The Washington times., 1901-07-30

interfere.
The Allegheny received her papers late
the next day and was allowed to proceed
to sea after she had been detained eight
cen hours. Before she sailed, the officers
of Cartagena insisted on searching the
baggage Of Edward j. White, an English
subject, on the ground that he was a
friend of Murrllo's and probably had
some OF Murrillos papers hid among his
personal effects
Some OF the passengers on board the
Allegheny were very Indignant because of
Captain Lows action In giving Murrillo
up, and the following statement was pre-
pared. which was signed by three of
them, each a subject OF a different Gov
eminent:
Some weeks ago a Colombian gentle
man named Abel Murrillo left New York
for Colombia under the safeguard of a
passport given to him by the Colombian
Minister in Washington. On his arrival
at BarranqUilla, he, notwithstanding his
passport. was Immediately arrested on ac-
count of his being a Liberal from Sava-
nilla. He was taken to Bogota before the
Minister of War. who. seeing that it was
not fair TO imprison him. gave orders to
have him taken back to Savanilla and
put on board an outward-bound ship.
This was done. Gen. Castro Uricochea.
comma nder-in-chief of the army, in the
State OF Bolivar. accompanied the priS-
oner on board the steamship Allegheny,
which left that same day for Cartagena,
ths capital of the State.
.'Murrillo. in his conversation on board,
said that he would not believe himself y
free man until the boat left Cartagena-
He did not believe that the Government
would let him go, and he was right, for
on his arrival at CArta gena the Governor
sent word that he wanted TO see him
Murrillo refused to go on land. They
then told him that he would be taken by
force He protested TO the captain, say
ing that the Colombian Government had
no jurisdiction over him now that he was
on a German boat and under the German
flag, that he had received a passport from
the Minister of War in Bogota, and so
they had no right to touch him. The cap
tain. went on land to consult with the
German Consul, and in the meantime a
man came on board with some police to
try to arrest the passenger in the cap
tains absence, but the f1rst mate ener-
getically opposed them and sent them on
land again. AT this time the captain
came back and the chief of police told
him he was going to use force to arrest
Murriilo. The captain answered that he
protested against the act, that If they did
so it was on their responsibility and
against international laws
At the same time he told the mate to
put the German flag on the gangway 50
that they would have to tread on it if
they took Murrillo. The chief OF police
said that he did not care and ordered the
police to come on board MurriIlo was in
his cabin and they proceeded to break
down the door but ne opened it only to
find reyolvers covering him.
BY this time the ships company had
assembled around the stairway, loudly
protesting against the outrage being done.
The chief of police, the captain, and the
German Consul were engaged in a hot
discussion, when all Of sudden the Ger
man flag passed from hand to hand till
il was in the hands of Murrillo, who was
standing at the foot Of the stairs. He
wrapped it around him and defied the Of
ncers to touch him, the passengers with
hurrah asserting their sympathies.
After the episode the chief of police went
on land to report to the Governor.
Everybody now thought that the pas
senger was saved for nobody believed
that the captain would retract his words,
but subsequent events showed that il was
mistake, for when the purser went on
land the Colombians refused to sign the
ships papers until the passenger had
been delivered TO them. The purser re-
ported to the captain, who then went on
land, and after awhile returned with more
policemen, and We then saw that he was
going to give up the passenger in ex-
change for his papers.
The police went up to Murrillo and,
tearing from him that dirty rag
they called the flag of Kaiser Wilhelm,
took him prisoner and out of the ship.
THAT man had come on board with pass
ports from his Government. He was no
lection. The Government of Colombo
had no right to take him. and II was
cowardly action to give him over in ex-
change for a few signatures, for which
the captain not only paid that price but
also allowed an English passengers
baggage to be searched just because he
bod been a friend of Murrillo
THE passengers that publish this wish
the Hamburg=American Company to say
what is the profession that is going to be
afforded TO them now that the Atlas liners
ff-rr
them think it may be safer to take a
steamship which is covered by the ever
respected union jack.
I'VE, the undersigned passengers. do
hereby certify that the above article is a
tr!,a history OF the events In Cartagena.
EDWARD J. WHITE,
"(British subject). Travelling Agent of
Lager & Hurrell. Summit, n. J.
f'AIAlE yANDEN BoGAERDE.
"(Belgian subjecO.
"CHARLEs E. POPE,
"GAnerican subjecD."
According to Mr. White, who is friend
of Murrillo, the latter is secretary to the
iRsurgeat leader. General Uribe Tribe. and
came with him to this country last spring.
The object of the visit was said to be to
confer with the Colombian Minister at
Washington. and If possible arrange terms
of peace between the regular Government
and the rebels through that channel
The war has already been in progress for
about two years without apparent advan-
ldSt 10 sllDeT Slue. ana w mite says
that terms were agreed upon between the
two parties and Murrillo went back to
Colombia as an accredited peace envoy.
Mr. White said that Murrilio has un-
doubtediy been put in the old dungeon at
CaEtagena. Murrillo was ill when he was
taken from the ship.
Captain Low declined to comment on
the assertions of his passengers. He said
that he had made "A complete statement
of the occurrence to his agents. The re-
port which reached Emil Boas. of the
Hamburg-American Line, late In the af-
ternoon. did not bear out the passen gers
statements. Mr.. Boas read to the report
ers an account which he said was a di-
gest Of Captain Lows report. II ran:
Murrillo came aboard at Sayanilla with
his passports and tickets TO New York
all complete. lie was escorted aboard by
the comma ndeT-in-ch of the army on
arriving at Cartagena l was informed
ashore and had refused to do so. l con
veyed this information TO the agent Of
the Atlas Line and also made a protest
TO the German Vice Consul. l asked for
nv clearance papers and was told that
they would not be delivered until Muir
rillo was given up. That evening a party
came aboard ana forcibiy removed Muir
rillo from the ship. / made no resistance
10 his removal / formally notified the
German Vice Consul one of my passen-
gers had been taken ashore by force
The vecsel was delayed seventeen and
q half hours.
In commenting upon this report, Mr.
Boas said.
Il am not enough of an international
lawyer to know whether the Colombians
We're within their rights or not when they
took this passenger away. j shall refer
the whole matter 20 my principals on the
other side, and II they deem IL neces-
sary they will take the matter to Ber-
lin"
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