Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1905-09-16
YANKEES IN PRISON.
Warshlp Bearing U. s. Minister Going
to Their Aid.

Washington-After consultation be-
tween the state and navy departments
II has been decided that a warship
shall be sent to one of the Costa Rican
ports to convey American Minister
Merry, at last accounts in San Jose,
northward, to the nearest point on
the coast of Nicaragua or Honduras, to
the place where William s. Albers, an
American citizen, and his brother are
confined pending trial on the charge
of resisting legal process and of in
sulting the president of Nicaragua
The gunboat Princeton, now at PAN
ANA, is the nearest warship to Oco-
tai, in the province of Segovia, whore
Albers is imprisoned
An American gentleman of much In
telligence and high character, who has
been trovolina in Central America for
the past few months engaged in scien-
tific work, has written a detailed at-
count Of the Albers case to friends in
Baltimore, which has reached here.
He states that he is entirely familiar
'The Limon company, of which VIII
liam S. Albers is the manager, is To-
Gated at Jalapa, near the border OF
Honduras. This corporation is en-
gagged in gold and silver mining and
in raising wheat and tobacco, and
has made quite large investments in
good faith
ut appears that in March, 1903,
company of armed men, led by one
claiming to be lieutenant in the
Nicaraguan army and alleging that
they were sent by the government to-
bacco syndicate demanded of Albers
that he permit them to enter and carry
away his stock of tobacco under seiz-
ure.
"Albers replied that he had no con-
traband tobacco; that he obeyed the
law; that he paid the government in
full; that he held regular official re-
ceipts for all tobacco in his stores.
He furthermore said that the first
man who tried to enter his door would
be shot, but that he would permit the
lieutenant to go through with one man
and inspect the tobacco in order that
his assertions might be proved. This
was done and no contraband tobacco
was found.
Following the search of the Limon
company's premises the executive at
Managua the capital Of Nicaragua,
issued a decree ordering that anyone
hnl fnl tn, cfo oh oh L.
a permit, and that should he fail to do
this his tobacco would be confiscated,
whereupon several Americans holding
tobacco applied for the permits and
were refused them.
"These American holders thereupon
arranged to sell their tobacco to the
syndicate, with the exception Of Albers
But the treatment received from Al
bers, who had in his place American
-----'----- - - r----l / H.
threats II necessary, caused the syndi
cate managers to misrepresent and eX-
aggerate the actions of Albers when
they reported it to the President.
LAS a result charges of resistance 20
authority and violent abuse of the eX.
ecutive (Which is serious offence in
many Latin-American countries) were
made at the court Of the district situ-
ated at Oootal.
judicial warrants for arrests were
issued, and both the Albers were TAX
en- into custody at Jalapa, while
peaceably walking the street near their
place of business.
"They were taken to Ocotal, where.
as far as is now known to me. they
are held in custody pending the YER
dict of the court which, it may be
safely assumed, will convict them