up by q mine and her
sailors murdered through known Spanish
agencies
Ever since the Maine was blown up
Crandall. or Escardo has been dodging
about the country When the secret SER
vice agents assured him he would be-
protected be volunteered 10 accompany
them
Crandall's statements are substanilated
by letters in his possession from Wey-
lers officers and from weyler himself
His story lis as follows
My name Is Charles A. Crandal. I|
am an American by birth and formerly
lived IN New York city. served in the
United States navy on the cruiser san
Francisco under Captain Sampson and
Admiral Brown. II was while In IN,
United States service that made a study
of mines and tOrpedOes. left the navy
and wen, TO Lima, Peru. where 1 entered
the employ Of Grace & Co. OF London
in their nitrate beds While at Lima
met many Spanlards one OF them. Emil
Licstelo. an agcn; of the Spanish gov
rrnmcnt Induced me to go to Cuba as
an expert on coast defense for General
Weyler. ! was given free transportation
to the island and when / arrived there
met Antonio Marco Diaz who assigned
me To harbor work and plotting for tor
pedo ana mine anchorage. began laying
the mines and torpedoes early In the
spring Of 1886 and finished year later
My work was performed at night !
was assisted by five Italian laborers ana
two Spanish boatmen In all Il mines
and 10 torpedoes were placed. The mines
were made In England and the torpedoes
In Italy. The work OF laying them was
very slow because II was ordered that /
should not work on moonlight nights
when my work was completed / made
chart showing the location OF all the
mines and torpcdoes and submitted II to
General Weyler. ! was then directed to
place three mines and seven torpcdoes
In the harbor Of Matanzas. This was
completed early in last July. When
had finished General Weyler ordered me
To place an additional mine near buoy
No. which made complete chain Of |
mines about the harbor from side to side |
from the mouth Of the harbor to the last |
anchorage.
ION one occasion General Weyler sent
for me to visit him at the palace with |
the directions that | should appear in |
the uniform OF an officer of artillery. sent |
me for that purpose, When | went to the |
palace General Weyler asked me II 1t |
were possible for a ship to enter the har- |
Dor and leave II with the chain Of torpe- |
does and mines there. | showed him my |
rough chart and he especially directed |
several changes, especially in the chan
mel opposite the navy yard.
when my work was done and artillery
aides had approved the plans, he handed |
me my passport to Key West and assured
me that | would receive pay until the
first mine or torpedo was used
81 renamed In Havana until February
10. when went to Ke" West. where
stayed until Marcn 3, on which date |
received my last Spanish gold from Ha-
vana from a Spanish messenger.
After the Maine was blown up | kept
In hiding with q colored family near Fort
Taylor or the barracks and as soon as .
received word to skip out left as stow
away on the first steamer for Miami
The Maine was anchored at the Identical
buoy where General Weyler ordered me
to place the additional mne officially
known as buoy No. 1. From Miami | /
went to Nashville where received the
following letter from Havana, dated
March |, 1895;
Destroy all evidence, Go to New
York Ticket for London awaits you
there. DiaZ,
This was from Weylers long trusted
ldjutant and spy who executes all edicts
issued by Weyler from Spain"
Crandall AYERS that he was directed to
assume the name of Escadaro by General
Weyler He has several letters from
Weyler regarding his work and a military
pass from the officer All of these he has
turned over to the United States secret
service agents and they will be used at
Washington,