The Portland daily press., 1898-04-15
SPAIN'S CRI NE.
Officials In Cuba Blew Up
Maine.
TESTIMONY BEFORE FOR
EIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE.
Gen. Lee Convinced As to Authors
Of Crime.
CAPTAIN SIGSBEE HELD A SINH
Lar VIEW.


Feared That the Montgomery Would
Suffer a Like Fate-Torpedo Experts
Impossible To Have Sunk a Mine
| After the Maine Was Authorizations
mander Bradford's Opinion of the
Disaster.
Washington, April 14.-The testimony
taken before the Senate committee on
forsign relations about the United States
and Cuba was made public today.
1t constitutes book of about $50 pages
and includes not only the testimony TAX
en- since the disaster to. the Maine, but
also much that was taken before and
running backEfor year or more.
The statement which contains the
greatest interest is that made by Consul
General Lee on the 18th instant.
In this statement Gen. Lee says that he
was informed on very good authority
that the Spaniards had placed two rows
of torpedoes just at the mouth of Ha-
yana harbor by MORO castle within the
past two months, or subsequent to the
Maine disaster and that the switchboard
| is in room in the castle.
| He said, however, that he had no in
formation of the placing Of any torpedoes
before the Maine was destroyed, and
none in regard to the purchase abroad
by the Spanish authorities.
"Have you any reason to suppose that
the harbor was mined at all before the
blowing up of the Mainef" asked Senator
Frye.
mo, sir; L had no reason to suspect
anything of that sort up to that time.
He then went on TO say that Gen. Wey
ler's letter to Santos Guzman had led
him to believe that mines might have
been placed there previous to the Maine
incident, and he said that this supposlt-
ion was strengthened by telegram
from Gen. Weyler of which he had cog
nizance.
letter 1.-THE Laine letter. was correct
copy of a genuine.
The telegram to which he referred was
addressed to Eva Camel a noted Spanish
woman and an admiral of Wey]er and
Senior Guzman, and it read as follows:
''Grave circumstances caused me to
ask YOU to destroy the last letter of Feb
ruary 18TH"
Gen. Lee said that this telegram had
never before been published and he found
in strong oonfrmatOry evidence of the
genuineness of the Weyler letter. With
reference to the responsibility for the de-
struction of the Maine, Gen. Lee said:
81 am satisfied the explosion was from
| the outside. [ cabled che state depart
lnent few days after the board assem-
bled that it was almost certain that the
explosion was from the exterior. l have
always had an idea about the Maine that
| it was not blown up by any private in
dividual or by any private citizen, but it
was blown up by some of the officers
who had charge of the mines and cleo
trical wires and torpedoes in the arsenal
| there, who thoroughly understand their
business, for 1t was done remarkably
we'll
II do not think Gen. Blanoo, the pres
emit captain and governor general of the
island OF Cuba, had anything to do with
it, | do not think he had any knowledge
of it, l cav him just shortly after the
occurrence. I was sitting in my room
at the hotel and from the balcony of the
hotel I heard the explosion and saw a
great column of fire go up in the air.
ga few moments after ascertaining
that it was the Maine, | went right
LIE
Blanco.
'sHe came in directly by himself. He
had lust heard it and was crying; tears
were coming out of his eyes lie seemed
to regret it as much rs anybody | saw
in Havana. I think the explosion came
from some of the subaltern officers who
had been there under Weyler, and who
were probably anti-Blanco anyhow and
who had full knowledge of the busine So
Gen. Lee said that ne had seen copy
of a telegram from Admiral Manterolla
dated IN Havana, prior to the explosion
of the Maine. to the Spanish commission
in London, asking the commission to
Hurry up the electrical cables"
whether that referred to wire Or sub
marine mines or torpedoes, L do not
know" he continued. II tried to as
certain if any of the wire or electrical
cables had arrived there, but they came
on Spanish ships and could not find
out
Cen. Lee said that this testimony in
regard to Manterolla and also that with
reference to the Weyler telegram had
been furnished to the court Of inquiry
which Investigated the Maine disaster,
hut had not been sent to Congress nor
published because of request OF his
made to the state department. not to make
them public, as | was afraid the Spanish
papers should republish it ana they
would probably kill the man that gave
it to me-
Continuing this testimony, Gen. Lee
said that ten minutes after the explosion
he was at the palace talking to Gen.
BIanoo and that the latter gave him an
order for boat to take him out into the
harbor
Senator Morgan asked if, when he got
to tho waters edge, he saw any lights
burning.
81 did not notice that said Gen. Lee,
Hbut | have made inquiries since and
have ascertained that no electric lights
went out. / sent for electric light men
and gas men. Some gas jets went out
in one or two places, caused by the shock
or something, but l could not ascertain
from these men that single electric
light went out