New-York tribune., 1901-08-28
PROGRESS IN CUBA.
DFFArLTING OFFICIALS ARE NOW PUN
IsHED AND YELLOW JACK" is Be
ING PURSUED TO HIS LAIR.

L
savsns Aug. 22-The death Of Of those
who volunteered as subjects TO test the yellow
yever mosquito theory has cast damper upon
,h. e,ner,rnents begun By the Brazilian bacteri-
ologfst although the test which was made by the
army surgeons and which resulted SO uniortu-
rately had nothing 10 do directly Win the eN-
periments of the Brazilian doctor. The result OF
the test has demonstrated 10 the satisfaction OF
she government experts that the mosquito trans
rnits the disease 1t has therefore, been In their
Judgment, OF great value TO science W nat 'ile
test however has not Yet revealed is the oacllIus
or the original cause Of the disease II Is nopeo
NV the army surgeons that the experiments may
be continued. with the hope Of finally discovering
the yellow fever germ, or bacillus And thls was
the principal object Of undertaking the test
These experiments the part Of the government
were separate and distinct from the experiments
Of Felipe Caldas. Dr. Caldas and his assistant
Or Angel Belinzaghi, came here recently from
New-York make experiments with preventive
and curative yellow fever serum. Upon arriving
fhcy applied TO the military government for the
sppointnnent Of a board Of American and Cuban
physicians and surgeons TO aid in testing the
merits OF their remedy. DR.. Caldas was recon-
rnended the kind Offices OF the military govern
rnent by Brazilian consuls in the United States.
and he satisfied the chief surgeon Of the division
OF the good results Of his experiments in Mexico.
Acting Military Governor Scott, in the absence
OF General Wood appointed Surgeons Hazard.
Gorgas and Guiteras and Drs. Finlay and Agra
perts 10 supervise and cooperate in making the
experiments.
Dr. caldas brought a great quantity Of vaccine
10 prevent and produce immunity from yellow
fever. and also equal amount OF serum TO cure
the disease. with both OF which satisfactory work
IS said TO have been done IN Mexico. While the
Brazilian doctor thinks that the Theory OF the prop
agation Of the disease by the mosquito is sound
he is nevertheless careful to say that his re-
searches have been chiefly directed the treat
and cllra he 0iSe nd haT
1or the prevention and cure Of yellow fever are not
inconsistent with that theory Of its origin.
The trial Of f P. Thompson. formerly postmas-
ter et Havana is now thing Of the past so far as
the case itself is conserved. Whether II Is have
q bearing, or less direct, upon the other So
called postofhce fraud remains to be seen.
Thompson was brought 10 trial before the cases
against Neely and Rathbone were heard, because
hs ready for trial. and the Washington
authorities moved 10 action by numerous
complaints Of delay. month ago to-day Secre-
tary Root issued instructions that the prosecution
of the cases should be expedited in order they
might be heard and finally determined before the
United States should the reins Of govern
nent TO the Cubans and withdraw from the island.
The Drector-General Of Posts, Mr.. Fosnes, Is
authority for the assurance that there is no re-
taxation in the prosecution OF the postofce cases
and that there will be none. In his opinion the
cases progressing in normal manner. and the
progress. though slow. is sure.
ThOmpSOns case mas Deen heafu ana CeleIIlIiSl
and the accused convicted. He was sentenced TO
pay a fine OF 500 or six months in prison.
The trial in the First Criminal Audiencia, and
was heard publicly IN open court before three Gu
ban judges-Jaime Pichardo and Ramirez-without
the Intervention of jury. The prosecution was in
the hands OF the Special Fiscal. Arturio Hevia Y
Diaz. No American counsel is or was connected
with the cases and no American attorneys have
any relation the remaining postohhoe cases. The
defence ia the hands OF a Cuban lawyer who
tried the with skill and ability. though the
result OF It unfavorable TO him.
While # cannot be said that Cuban public opinion
is interested in the result OF the postofice
cases. II is fact that the against Nicely and
Rathbone are regarded the most important
Cuban newspapers gave comparatively little space
70 the first of the cases-thar against Thompson
la Lucha" had this TO say:
The crime of Thompson theoretically was a grave
one and is heavily punished by the Postal Code,
he chooses, issue money orders any one him
self included, without any cash being given. For
specially heavy. He was sentenced yesterday 10
six months imprisonment 10 pay a fine Of 500
garding the fairness OF The trial we cannot but
think that II was perfectly Just.
The only American newspaper IN the island THE
Havana Post" was avowed champion OF the
defendant. Its opinion of the Thompson trial may
be from this extract
The Thompson case has been bungled. This is the
from the first. While American lawyers had charge
OF the case there were no causes for such com
States but no sooner had they been removed than
10 practices which are regarded unfair.
Whether there is any foundation for the state
Inent- now frequently heard, that Thompson has
been made the scapegoat for other greater crimi-
mails can only be determined by the progress OF
events.