The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-14
Spy in the Spanish Legation Got Sight
OF the Compromising Note the
Day 1t Was Written.
AGENTS In HAVANA NOTIFIED
SPOTTED WHEN ARRIVED AND EX-
TRACTED FROM POsT0FFICE.
Senior CanaIejas's Suspicious Aroused
and Three Employees Discharged
Another story.

will print tomorrow what it asserts to be
the true version of the acquisition and pub
lication of the letter from Mr.. De LONE to
Senior Canalejas The authority cited for
it's authenticity is "a Cuban of the highest
standing in the councils of his party who
receives his information from headquar-
ters in New York" The story proceeds to
say "The letter was not stolen from the
United States mails, but was secured by
an agent of the Cuban Junto in the post
office 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 Spains representative
in Washington had been written him.
"De LONE wrote the letter in his private
residence 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 on the left-hand up
per corner of the envelope Senior De LONE
did not mail the letter from his house. In
fact, he did not quite complete it on the
morning it was written and carried it to
the legation, where it was first seen and
noticed by a person who is in the employ
of the embassy, acting in a subofficial capa-
city. The letter lay on the desk of the
minister in his inner office, the outer office
being his place of reception to visitors
During an absence of halr an hour from
the inner office the clerk in question saw
the open letter and read some of it,
'The 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 Presi-
dent Mckinley was vilified and autonomy
called a scheme. Several of the Cuban
leaders got together and asked the en-
ployes OF the embassy to secure the letter.
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 let
ter in their possession the leaders 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 it
was considered probable that the letter was
already in the mails when the Cubans at
the Hotel Raleigh were informed of its
existence.
''The clerk In the employ 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
and his statements proven to be true, the
letter would be of incalculabIe value to the
Cuban cause as substantiating what Cuban
leaders had maintained regarding autonomy
and the general Spanish policy in official
circles toward this country and it's officers.
Immediately words of warning and urgings
to be on the alert were sent to every Cuban
who might be in a position to obtain track
of or intercept the much-sought-for missive.
The letter reached Havana five days
after it's postnark in washington. An agent
OF the Cuban party who is an employe of
the Spanish postoffice knew that the letter
was on the way and when it came into his
hands it was carried from the postoffice and
a copy was made. Word to this effect was
sent to the Cuban leader in Jacksonville
Fla, who at once asked the secret Cuban
junto in Havana to secure the original let
ter-that copy was not wha1 was desired.
The Havana postoffice clerk was not willing
to do this at first, but afterward consented
He was obliged to account for certain
number of letters to other employees of the
department. The original was then taken,
several blank sheets were substituted in
place Of the paper on which De LONE had
written, and the letter finally postmarked
in the Havana office and sent in its routine
way. Eight days from it's arrival in the
IldNdIldb OlllC6 lil6 Sedleu envelope, properly
addressed to Senor Canalejas, was delivered
at the Hotel Inglaterra.
''Senor Canalejas did not regard the mat
ter seriously at the time, although the hotel
boy who brought him the letter and the
postotfice employe who had last charge of it
were arrested. So also was the hotel en-
ploye who went several times daily to the
postoffice for the mails. All three were dis
charged after an examination.
''Senor Canalejas communicated almost
Immediately with Minister De LONE and for
several weeks letters and cablegrams passed.
between 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 before it was
given out for publication.
"An informant, other than the person who
gave the foregoing, but who is on the in
side in Cuban official circles, declares that
the delay was occasioned by desire on the
part of the junto to be assured absolutely
that the writing was that of the Spanish
minister so that he might not have any
chance to deny its authorship and thus
cause a reaction which undoubtedly would
have been the result of the propagat ton Of
q fake
ANOTHER VERSION.
Pichardo, ''the Poet of Cuba" Stole 1t