The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-08-25

sA4-A-- $780,
Lieutenant looked at the consul mo-
ment and exclaimed:
You are my dear friend. win blow
the prison to hell IL you say So"
True to his word. ne trained his guns
on the fortress and gave It Q blank vol
ley. The fort replied by running out one
gun and firing It. The shot Struck the
bows. but glanced or
It was EuIate's turn to get angry now.
Putting on his fun uniform and taking
his staf and detaA Of men. ne went
ashore. Consul Hanna tnarchsd up to
Eseheverra once more and pulled out his
watch.
'I'n give you Just twenty minutes" he
said, Ito let those people out Well stay
here till you do it.'
The troops were instantly brought to
attention. Escheverra. although. fright
ened refused to yield at once. He wanted
to parley until he could get word from
Mendoza, he said. but Hanna refused to
give him more than twenty minutes The
minutes were slipping by. Five, ten, ff-
teenminutes had elapsed.
II wiz release the man you want" he
said. doggedly
mo: ALL"
Eighteen minutesi Mr.. Hanna's eyes
were glued to the watch. Eulate stood
by sullen silence.
''rhe consuls shall be set free" said
Escheverra-
EMO; everybody. the whole caboodle.
orr
The twenty minutes were Just up, as
General Escheverra turned suli emily and
unlocked the door Of the Jail. The
eighty-five prisoners lost no time in gath
ering up their effects and scramblIng to
the entrance. They were 80 overjoyed
that they marched out whistltng cyan
kee Doodle" and Rugged their rescuers.
They wouldn't let Mr.. Hanna sleep that
night, nor would they permit the lieu
tenant to go back to his ship. The cele-
bration lasted all night.
"If It ever comes by turn, lieutenant"
said Mr.. Hanna. "to dc you favor. you
can count on me-
Little did either man think Of the con-
sequences of the affair. The Venezuelan
dictator baked of his prey by despised
American and reckless neutral Spaniard,
complained to Madrid and to Waasahing-
ton OF the brech of international law.
Washington only took trivial notice Of the
matter, writing to Hanna for an explana-
ton and then to Mendoza, telling him he
had only got what he had deserved, or
less. Madrid took a different view OF 1t.
Eulate waas stripped Of his ranak and
put in guard house to await court mar
tial. 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 consuls to write home about
It, with the result that the mercurial
Spanish government officials released
their man and promoted him to the COM
anand OF the Havana naval depot with
the rank of captain. 80
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 1898 to cause the APP
pointment of Captain 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 offset
the Maine destruction. Only the State
Department knew of the delicate adroit-
ness Of Eulate's appointment.
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 Oouendo. The town went wild
with delight. Bands Of music played Wig
orously, and the crowds Of Spanish resi-
dents cried "Down with the Yankee
pigsr The Viscaya came to anchor, its
great tthirteen-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, and in the
courss Of the conversation asked
''whe represents the Yankees here?"
Phillip c. Hanna was the reply.
my friend" Captain Eulate turned
pale. Fastening back to the fleet he
changed the position of the Viscaya.
Then he penned a note Of invitation, re-
puestLng the pleasure Of Consul Hanna's
presence at Dime rabord the flagship. The
conusl who had In the intervening time
been mararied to a charming Iowa girl
ton on behalf Of himself and wife. The
meeting was a dramatic one. war being
then a certainty, and. in fact. only a
few days of. and great was the aston
ishment Of the Spanish town and the
Spanish feet to witness the triumph Of
friendship over Circumstances.
While the ships were yet In the bay,
the consul was ordered to leave San Juan
and taake refuge in the Danish island Of
st. Thomas, less than a hundred miles
away. His duties delayed him unit laf-
ter the departure Of every vessel, except
the warships from the harbor. So with
his wife and a few belated refugees. he
went down to the coaasta and chartered
q small sailing vessel. manned by Span
iarads, to take him across. Only the pres
ence Of Mrs. Hanna and another woman
saved the party. for the crew learned the
identity Of their passengers, and wanted
10 deliver them up. in the hope of get
ting a reward. but one of their number
deferred them after an appeal from Mrs.
Hanna and the tender Of a generous
money brtbe.
Mrs. Eulate remained IN San Juan
when her Husband sailed away to join
Cervera- An American feet shelled the
city, leaving ii in terror and Isolation.
It was cut OF from the world for weeks
at atime. and Mrs. Eulate and her daugh-
tiers were kept in dreadful suspense and
uncertainty.
There came to St Thomas on July 3,
a wild report from Madrid the Captain
Eulate was killed in the Santiago dash
when Cervera's fleet was sunk. In the