The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-03-23
A STARTLING STORY.
4 LETTER SAID TO HAVE BEEN WRIT
TEN BY WEYLER,

Eeto-e the Maine Went to Havana He he
Prepared the Haroor for Such an Emsr-
gency, and Hoped Spanish Hand would
Punish Insult,
The New York Journal Thursday
afternoon prints statement written
oy Honore 4. Lame, the newspaper
correspondent recently arrested and
searched by Spanish officials in Caba.
mas prison. Rabana, and later expelled
from the island. This is the opening
of LANES statement:
"On Jan. "a, at 10 o'clock at gight I
met in the Cafe Lngleterra. the head
quarters Of the reporters in Habana,
Francisco Diaz, q reporter OF the rabid
Spanish paper La Union Constitution
al, with whom I frequently exchang-
ed news. On asking MIN if he had any
thing to give me, &c took from his
pocket a letter and handed it to me,
saying, "Weyler wrote this letter to
Santos Guzman, who sent it to Move
(he editor Of L. Union Constitution
| aD for him to read and write an article
on the accsptanc. by Weyler of the
candidacy of deputy to the cortes for
Babana. I took this copy, which you
can keep" The following is the al.
legged letter referred to above:
His ExcelIency, Don Fracisco de los
Santos Guzman, Habana:
My Distinguished Personal and
Political Friend: Since the latest
events I have changed my views
about the attitude which our political
party IN Cuba ought to assume. If I
nave thought before that It was more
dignifed for US to abstain from the
electoral contest. I believe now that it
is q patriots duty for US to go to the
polls. Our success cannot be doubted;
neither can our majority of voters,
nor that with programme of defense
OF the national honor we will have
side by side with us all the lukewarm
politicians, who, though Spaniards at
heart, ara deceived by the inside com.
binatlons Of Moret and Sagasta, and
take as scientific solutions of our colo
nial problems what are really dishon-
oraole humiliations of our country be.
fore the United States. Write on your
flag, the flag of Spain, Defense of
National Honor and I offer you my
name as your candidate. After hav-
| ing commanded during two years
100000 Spanish heroes in Cuba the
title shall be more proud of is that Of
deputy from Habsna at the cortss of
Spain. By the way, I have read these
days that the Americans ara ponder
ing about sending one OF their war.
ships to that cit, During my COM
mand in Cuos .ney did not even dare
to dream about II. They knew the
terrible punishment thataWaited them.
I had Asbana harbor well prepared
for such an emergency. l rapidly
finished the work that Martinez Cam
pos carelessly abandoned. # the in
suit is made hope that there will be
Spanish hand to punish 1t as terribly
as it deserves. Romero is in better
health than MS friends could have
expected, and Notwithstanding how
morally sick I feel breathing this hu-
initiating atmosphere, is well; also
your afectionate friend and servant.
Yaleriano Weyler.
Madrid, January s, 1885,"
Lame says that ne read the letter
and pigeon-holed it. When the Maine
arrived hs called at the Office of the
Union Constitutional to see Diaz in an
effort to secure the original Of the let
ter. Some days after the Maine ex.
plosion Lame met Diaz, who asked
MIN if he remembered the letter and
what its contents were aboutan Amer
ican warship. TIE American CORES
pondent replied that he did ana that
ne believed some one mad followed
Weyler's advice. Laine says that he
mas since found out that Diaz inform"
ed the chief OF police that ne (Laine)
mad copy ola letter written by Wey.
Ter which might bring trouble to the
Spanish government, especially as he
was an American newspaper CORES.
pondent who was associaEing with
Captain Sigsoee, hence his arrest on
March,.
Continuing his narrative, Laine
says: II hao noticed for several nights
mysterious work which was being
done in the fortress. On inquiring
from soldier whom knew, Wnat it
was, he informed me that they were
scarrying from the magazine Of the
fortress large quantities of dynamite,
which were being laid in the harbor.
My investigations during my peri
| Cd of Imprisonment were carried as
far as political prisoner could do In
a Spanish fortress, but it was sufficient
for me to ascertain with certainty that
the quantity OF dynamite placed in
the harDor IN different places was two
IONS and that the wires Of the mines
we're connected with the Cabanas
fortress andehe Captains de Puerto,
or marine headquarters.