Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-03-29
Intended for Spanish Warsliips
in Havana Ha1bor, But fa
tai Error Was Made. ...s
MAN REspONs BILE A sUlCiDI
Remarkable Story Told in Tonrbs
Prison by the Man Convicted @;of
Sending an Internal Machine totthe..
cunard Line Pier-Wcrked For CD
ban Patriots.
Cry Associated Press.l

tf<Ya associated preSS.l EgS:s.@f
NEW YORK. March Tha!s.the
l*rt:"ship Maine. through an error.
was destroyed by 4 bomb OF his m;inu-r
iactnrc MAS the statement mahasEbY
Gessler Rosscan in the Tennis prison
to-day
Rnsscau was convicted yester,laySe Of.
having sent explosives to the Cisar;l.
line pier. this city. in MAY 1903 He
made the following statement today:
Fer several years. While the Cuban
PATRIOTS were struggling against Ney-
lcr. ! watched tho contest with deep,
interest and sympathy. | decided TO
80 10 Jacksonville and do what could
to assist tie revo!utionists | started
1cm 81, Louis. whore had been ;liv-
ing. during the early part Of 1897
Materia! For Internal Machines.
Before taking train for the South
| GOT the material for the construction
OF two exploding machines of tre,nell-
deus power. SO arranged that they!
could he wound up and left in a select
ed place with the certainty that they
would 50 of with terrible 90 ,;sssts,s
within 4 few hours
AZ New Orleans I rented room
and put the boxes together after which
(; went 10 jacksonville. There lie
came acquainted with party of Cuban
leaders. who We're planning a iilibus-
tclng expedition. They mad engaged
the Destroyer, n small vessel, to take
then, TO Cuba along With number Of
American and European adventures
whaL We're anxious TO strike a blow for
Crba, freedom.
Many Well Known Men.
Several Of the leaders Of the parts
are men now we'll known and will not
mention their names. although have
anon" my PAPERS list Of them all
II suggested to them that they use
my machin IS 10 destroy Spanish war
ships IN The harbor CT Havana and in
ether ports on the coast Of The island.
! hey readily seized upon the idea. ana
-
flibusl CTS. they took my two machines
with them
IL was my intention 10 go along
With the party 50 as to direct the work
OF sinking the Spanish ships. bur they
dissaaded ne urging that cou't. lie
OF greater use in Jacksonville prcpar.
lnS other mao hines if the frs: proved
successful.
Under the Water.
1T was planned to nave some mem.
| ers of the revolutionary party Join the
Spanish navy so as to get the machines
aboard. If that failed it was decided
10 fasten one of the boxes Il: the hull
q: a ship under the water line. for
had constructed machines 50 they
could be exploded under the water.
That was late in the fall OF 1897.
The next spring the Maine was dc
stroyed.
Only one of the men in the secret
of the machines ever returned To
America. ] saw him some time after
The war with Spain had begun lie
told ne he had nothing to co with the
!oxes after reaching Cuba hut had
Eeen told mistake had been made.
The man who had been entrusted
with the task Of destroying a Spanish
vessel attempted to fasten a box dur
ms the night 10 one of Alfonso's war
shirs and blnndered into blowing np
the Mairc.
Il was told that the man. Immediate
ly after learning of the error he had
ioade. committed suicide"