Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-16
SOLD THE FILIPINOS ARMS
Counsel for Owner of Steamer Abbey,
Seized ns n Filibuster, Defends
Action of Consul BedlOc.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 15.-Edwin b. Hay,
counsel for w. f. Sylvester, owner Of the
steamer Abbey, which was seized as fill
buster carrying arms and ammunition
to the Filipino insurgents, today made the
| following statement in defense of DR.. Ed
ward Bedoe, United tSates consul at Canton
China, against whom charges were made in
connection with the grant Of an American
| registry to the Abbey:
Sylvester sold only one parcel of arms
and ammunition to the Filipinos, and that
| parcel was sold at time when the sale was
! equivalent to assisting the United States
| forces, the whole transaction being made
with the knowledge and consent of the
United States officials.
"On or about June 6, 1898, Sylvester en-
tered into contract with the Filipinos to
sell and deliver 5000 Mauser rifles, SOC, 900
rounds of ammunition and two Maxim ma
| chine guns, the price to include cost Of
steamer delivery, etc. The British steamer
Pasig was purchased, the merchandise Sc
cured and details arranged for the expedi-
ton, but as the goods were being placed
aboard the steamer the British government
revoked the export permit
Sylvester believed it was his duty either
to deliver the goods or to sell to the best
advantage and make settlement with the
| the expedition off during June and July,
| when, believing it would be impossible to
! accomplish this he sold to the Chinese Of
| ficials at Canton the arms and ammunition.
| The terms of this sale were one third cash,
one-third in thirty days and one-third in
sixty days. Upon making the delivery the
Chinese objected to 492 Mauser rifles and
| 100000 rounds of ammunition and as there
| was no ammunition for the Maxim guns
| they declined to accept these. This left
| Sylvester with the goods on his hands and
also the ship, which, under the above con-
dtions, the Filipinos were the largest
owners he tried to deliver the goods thus
closing the transaction.
Purely n Routine Matter.
THE Pasig was changed from a British
| register to an American register under the
name of the Abbey in the United States
consulate at Canton, then under charge OF
| DR.. Bedloe. 1t was a purely routine mat
ter and any officer must do as he did.
"The Abbey sailed for Manila arriving
there September 6. All stopped at Manila
| for month, living at the principal hotel,
associating with army and navy officers.
| The Manila newspapers had full accounts
of the landing of the Abbey's cargo at Bat
|
ammunition being furnished to the Fill
pinos was in possession of the army and
naval authorities, and yet not 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 papers. He had stipulated
with Aguinaldo that the ship was not to
| be used until he had time to take the pa
| pers TO Canton and cancel them, thereby
| relieving the United States government
| from any responsibility should the Filipinos
| use 1t in carrying arms or troops in their
| campaign against the Spaniards in the
| southern group Of islands during the armis-
| tice and peace conference at Paris. The
| ship was not to be transferred to the Fill
| pinos until after the registered paper had
| been cancelled.
Upon arrival at Hong Kong, Sylvester
| learned that the Abbey had been seized
A telegram had been sent to Admiral Dewey
at Hong Kong stating that the steamer
| Abbey had left Macao about September %
| with a second expedition. There was not
the slightest foundation for this report. II
was actuated purely by malice on the part
of certain enemies Sylvester had made in
the competition for the Filipino business.
| The McCulloch was sent to search for the
| Abbey and found it at anchor in Batangas
bay, whence it was taken to Manila on the
express ground that it had no papers aboard.
There is absolutely nothing wrong In this
matter of the Abbey SO far as Consul Bedloe
is concerned His connection with the case
was purely incidental"
In proof of his statement, Mr.. Hay sub
mits letters from C. T. Yu, secretary for
foreign affairs to the yiceroy OF Ranking,
| to Mr.. Sylvester, also a letter from Third
Assistant Secretary Of State Thomas w.
Crider, declaring that the State department
had not filed any charges against Sylvester
growing out of the Abbeys operations.