The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-05-31
Story Of American Condemned to
Death Who Pressed Button
Which Blew up the Maine
in Havana Harbor.
VERY UNLIKELY TALE
Man Accused of the Horrible Crime
is Now Dead But His Biosraph-
er Can Prove His
Innocence.

NEW YORK, May 31.--The Unirei
States government has investigated
a report to the effect that the Maine
was blown up in Havana harbor by
an American who had been condemn
ed to die by the Spanish, but won
his freedom by destroying the AIneri-
can ship. The spy who turned the
story in to the secret service bureau
at Washington asserted that George
d. 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
Havana suddenly and without warn
ing. Consequently. there was no mine
attached to the buoy at which she
was moored, though it was stated that
one would have been placed there ii
it had been so much as suspected
that she was coming Once in the har-
bor, she had the city and it's defenses
at her mercy, for all of the modern
guns in the surrounding Notifications
faced the sea and none could be
brought to bear on her,
Captain General Blanco and his
staff did not relish having hostile
warship in such an advantageous po-
| sition in the event of war with the
United States, which they then re-
4 garded as at least possibility, and
/ it was decided to blow her up, under
such conditions as might make it ap-
pear that she had been destroyed by
an accidental explosion of her own
magazines A large boiler from the
I navy yard was taken to the arsenal
and filled with powder. 1t was provid-
ed with mechanism by which it
could be exploded by electricity and
was then hermetically sealed.
THE boiler was dashed in a sling
under the 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 boiler were cut and 1t drop
ped into the mud The wire by which
the mine was to be exploded was
led to the end of the Machina wharf.
and 1t was then question of waiting
unfit shift in the tide brought tho
warship over the boiler and Of select
/ ing some one to throw the switch that
would set the mine off at the proper
time.
'The Spaniards then fixed on Boyn-
ton as the person to set off the mine.
He had been captured shortly before
while conducting a filibustering eSpe-
dition 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
t 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 February 15, 1898, when
: the Maine swung around until her
bow was directly over the mine with
5 her keel only three or four feet above
| It, he was taken to the Machine
{ wharf, where he threw the switch
A that caused the explosion. Then ht
was set free and left Cuba"
: Such was the story the spy told
E the secret service. Chief Wilkie anc
his sleuths worked on it a long time
but were unable to establish Boyn
tons connection with the explosion
Il What else Wilkie found in his inves
: tigation is not known
) Horace Smith, biographer of Boy1,
ton, said: "It is true the secret SCI
!. vice investigated a tip that Boynto
!, blew up the Maine. But he didn't an
. can prove it. He was in Venezuel
# at the time. I found out all about tn
Wilkie investigation when wa
h looking up Boynton's career"
: Smith says that Boynton's righ
= name was George Boynton Stone. H
- was the son of DR.. Joel Stone, Ne
York physician, who died in Cha
lotte. Vermont.