Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-08-09
WHO BLEW OF THE xAfsss
% cpite Of All Assertions to the Contrary,
the Truth 10 Not Known.

Since the question of the blowing UP
OF the Maine has been revived in a way,
1t is almost certain that people will be
turning up who, at this late day, have
made valuable discoveries about tn.
wrecked battleship. Going down from
Havana few weeks ago, an insurance
man came to me in great confidence and
wanted me to see the president of mis-
company. Somebody whom the presi-
dent knew had been telling him star
Ting tale about the Maine, and he
thought 1t was new and ought to be
given to the world. This particular story
was one Of the old, old ones which have
made many enterprising newspapers
weary, and which belong to the category
of what they call pipe dreams"
In Havana there is an Americanized
European detective who has had exper.
fence in South America and Mexico
and, therefore, claims to know the Span
ish people. One day Father Chadwick,
the chaplain Of the Maine, told me that
he had received some mysterious hints
from this detective, who was going t.,
write book telling the whole story and
fixing the responsibility on certain in
dividuals. A few weeks later, at the
request of the detective, went around
to his office to meet person who was
"on the trail" This person was u
former Spanish police official. He knew
just as much as some of the rest of us
knew and no more, but he thought if he
had $4,000 cash down he could go on:
and bring in the actual witnesses, who
were in Mexico, Spain and South Amer
lea. He did not get the $1,000.
The pipe Dream" which at one time
had the widest circulation, and which
at times now is revived, was th..t GER
tain Spanish divers were CONCERNED in
the plot to blow up the Maine; that
after theASplosion work was found for
them in the harbor, and that by some
accident the air was shut off and they
were brought to the surface dead. He'd
they been concerned in this plot, this
would have been convenient method
Of reducing the number of witnesses,
but the basis of the story was pure i'm
agination Another chapter of it is re-
lated to Spanish officer, who was al
legged to have been in a house which
was not of unquestionable rePute when
the explosion occurred, and who told
the inmates just what was happening.
This also was "pipe dream"
Various newspapers have spent
good many thousand dollars, much more
4 din fact than some of them would like to
admit, trying to establish the exact re-
sponsibiity for the explosion of the
Maine, and fix upon the parties who
were supposed to be concerned in T..
"A great mass Of hearsay and conjecture
and even of malice has been sifted.
Marvellous and conflicting stories have
been run down. Out of this work, while
the definite proof never has been secur-
ed and never may be secured, believe
that most of those who have followed up
the inquiries in their own minds have
formed a pretty definite conclusion that
there are today four or five persons llv-
ing who were connected with the explo-
sion of the Maine, and that none OF
them is in Cuba A grain of truth here
and there, circumstance such as the
facts regarding the transfer OF explo'
siyes from the arsenal just previous tn
the disaster, which circumstance was
established to the satisfaction of Captain
Lucien Young, connecting link re-
garding the mines in the Havana har~
THOR, and other incidental discoveries
Joined together, have united in forming
such an opinion. Whether the parties
were minor officials who had gained
their knowledge during Weyler's term
may still be open to conjecture That
Captain General Blanco and all those
surrounding him were stunned by the
deed, and that they viewed it with hor-
TOR, 10 as certain as that the captain
general had some subordinates who
were more loyal to his predecessor than
to him.
AS a diplomatic incident the desruc-
ton of the Maine is closed forever, and
the review of the events connected WITH
1t may be made dispassionately. But
this in itsef does not justify the as
S. rtion that the facts which may be
disclosed today or tomorrow Will be
proved to be different from those which
the Sampson board seemed to establish,
or that Captain Sigsbee was wrong
when he thought his ship had been
blown up by a Spanish mine.-Charles
M. Pepper. in the Boston Transcript.