The record-union., 1898-03-18

NEW YORK, Marcn 1.-THE New
York Journal this afternoon prints a
statement written by HOnore +. Lame,
the newspaper correspondent recently
arrested and searched by Spanish off1-
cials in Cabanas Prison Havana, and
later expelled from the island. ThlS is
the opening of LANES statement:
Ion January 24th, at 10 o'clock at
night. | met in the Cafe Inglaterra, the
headquarters of the reporters in Ha-
vana. Francisco Diabe, a reporter OF
the rabid Spanish paper, La Union
Constitutional" with whom l frequent
ly exchanged news On asking him if
he had anything to give me, he took
from his pocket a letter and handed it
to me, saying: 'Weyler wrote this let
ter to Santos Guzman, who sent it to
Move Che editor of La Union Consti-
tutionaFO for him to read and write
an article on the acceptance by Weyler
of the candidacy of Deputy to the
Cortes for Havana. 1 took this copy,
which you can keep"
The following is the alleged letter re-
ferred to above:
His Excellency, Don Francisco de
los Santos GuZman, Havana-My dis
tinguished personal and political friend: ::
Since the latest events l have changed
my views about the attitude which our
,>olitical party in Cuba ought to as
sumo. If l have thought before that it
was more dignifed for US to abstain
from the electoral contest l believe now
that it is patriotic duty for US to go
to the polls. Our success cannot be
doubted now. With the programme for
the defense of national honor we viii
have side by side all those lukewarm
politicians who, though Spaniards by
heart, are deceived by the inside COM
binations of Moret and Sagasta, and
take a scientific solution of our COM
mon problems what are really dishon-
orable humiliations Of our country be-
fore the United States.
Write on your flag. the flag of Spain,
Defense of national honor, and 1 offet
you my name as your candidate.
After having commanded during two
years 100000 Spanish heroes in Cuba
with a high title, l shall be more proud
of that of Deputy from Havana at the
Cortes of Spain.
by the way, / have read these days
that the Americans are pondering about
sending one of their warships to that
city. During my command in Cuba
they did not even dare to dream about
it. They know the terrible punishment
that awaited them. / had the harbor
well prepared for such an emergency.
l rapidly finished the work that Mar
tinez CampOs careiessly abandoned. If
the insult is made, l hope that there
will be Spanish hand to punish it as
terribly as il deserves
Romero is in better health than his
friends could have expected, and not
withs1anding how morally sick l feel,
breathing this humiliating atmosphere,
1 am physically well.
Your affectiOnate friend and SER
want, VALERIANO WEYLER."
Madrid January s, 1S9S.'
Laine says that he read the letter
and pigeon -holed it, When the Maine
arrived he called at the office of the
Union Constitutional to see Diaz, in
an effort to secure the original of the
letter Some days after the Maine
explosion Laine met DiaZ, who asked
him if he remembered the letter, and
what its contents were about the
American warship The American cor
respondent replied that he did, and he
Weyler's advice.
Laine says that he has since found
out that DiaZ informed the Chief of
Police that he 0aine) had a copy of a
letter written by Weyler, which might
bring trouble to the Spanish Govern
ment, and especially as he was an
American newspaper correspondent,
who was associating with Captain
Sigsbee
On March 4th Laine was arrested by
the Chief of Police of Havana His
friends were informed of his being i'm
prisoned by a cabman who knew him.
According to Laine, Chief Paglieri said
to him: We'll, sir we have you here
secure, and let me tell you that the
secret that l know you possess will
never be known through you by 9TH
ers. as no one Will ever know what
becomes of you"
Laine replied: IF you think that
you can murder me as We're Asia anu
Posas, the two young men who were
taken from here and killed, you are
mistaken"
You may not be mistaken" said
Laine, but l can tell you that at this
moment the French as we'll as the.
American Consul has been notified that
I am here
This changed the Chiefs attitude
somewhat, but he persisted in trying
TO secure information from Laine.
Il know" he said, .all about a copy
of a letter of General Weyler which
you have, and the trouble you intend
to cause with it. and I do not care very