Sunday Washington globe., 1902-01-19

few days days ago read in the New
York Journal a dispatch from some town in
Iowa TO the effect that a Spaniard, an ex-
captain in the Spanish army in Cuba, had
confessed that ii was he alone who con-
ceived and executed the brilliant plot to
get even" with General Weyler by blow
ing up the United States mau-of-war then
anchored in Havana harbor. The dis
patch went on to explain how this ex-cap-
tain had been dismissed from the Spanish
army by reason of his protest against the
cruelties practced upon the unfortunate
Cubaus, and that in casting about for an
effective method of revenge this debased
captain decided It would be a good thing to
bring about a war between the United States
and Spain; hence in the "old clothes of
Spanish captain, with grip in hand, he
managed to pass the seutinels aud pushed
the button that controlled the mines under
the Maine, thus causing the explosion"
Now we ought to be very thankful 20
know at last why and how the Maine was
destroyed, since the courts Of inquiry of
two nations together with the efforts of
engineers and newspaper men all over the
world have failed to elucidate this point.
But that is not why I have referred to this
matter. While reading the article it seemed
to me to be strangely familiar in form of
expression, originality of plot aud modesty
Of location of the principal actor, for the
telegram also stated this famous captain
was now employed on a farm, or ! believe
in some mining camp It seemed to me to
bear the imprint Of another sO-called
Spanish captain, who, a few years ago,
made himself quite conspicuous in Wash
ington and elsewhere by just such startling
press dispatches as the one above referred
to- Readers of the GLOBE will doubtless
recognize the reference or rather recall the
man have in mind especially if refresh
their memory by mentioning that this cap
tain" was the author Of press dispatch
1 which appeared in the New York Journal
and other papers throughout the country
under the impressive title of the Red Book
4 of SPAIN the contents of which was as
startling as the flaming headlines bestowed
/ upon it in the aforesaid newspapers. hap
| pen to know, by his own confession, that
the information contained in that and other
/ articles was made out of whole cloth right
here in Washington, and I doubt If its
author ever saw the Spanish army in Cuba,
and am pretty sure he was not in the conf
deuce of the Cubans, tho doubtless he tried
to be, notably, when the Cuban teachers
]
This man, who had won quite a lot of no.
toriety BY his newspaper work, and who
called himself the Washington News
Syndicate. aud even managed to
get arrested once as a suspected
Spanish spy" now grasped the uu-
suspecting Cubans by the hand and offered
to show them the sights of Washington
He was heard afterwards to boast that the
Cuban teachers knew more about the value
of an American dollar after he got through
with lhem than they did before making his
acquaintance.
Now il was forcbly impressed upon ME
while reading about that confession" of an
ex-captain Of the Spanish army, that Mr..
Washington News Syndicate is up to his
old tricks He knows we'll the value of a
press dispatch I mean the per coiHDie
value in American coin, and has always
been able to pay his way with the cash
value of checks drawn by the New York
Journal, St. Louis GIO6e-DeNi0cyat anc
other wide awake papers.
am quite sure that when Mr.. Hosford
Mr. Harry Shannon, Mr.. Blythe, or any o.
the men on newspaper row reads this ac
count they will recognize the doughty
Captain" have referred to in all charity
and without malice aforethought an
told he is still pursuing the uneven teno
Of his ways in Buffalo. having acquired
citizenship since leaving Washington, anC
that he actually has political ambition anS
hopes TO come to Congress at no very dis
tant date Truly there is no country lik'
America for the development of talent anC
ambition of various kinds.