The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1910-11-15
FANATIC BLEW UP
MAINE At HAVANA
Both Denial and Confirmation
Are Evoked by Statement
of Ex-0ffiCer.

KANSAS CITY, November 2.-That
Jose Zavaldo, a Spanish electrician,
working in Moro Castle, and probably
fanatic, was responsible for the de-
struction of the battleship Maine, was
the statement made here tonight by
Col. Jasper E. Brady, retired. Colonel
Brady says he was one of a committee
of four who investigated the explosion
and reported their findings to President
Mckinley.
"Of course, did not see this man
turn on the switch which set free the
power of the mines which caused the
DISASTER said the colonel, "but the
evidence in the case pointed directly
to his guilt. Three other army officers,
whose names L do not care to give,
and myself, reported to the President
that in our belief Zavaldo was RESPONSE.
BILE. He was later executed upon the
command of General Blanco. None,
however, was ever able to learn for
what reason.''
Colonel Brady also said:
l. 81 expected the denial from Wash
ington, l don u suppose more than
three or four men know OF the inves.
tigation. There is one man, however,
who has all the facts and when the
proper time comes he will confirm my
Statements"
.,pC pl6hel Brady, in an address last
night, at st. George IS Episcopal Church
here, discussed the Maine disaster and
attributed it to a submarine mine ex-
ploslon. His statement brought forth
denials from Washington, among other
things that no military board had been
appointed to investigate the case. Col
onel Brady explains that the board
never convened to make its report, but
reported individually to the President.
Attempts to learn anything about the
history of the electrician proved futile,
said Colonel Brady. "All that we
know is that he was in charge of the
wires which operated the mines. II
the government had desired to blow
up the battleship, he would have been
ordered to turn on the current and re-
lease the explosives. AS nearly as we
could learn, he acted on an impulse
while near the electrical apparatus and
turned the switch. The harbOr was
full of mines and it is not surprising
that the Maine anchored near one. We
had much trouble in obtaining evidence.
Our case was made up largely by put
ting two and two together
Denial.
WASHINGTON, November JAS
per Ewing Brady was formerly at
tached to the signal corps of the United
| States Army and held the rank of cap
tain, but resigned in 1899. Gen. Charles
F. Allen, chief of the signal corps, sale
Brady was a telegraph operator anC
had written number of magazine ar
ticles He did not know, however, that
he had been on any board charged will
the investigation of the destruction OF
the Maine.
Rear-Admiral Wainwright, who was
executive officer of the Maine at the
time the vessel was blown up, said to
day that there had been no military
board appointed to investigate the dis
aster. The story told by Brady wa
one of the theories advanced at thu
time the naval board of inquiry, OF
which Wainwright was a member, in
vestigated the matter. 1t was discred
! tied then and RearAdmiral Wainwright
saws he places no stock in it now.
Confirmation.
MERIDIAN, Connecticut, Novembe
3.-Fofmer State Senator Francis At
water of this city, who was publishing
newspaper at Havana, Cuba, at tn
time the Maine was blown up, com
menting on the statement of Colone
Brady yesterday at Kansas City to tn
effect that the ship had been blow
1 up from the outside and that the gov
4 eminent knew the details Of the hap
penings years ago, today affirmed TIN
story.
Mr.. Atwater says he sent a cable
gram to this country ON November 4
1899, telling of Zalvado's destruction
of the warship and his accomplices, tn
information, according to Mr.. AtwateI
having been given him by detective
who told him also that Zalvado had bee
poisoned and that one of his accom-
plices stood ready to confess the de
tails of the plot.
At that time all the information oh
tainable, Atwater said, was sent to tn
secretary of war, but while the lette
was acknowledged, no further motto
was taken of it, so far as Atwate
knew.