The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-28
S THE ADULA A LAWFUL PRIZE
QUESTION TO BE ARGUED BEFORE
JUDGE SPEER TODAY.

EVidence-''MckinI and His Ban
dts" Is the Way senior Soils Put
It-Answer of the Owners Says the
AduIa Was on IA Peaceful Mission,
and That She Was Not Controlled
by SoIis-Privation and Suffering
Responsible for the AduIa's Trip.
Judge Emory Spaer arrived in the city
from Mount Airy yesterday morning and
convened The United States Court for the
purpose of holding a preliminary hearing
Al the case of the libel Of the British
steamship Adula, held as a prize.
District Attorney Marion Erwin and As
sistant District Attorney W r. Leaken
lppeared on behalf of ele government and
Mr.. Everett p Wheeler of New York and
Mai. p W. Meldrim of Savannah repre-
sented the Atlas Steamship Company, the
owners of the Adula Among interested
Ipectators in the court room were Capt.
Yeates OF the Adula and several of his
men, Mr.. j. r. Soils, the charterer, Lieut..
e. A. Andersen, prize master and Prize
Commissioners Julian Schley and Edgar
Denmark.
The first feature of the proceeding was
the reading of the libel synopis of which
has already been published in The Morning
News. The libel sets forth in effect that
the Adula attempted to run the blockade
1t Guantanamo, after having been warn
I'd not to do so by the American consul at
Kingston, and after having been notified
BY the blockading squadron that a state
IF blockade existed 1t was held under
the facts set forth in the libel that the
hdUia is q lawful uriZe q war
The counsel for the Atlas Steamship
Company filed a petition for bond with the
lourt wnen the session began. The pc
htion for bond set forth the facts that
Me Adula was chartered TO take refugees
rom Cuba, that she carried no cargo and
40 cOntraband Of war, that she sought
permission TO enter from the American
olockading squadron. Several papers were
attached TO The petition in support of the
statements contained in IL. and
was asserted that che
Adula was of more value to her owners
than her intrinsic value as she was used
IN transporting the mails between points
On the island of Jamaica, and her absence
from that duty there was great deprl-
Vation TO the people Of the island. Under
these circumstances the court was asked
TO release her on reasonable bond.
The reading of the evidence taken be
fore the prize commissioners occupied the
greater part Of the morning session. The
principal witnesses were Capt. Yates and
Mr.. Soils The substance of the testimony
mas already been given in the Morning
News. 1t consisted of answers to stereO-
typed questions showing all the circum-
stances under which the Adula was cap
tured, aud the object of her voyage. The
questions were read by Mr.. Erwin and the
answers by Mr.. LealSen
The next feature was the reading of a
lot of letters and papers found on board
the Adula by Lieut. Anderson and mis-
prize crew. An entertaining paper was
a letter written by Capt. Yeates to his
wife in Kingston after the seizure of his
vessel, which was found in his pocket on
the arrival of the Adula here. Capt
Yeates goes on 10 say that he expected the
Adula TO be seized some day bot did not
think he would be in command when the
time came. He happened to take the place
Of Capt. Walker on this trip. Here is in
substance a conversation between himself
and Capt. McCalla of the Marblehead, who
went aboard the AdUla at Guantanamo
bay:
"Haye a cigar, captains? says I.
THANK YOU, l will, says he.
Where are you going?' he asked
4" TO Guantanamo for refugees. says I.
" Did you get permission from the
American consul at Kingston" says he.
" / did not, says /.
" Then III seize your ship says he.
"'All right. but I'm sorry, sir says L.
In another place Capt Yeates spoke of
Senior Soils and his predicament
Everything was all right" he said 'un-
til they spotted Soils. They tod him he'd
be shot If he attempted TO escape, and
gave him a special sentry. Poor Soils!
They ransacked the ship from top to bot
tom. Ii may be all right if they don
prove Soils guilty of trying to carry dis
patches. ! cannot answer for him, but l
know We went for refugees only"
Capt. Yeates said, too that one thing
that made the Americans surly was that
the Adula got into Kingston few days
before when there was not an American
warship in sight on their way out of
Cienfuegos they met the United States
steamer Yankee which fired a shot across
our bow We stopped. We always do for
the next one wound be right at us He
also spoke of having carried the secretary
of Captain General BlancO out on that
trip
The court took a recess until $50 o'clock
last night and at that hour the reading
of the letters ana papers was resumed.
The log book was the first thing present
ed by Mr. Erwin.
The charter was also read to the court
showing that 100 sterling, or about $500 a
day. for the first ten days. was to be paid
by Mr.. Soils for the use of the Adula,
and after that time he was to pay at the
rate of $50 a day. There Were fl,000 OF
5000 about deposited in cash before the
vessel felI Alnseloh. MI. Suns hdd Olt
option of going to three ports, Guantana-
mo, Manzanillo and Santiago. He could
go to ALL or return after going &c
only one or two of them. The
captain was told in his letter OF instruc-
tions not TO attempt to pass the blockade
line without first getting permission from
the commanding officer
The next document was certificate Of
Identification given to Mr.. Soils by the au
thorities of Manzanillo, in April 1897. Mr.
A. L. Moynelo, who was in court as
translator of Spanish, translated this
pass and remarked that he thought thes'
certificates enabling one to 90 to and from
the country We're given only TO those il
sympathy with the Spanish cause
This caused Mr.. Soils TO flare up bit an,
he evidently wanted TO say they were giveI
to any citizen OF Cuba not actually engas
ed IN war against he government.
Mr. Soils is a well educated gentleman o