The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1899-10-07

L
minutes wer slipping by. Five, ten, fif-
teen minutes had elapsed.
IT will release the man you want" said
Escheyerra. doggedly.
mo; all!''
Eighteen minutes! Mr.. Hanna's eyes
! were glued to his watch. Eu,ate stood
by in sullen silence.
'The consults shall be set Free said
| Escheverra.
| "No; everybody, the whole caboodle,
Or - -
The twenty minutes were Just up, as.
Gen. EscheVerra turned sullenly and I'M
| locked the door Of the Jail. The eighty
| five prisoners lost no time in gathering
up their effects and scrambIing to the
| entrance. They We're so ,overjoyed that
| they marched out whistllng Yankee
Doodle" and Rugged their rescuers. They
wouldn't let Mr.. Hanna sleep that night,
nor would they permit the lieutenant to
| go back to his ship. The celebration last
| ed all night. "
IF it every comes my turn lieutenant"
said Mr.. Hanna, ito do you favor, you
can count for me-" ~ 81.
Little did either man think of the con-
sequences of the affair. The Venezuelan
dictator, baked OF his prey by desp1sed
| American and z reckless neutral Span
lard, complained to Madrid and to Wash
| ington of the breach Of international law
washington only took trivial notice Of the
ton and tnen to Mendoza, telling him he
had only got what he deserved, or less
Madrid took different view of it, Eu-
late Was stripped of his rank and put
I'm guardhouse TO await court-martial.
Things would have gone hard with him
II Madrid had not soon received the
thanks of seventeen governments for the
timely aid of Eulate ..
Mr.. Hanna, as in duty bound, had re-
quested the consals to write home about
it, with the result that the mercuriar
Spanish government officials released
their man and promoted him to the COM
mand of the Havana naval depot, with
the rank of captain.
The incident, was hardly noticed in
America, but it made so distinct an i'm
preston in Spain that its memory was
powerful enough in 1893 to cause the ap-
po1ntment Of Capt. Eulate to the COM
mand Of the Viscaya when that ship was
sent on an errand Of peace to the harbor
OF New York in futile attempt to Off
set the Names destruction. Oaly the
state department knew of the delicate
adroitness of Eulates selection.
One fine day in April 1898, when the
two nations were on the verge of war,
the harbor. of San Juan de Porto Rico
was entered by the Viscaya and the AL
mirante Oquendo. The town went wild
with delight. Bands IF music played Wig
orously, and the crowds of Spanish resi-,
dents cried Down with the Yankee
pigs!" The Viscaya came to anchor, it's
great thfrteen-inch guns trained on the
American consulate. Amid the blare Of
trumpets and the shouts Of the populace
the fleets commander came ashore. He
paid the customary official visit to the
Spanish military commander, ard in the
course Of the conversation asked: ''
'Who represents the Yankees here?'
Philip G. Hanna" was the reply 81
"My frfend!' Capt. Eulate turned pale
Fastening back to the fleet he changed
the position Of the Viscaya. Then he
penned a note of invitation. requesting
the pleasure of Consul Hanna's presence.
at dinner aboard the flagship The con-.
sui. who had in the intervening time been
married to charming Iowa girl, respond
ed in a note. accepting the invitation on
behalf Of himself and wife. The meeting
certainty, and, in fact only few days
of, and great was the establishment of
the Spanish town and the Spanish fleet
to witness the triumph Of friendship over
circumstances. r
While the ships were yet in the bay the
consul was ordered to leave San Juan and
take refuge in the Danish Island of st.
Thomas, less than hundred miles away.
His duties delayed him until after the de-
parture Of every vessel, except the war
ships, from the harbor. So, with his wife
and few belated refugees. he went down
the coast and chartered small sailing
vessel, MANNED by Spaniards, to take him
across. Only the presence Of Mrs. Hanna
and another woman saved the party, for
the crew learned the identity of their
passengers and wanted to deliver them
up, In the hope of getting reward, but
one of their number deferred them, after
an appeal from Mrs. Hanna and the ten
der of O generous money bride.
Mrs. Eulate remained in San Juan when
her husband sailed away to join Cevera.
An American fleet shelled the city, leav-
Ing 1t In terror and isolation. It was cut
of from the world for weeks at time,
and Mrs. Eulate and her daughters were
kept in dreadful suspense and uncer-
tainty.
There came to st. Thomas on July 3 a
wild report from Madrid that Capt. Eu-
late was killed in the Santiago dash when
Cervera's fleet was sunk. In the midst
of the excitement and joy Consul Hanna
did not forget. He telegraphed at once
to Washington to ascertain whether the
captain was dead. or alive. He got word
that the Viscaya had gone down. that
Eulate was prisoner Of war and that he
had been slightly wounded. He immedi-
ately gent all the facts to Capt. Eulate's
wife at San Juan, adding few words
to the effect that K he could serve her
In any way to command him.
She wrote him most charming reply.
thanking him for saving them days Of
ssorrowful uncertainty and distress. A few
days later Mrs. Eulate sent an open let
ter to st. Thomas, addressed to her hus-
band in America, with the request that
it be forwarded If such an act would not
compromise Mr.. Hanna. The latter sent
it through the state department., accom-
panied by note Of his own calling the
attention of the officials to the old-time
service Capt. Euiate had rendered the
|. United States and hoping that he would
be treated just little better on that ac-
count.
At Annapolis the captured Spaniards
fell into the hands of Capt. Edwin White,
u. s. NJ, commandant there, who had in
1852 been In South American waters in
charge of the Concord and who knew
Eulate and his friendliness at time Of
need. Letters and messages we're FREE
quent between husband and wife thus
separated by the fortunes Of war; Mr.
Hanna being the medium. It cost the
Iowan more than 800 for cablegrams.
but the government has recently insisted
on paying this bill itself as perfectly
proper charge under all the circum-
stances
When Gen. Niles was about to !a1i 81
the saut1 SIRE OF Porto Eco he SUN,
moned Mr.. Hanna from St Thomas 70.
guide him and otherwise. advise i:...l
about the invasion OF the island. The
consul carried with him two letters from
the Annapolis prisoner to his wife. AS
soon as the protocol was signed Gen.
Maceas, the Spanish governor, permitted
the consul to enter San Juan two weeks
ahead of the American troops in order
to call on Mrs. Eulate and present the
letters In person. He related many de-
tails OF the captivity, Of the splendid
treatment her husband had received and
when the troops marched In two weeks.
later he arranged a sefies OF calls and
dinners between the officers and the