The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1911-10-20
Only One Permitted to Re.
main Incognito by In
quiry Board.
1NYITH each new ton Of mud
pumped from the mystery
laden wreck of the United

UOWu III tu0 uuEUOE VI 1HNuuu, mcM
cries of the historic disaster are re-
vived-memories of strange happenings
that preceded and followed the explo-
sion which precipitated the war with
Spain in 1893. The public has never
lost interest in this greatest puzzle Of
the half century. If General William
Fl. Bixby, chief Of engineers, is correct
in his recent guess that the solution of
the cause never would be forthcoming,
it is safe to say that the unsatished
curiosity of the generation will be re-
f1ected in scores of additional historic
dissertations, more or less accurate,
upon the dual explosion that sank the
warship. General Bixby, by the way,
has not said whether his opinion Is
changed because Of more recent indi-
cations that part of the Names keel
was blown upward by Ut exterior ex-
plosion.
Among the queerest echoes from the
naval board inquiry held on a light
house tender just after the disaster,
none presents better field for the in.
quisitive than the story of the name
less witness.
Every other person who testified at
that investigation was required to give
his name and station and answer dc.
tailed questions as to his capability.
The nameless witness. who appeared
at the fifth days session on Feb. %,
was permitted by consent Of the judges
to remain incognito. This entry appears
in the minutes of the proceedings:
"a witness then appeared before the
court, whose name and address are
suppressed by agreement with the wit
ness that his identity should not be
revealed, and was sworn by the presi-
dent, through the interpreter"
The Stranger 1nterrogated.
Questioning this witness, who appar-
entity was foreigner, presumably q
Spaniard or Cuban. the Judge advo-
cate said:
II have heard that on Tuesday morn
ing you overheard certain converse
ton on a ferryboat which referred to
the possible sinking of the Mime"
Through the interpreter the witness
said that on the morning Of the 18th,
or about fourteen hours before the cx-
plosion, he had been crossing from
Havana to Reglas. tie noticed
group Of Spanish of1icers-two army
men, one of the navy-talking to
stout civilian. One officer said. THAT
Is nearly arranged" The citizen
asked, "Will not making explosions in
the bay run great risk to the city of
Havana7" The officer replied In the
negative, adding that the vessel will
sink Immediately" Thereupon the
citizen seemed overjoyed. II will take
plenty of beer on that OCCASION said
he.
The witness insisted upon the &C.
curacy Of his story, but did not know
the names of the officers. One seemed
to be lieutenant; another was of rank
ut least as high as major and wore a
belt indicating that he was on gen
erals staff. The citizen wore big
diamond ring. Portions of the steno.
graphic minutes are as follows:
"What object did you have In In
forming the consul general Of this
conversational"
How He Happened to Tell.
"He was talking with friend in
the Cafe st. Nicholas after this occur
renee" replied the interpreter, sum-
marking the witness answer, land he
told him all the conversation he had
heard. The friend told him, why
don't you go and say something about
this to the consulateT He said he
was afraid to say anything about 1t;
that he would get himself into trouble.
The friend said, 4 will go and inquire
from some Of these newspapers and
see If there is any danger in It, The
friend went and inquired and said
there would be no danger whatever.
and he then determined to tell the
CONSUL"
ibid you go to the consul at all?"
mo, sir"
":What was the name Of, the friend
you spoke TOT"
HE says he will find out the name;
that he is one Of these friends whom
you know without knowing who they
are" replied the interpreter. "He will
md out the name. He sees him every
day"
us he Spaniard?"
HE is a Cuban"
1.-THE witness then withdrew" &C.
cording to the record. latter being
cautioned by the president. through the
interpreter, not to converse about mat
tiers pertaining to the inquiry and
after saying that it was not to his
interest to converse with anybody
about it."
Many False Trails.
The testimony Of the nameless wit.
ness was but one Of many pointers to-
ward the trails that yielded nothing
definite. That the naval court decided
the explosion to have been caused by
q submarine mine was due to the ties.