The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-22
A TELL-TALE LETTER
THROWING LIGHT ON THE MAIN,
DISASTER
written Hy yWeyier-EvldencoSh Sho wing TINT
the ESplORiOn Was Undoubtedly An
Act OF Spanish Treachcry.

Now York, March 17.-The New
York journal this afternoon prints
statement written by Honroo Il.
Laine, the newspaper correspondent
recently arrested and searched by
Spanish officials in Cabanas prison,
Havana, and lator expelled from the
island This is tho opening of
Laine's statement:
"On January "a, at 10 o'clock at
night, l met in the Cafo Inglaterra,
the headquarters of the reporters in
Havana, francisco Diaz, reporter
of tho rabid Spanish paper La Union
Constitutional, with whom frequent
ly exchanged news.
son asking him if he had any
thing to give mo, he took from his
| pocket Il lotter and handed it to me,
saying: 'Weyler wrote this letter to
Santos Guzman, who sent it to Move
Che editor Of the La Union Consti-
tutionaD for him to read and writo
an article on tho acceptance by Wey-
Ter of the candidacy of deputy to
the cortes for Havana. 1 took this
copy, which you can keep"
The following is the alleged letter
referred to above:
WRITTEN BY wEYLER.
"To His Excellency, Don Francisco
de los Santos Guzman, Havana:
"My Distinguish / Personal and
Political Friend: SINCE the latest
evonts l have changed my views
about the attitude which our politl
cal party in Cuba ought to assume.
If l have thought before that it was
more digniiied for us to abstain from
the electoral contest, 1 believe now
that it is a patriots duty for us to
60 to the polls. Our SUCCESS cannot
be doubted; neither can our majority
of voters, nor that with programme
Of defense Of tho national honor we
will have side by sido with us all
those lukewarm politicians who,
though Spaniards by heart, arc do.
ceived by the inside combination of
Moret and Sagasta, and take as
scientific solutions of our colonial
problems what are really dishonor-
able humiliations of our country be-
fore the Unitod States.
"Write on your flag, the flag of
Spain, Defense Of National Honor
and | offer you my name as your
candidate.
"After having commanded during
two years two hundred thousand
Spanish heroes in Cuba, the title |
shall be moro proud Of is that Of
deputy from Havana at the cortes of
Spain.
"By the way: I have road. these
days that the Americans arc ponder
ing about sending one of their var
ships to that city. During my com
mand in Cuba they did not even dare
to dream about 1t. They knew the
terrible punishment that awaited
them.
81 had Havana harbor we'll pre-
pared for such On emergency. l
rapidly finished the work that Marti-
nez Calnnos carelessly abandoned.
eff the insult is made, 1 hope that
there will be Spanish hand to pun
ish it as terribly as it deserves.
"Romero is in better health than
his friends could have expected, and
not withstanding how morally sick
I feel, breathing this hnmiliating
atmosphere, am we'll also.
"Your affectionate friend and scr
want, "VAnERrANo WEYLER."
Madrid, January 8, 1898"
CAUSE OF LANES ARREST
Laine says that he read tho letter
and pigeonholcd 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
tho letter. Some days aftcr the
Maine explosion Laino mot Diaz
who asked him if he remembered the
lotter and what its contents were
abont an American warship. The
American correspondent replied that
he did, and that he believed some
one had followed Weyle.'s advice.
Laine says that he has since founG
ont that Diaz informed tho chief oi
| II L f