The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-05-29
ALLEGED AMERICAN
DESTROYED MAINE
Secret Service Informed that
George P. Boynton Did
So to Save His Life.
tNationaI News Association

tNational News Association
New York, May 2s.-The United
States government SO it became known
today, has investigated a report to the
effect that the Maine was blown up in
Havana harbor by an American who
had been condemned to die by the
Spanish. but won his freedom by de-
stroying the American ship. The spy
who turned the story in to the secret
service bureau at Washington asserted
that George P. Boynton. the soldier
of fortune" who died recently, was
the man who actually blew up the
Maine.
| The Spaniards said the informant
to Chief Wilkie of the secret service
"were entirely unprepared for the visit
of the Maine, which was sent to Ha-
vana suddenly and without warning.
Consequently. there was no mine at
tached to the buoy at which she was
moored, though it was stated that one
would have been placed there if it had
been so much as suspected that she
was coming. Once in the harbor, she
had the city and it's defenses at her
mercy, for all of the modern guns in
the surrounding Notifications faced
sea and none could be brought to bear
on her.
Blanco Decides to Blow Up Ship.
Captain General Blanco and his
staff did not relish having a hostile
warship in such an advantageous po-
sition in the event of war with the I'm
tied States, which they then regarded
as at least a possibility, and it was
decided to blow her up, under such
conditions as might make it appear
she had been destroyed by an acct
dental explosion of her own maya
zines. A large boiler from the navy
yard was taken to the arsenal and fill
ed with powder. 1t was provided with
a mechanism by which it could be ex-
ploded by electricity and was then
Theoretically sealed.
The boiler was dashed in sling I'M
der q lighter. which was towed across
the bow of the Maine at night. When
the lighter was directly in front OF
the battleship the lines which held the
.
the mud. The wire by which the mine
was to be exploded was led to the
end of the Machina wharf. and it was
then question of waiting until a
shift in the tide brought the battle
ship over the boiler and of selecting
some one to throw the switch that
would set the mine off at the proper
time.
! Condemned American Fires Mine.
THE Spaniard then fixed on Boyn.
ton AS the person to set Off the mine
He had been captured shortly before
while conducting a filibustering ex-
petition for the Cubans, whom he had
aided during the ten years war, and
was then imprisoned in Cabanas fort
ress. According to the story he was
tried and sentenced to death, but was
offered life and liberty if he would
press the button that was to destroy
the Maine and swear never to reveal
the secret.
He accepted these terms and on
the night of Feb. Is, 1898, when the
Maine swung around until her bow
was directly over the mine, with hel
keel only three or four feet above it
, he was taken to the Machina wharf
where he threw the switch that caus
!. ed the explosion. Then he was set free
and left Cuba"
Such was the story the spy told the
secret service. Chief Wilkie and his
: sleuths worked on it long time, but
were unable to establish Boynton'!
: connection with the explosion. Wha
else Wilkie found in his investigation
, is not known.
6ioerapher Discredits Story
: Horace Smith, biographer of Boyn
ton. said to a reporter tonight: 81
is true the secret service investigated
a tip that Boynton blew up the Maine
But he didn't and can prove it. HI
was in Venezuela at the time. | fount
out all about the Wilkie investigation
e when I was looking up Boynton's ca
q reer.
y Smith says that Boyntons RICH
t name was George Boynton Stone. H.
: was the son of DR.. Joel Stone, a New
York physician, who died in Char
/ iotte, VT.