Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-07
DESTRUCTION OF THE MAINE
Havana Editor Gi'ei Details of the ALLEGED
Conspiracy.
Inspired by We.Icr and Carried Out
by One zacarias Brezme.
Now In Spain.

trado, a 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
harbor last February. The New York
Journal of today gives the following trans
lation OF the article:
1T Is known that the inustriouS General
Lee, great friend Of Cuba. asked his ma
ton TO send warship to Havana 10 pro-
tect the lives and property Of American
citizens against a possible attack Of thosa
van1lals who had already given sign of
their bad intentions when they pretended Ia
attack the American consulate believing
that Mr.. Lee had there hidden Mr. Arnauto
the editor OF this paper, the cause of tina
Jury OF those barharians. AS soon as the
news spread among them that an American
cruiser was coming to impose reSDact 10
humanity, they became still more excited
Inc Maine, the vessel designated by ths
was delayed a few days before coming 10
TINS port, although for several DAYS she was
AT hey est ready to start at any moment
General Blanco understood the gravity
OF the case, and did all in his power 10 Keen
the vessel from coming
That Letter of WeyIer'..
These delays were sufficient IN give tim.
to General Weyler to write to Havana m.
famous letter in which with great per
nolty' he demonstrated to his partisans
'hat the presence of the Maine in the hav
OF havana was great insult to the pa
trlotlc sentiment of the Spaniards. and thar
- was necessary that there should be
spanish hands sufficiently strong 10 rhas-
tise such an offense to the Spanish honor
~, Weyler wired something very Significant.
Inc butcher said that IL he wer.. in Tho
palace of the captain general at Havana
harbor. >" 'i'e
Honore Lame, the noted correspondent
OF the New York Journal, was the one who
discovered the Weyler letter Ry him IN
was discovered that the letter had been re
SelNe, by that wretch and politician Mr.
santos Guzman. BY him it was also shown
that Neyler had sent to Sonora Eva camel
an urgent order that the letter received bv
santos GuZman should be DESTROYED All
TINS was after the crime
IL Is certain that Weyler sent also par
ucular instructions in regard to the condi-
uon OF the bay Of Havana. Zacarias Rrez-
mes was the chief of gang OF irreconcila-
pres VINO met every night at the Cafe Ia
con. Brezmes had been a sergeant in the
Spanish army and In the last cuban w..
had served under Weyler then a colonel as
his private secretary -
When Weyier returned to Cuba Brezmes
was one OF his old acqua intances who were
lhe nrst 10 greet him. Brezmcs had a
strong influence with Wcyler and il was
que to this that he was able To make money
In the days of the butcher. 1t was Weyler
who appointed Brezmes colonel of the Fire
mems Corps. BreZmes was president of tho
uItra-Spanish committee OF the district of
san Juan de Dios, and for this and other
reasons was very intimate with Santos
Guzman The riots of the month of Janu-
airy, 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 VIEWERS
letter he Immediately sent for Brezmes
Brezmes held an important conference
with Santos GuZman in the house of SCI
Sundo Garcia Tunon. in Muralla street At
TINS interview there were present Garcia
IuI0h ana Nlcanor Campo and the notary
on the court cathedral, Zacarzias. Bres-
mes. after this interview. went to the ar
senal. He was a friend of Rodrigo Quesa-
ga, a high officer of the Spanish nayv
whom he met there by appointment
something very serious must have
passed between Brezmes and Quesada as
several Cuban workmen in the arsenal
heard Quesada say Indignantly to Brezmesi
10 not propose this TO any gentleman. IL
is an infamy that only persons like Won
who would end by making Spain sink for
ever, are capable of conceiVing'
Brezmes left the arsenal in a hurry wher
ne found he had made a mistake with Que
sada- Quesada believed then that IL was
a ridiculous plot that would never be nut
into effect. He gave il no importance then,
but when the Maine was blown up Que
sada, lifting his eyes to heaven. exclaimed:
'Nretches. you have lost Spafnr
Brezmes did not give up because he
found at first worthy Spanish officer.
How aeitated he was in the following days!
He did not once come to court in which
was the notary, Juan Sureda and Alberto
Santana surprised him in a state of intoNi-
cation distributing printed proclamations
in corner of the Cafe Tacon. Santana
was able to get one of these proclamations,
I'm which the Spaniards were advised to
blow up the Maine.
Boasted While Drunk.
That night, while Brezmes was deliri-
ously drunk and accompanied by Captain
zaIes, navy officer called Delgado, ami
four other Spanish officers. he was heard
shouting at the top of his voice: The Maine
will go up to the skies in a thousand pieces.
and Havana will have fresh American pork
for long time This was heard by three
witnesses. Santana Sureda, Luis Cavada
and a Spaniard called Gomez who today
are willing to assert the fact.
''On the very same day the Maine was
blown up BreZmes went 10 the Court Cathe-
dral to sign some documents. He had a
sinister expression when he said, and his
words were noted by a man who had often
heard him say the Maine would be blown
up: We must take care of our stomsohs
tonight, as IT is a festival in which We are
going to have roast pork
AT last the frequent prophecies of Brez-
mes were fulfilled I'm the port of Havana,
and fifteen minutes after the horrible catas-
trophe Brezmes. with smiling face, ar
rived in cab al the Cafe Tacon accom-
panied by Captain Pedro CalVo. and there
opened champagne, while he talked joking
ly of the sad occurrence. We have won.
he said, our first naval battle You are
our admiral replied his companions. and
as admiral he known until he was
compelled to flee from the island
The Journals Havana correspondent
by Blancos order on the day that the
American evacuation commission arrived in
Havana All the Spaniards mentioned by
Arnauto are now in Spain.