The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1899-01-19
FALSE OR TRUE?
ALLEGED STORY OF BLOWING UP
OF THE MAINE.

Brezmes, One of Weyler's Trusted
Friends and Intimates, Said to Have
! Been the Perpetrator of the Horri-
Bile Deed-A Havana Newspaper Tells
! Circumstances of the Crime-l7ay be
| True or Not but Published for What
/ it's Worth.
| Ricardo Arnauto, editor of Ell Re
concentrate, recently established
! paper of ultra Cuban tendencies, in
Havana, has at last given the details
of the alleged conspiracy to blow up
the battle ship Maine in Havana har-
Dor last February The New York
Journal gives the following transla-
ton of the article:
at is known that the illustrious
General Lee, great friend of Cuba.
asked his nation to send a warship to
Havana to protect the lives and
property of American citizens against
a possible attack of those vandals
who had already given sign of
their bad intentions when they pre-
tended to attack the American con-
sulate, believing that Mr.. Lee had
there hidden Mr.. Arnauto, the editor
of this paper, the cause of the fury
of those barbarians. AS soon as the
news spread among them that an
| American cruiser was coming to
impose respect TO humanity, they be-
came still more excited.
The Maine, the vessel designated
| by the American Government to
| come to Havana, was delayed a few
days before coming to this port,
although for several days she was at
Key West ready to start at any
moment.
Gen. Blanco understood the
gravity of the case, and did all in
his power to keep the vessel from
coming.
| THAT LETTER OF WEYLER'S.
''These delays were sufficient to
give time to General Weyler to write
| to Havana the famous letter in which,
with great perfdity, he demonstrated
| to his partisans that the presence Of
the Maine in the bay of Havana was
a great insult to the patriotic senti-
ment Of the Spaniards, and that it
was necessary that there should be
Spanish hands sufficiently strong to
chastise such an offense to the
Spanish honor.
"Weyler wired something very
significant. The butcher said that
if he were in the palace of the captain
| general at Havana the Maine would
not remain long in the harbor.
| 'sHonore Laine, the noted CORES
pondent of the New York Jdur,sal,
was the one who discovered the
Weyler letter. By him it was dis
covered that the letter had been
received by that wretch and pol
itician Mr.. Santos Guzman. BY him
it was also shown that Weyler had
sent to Sonora Eva Camel an urgent
order that the letter received by
Santos Guzman should be destroyed.
All this was after the crime.
1T is certain that Weyler sent
also particular instructions in regard
to the condition of the bay of Havana.
Zacarias Brezmes was the chief of a
gang of irreconcilables who met
every night at the Cafe Tacon.
Brezmes had been sergeant in the
Spanish army and in the last Cuban
war had served under Weyler, then
a colonel, as his private secretary.
..When Weyler returned to Cuba
Brezmes was one of his old acquaint-
ances who were the first to greet
him. Brezmes had Il strong influence
with Weyler, and it was due to this
that he was able to make money in
the days of the butcher. 1t was
Weyler who appointed Brezmes col
onel of the Firemen's Corps. Brezmes
was president of the ultra-Spanish
committee of the district of San
Juan de Dios, and of this and other
reasons was very intimate with
Santos Guzman. The riots of the
month Of January, in which Brezmes
took a prominent part. gave him the
reputation among the ultra-SPaniards
of being a man of action. When
Santos Guzman received Weyler's
letter he Immediately sent for
| BreZmeS.
"Brezmes held an important con
ference with Santos Guzman in the
house of Segundo Garcia Tunon, in
Muralla street. At this interview
there were present Garcia Tunon and
Nicanor Campo and the notary Of the
court cathedral, ZacarZias. BreZmes
after this interview. went to the
arsenal He was friend of Rodrigo
Quesada, a high officer of the Spanish
navy, whom he met there by APP
pointment.
..Something very serious must
have passed between Brezmes anc
Quesada, as several Cuban workmer
in the arsenal heard Quesada say in
dignantly to Brezmes: "Do not pro
pose this to any gentleman. 1t is al
infamy that only persons like you
who would end by making Spair
sink forever, are capable of conceiv
ing.
..Brezmes left the arsenal in
hurry when be found he had made 1
mistake with Quesada who believed
. that it was 4 ridiculous plot tha
would never be put into effect. H
gave it no Importance then, bu
when the Maine was blown up
> Quesada, lifting his eyes to Heaven
exclaimed: 'Wretches, you hav
lost SPAIN
; ..Brezmes did not give up becaus
he found at first 4 worthy Spanisl
officer. How agitated he was in tn
: following days. He did not one
come to court in which was tn
notary, Juan Sureda. and Albert
r Santana surprised him in state {
4 intoxication distributing printe
e proclamations in a corner OF the Cal
e Tacon. Santana was able to get On
of these proclamations, in which tn
Spaniards were advised to blow u
o the Maine.
ROASTED WHILE DRUNK.
;. That night. while Brezmes wa
deliriousiy drunk and accompanie
by Captain Pedro Calvo. Dyonis
y VEGA PhiliDDe Gonzales a nav