The record-union., 1899-10-16
CONSUL BEDLoE.
His Action in Relation to the Alb
bey Defended.

WASH1NGION, oct IO.-EdWln b.
Hay, counsel for S. w. f. Sylvester,
! owner of the steamer Abbey, which
was seized as filibuster carrying arms
and ammunition to the Filipino insur-
gents, to-day made the following state
ment in defense of DR.. Edward Bedloe,
United States Consul at Canton, China,
against whom charges were made in
connection with the grant of an Amer
lean registry to the Abbey:
sylvester sold only one parcel of
arms and ammunition to the Filipinos,
and that parcel was sold at a time
when the same was equivalent to as
sisting the United States forces, the
whole transaction being made with the
full knowledge and consent of the
United States officials
"On or about June q, 1898, Sylvester
entered into a contract with the Fill
pinos to sell and deliver 5000 Mauser
rifles, 100000 rounds of ammunition
and two Maxim machine guns, the
price to include cost of a steamer de-
livery, etc. The British steamship Pa
sig was purchased, the merchandise Sc
cured and details arranged for the ex-
pedition, but as the goods were being
Government revoked the export per-
NIT. Sylvester then believed it was
his duty to either deliver the goods or
sell to the best advantage and make
settlement with the Filipinos for the
cash they had advanced He tried in
various ways to get the expedition Off
during June and July, when, believing
1T would be impossible to accomplish
this, he sold to the Chinese official at
Canton the arms and ammunition. The
terms of the sale were one-third cash
one third in thirty days and one-third
in sixty days.
Upon making the delivery the Chi
nese objected to 492 Mauser rifles and
100000 rounds of ammunition, and as
there was no ammunition for the Max
i'm guns, they declined to accept these.
This left Sylvester with the goods on
his hands, and also the ship, of which,
under the above conditions, the Fill
pinos We're the largest owners, and he
determined to try and deliver this
small quantity to close up the trans
action
The Pasig was changed from a Brit
1sh register to an American, under the
name of the Abbey, in the United States
Consulate at Canton. then under the
charge of DR.. Bedloe. 1t was a purely
routine proceeding, and any other Con-
sulate officer IN DR.. BedIoe's place must
have acted as he did.
The Abbey sailed from Canton about
August 26th. Sylvester left Hongkong
on September Sd. and arrived at Manila
on September 9th. All stopped at Ma
MIA for over a month. living at the
principal hotels and associating with
army and navy officers. The Manila
newspapers had full accounts of the
landing of the Abbey's cargo at Batan-
gas, that the fact of the arms and am
munition being furnished to the Fill
p1nos was in the possession of the army
ana naval authorities and yet not a
word was said
sylvester, after arranging for the
final settlement and transfer of the
steamer, left Manila near the end of
September, with all the ships pauers
He had stipulated with Aguinaldo that
the ship was not to be used until ha
had time to take the papers to Canton
and cancel them, thereby relieving the
United States Government from anv
responsibility should the F'ilipinos use
her in carrying arms or troops in their
campaign against the Spaniards of the
southern group of islands during the
armistice, and peace conference in
Paris. The ship was not transferred
to the Filipinos until after the regis
tered papers had been cancelled.
Upon arriving at Hongkong Svlves-
ter learned that the Abbey had been
seized. A telegram had been sent TO
Admiral Dewey at Hongkong stating
that the steamer Abbey had left Ma
coyo about September 23d with a. ser
ond expedition. There was not tpa
slightest foundation for this report. It
was actuated purely by malice on the
part OF certain enemies Sylvester had
made in competition for. the Filipino
business. The Mccullough was sent
in search of the Abbey. and found her
at anchor in Batangas Bay, whence she
was taken to Manila on the exnrass
ground that she had no papers.
There is absolutely no wrong in tho
matter of DR.. Bedloe His connection
with the case was purely incidental ("