Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-17


@R less within week, followed by an
NWINN other one two months later and the
lI@N1Ia Governments inability to convict
7NNa6N any of those who played an active
I0ZS@\ part in the expeditions set the Wash
SYI10SNWS ngton authorities by the ears. Presi-
lNlSA|M| dent Cleveland was thoroughly angry
WlRGiN/ over the way in which his neutral
WGGW ty proclamation had been defed,
WY and by his direction peremptory
~ 6d a. commands were issued that he be-
~ - 1leved would certainly put end to
tilibusterng. The Spanish Govern
Sk9 nlcnt which had been complaining
bitterly of our freedom of action,
advised of these additional precautions and the chiefs of
both capitals took fresh hope that there would be
further straining of their diplomatic relations.
Increased activity by the Revenue Cutter Service
ordered and the Navy Department called on
for assistance The dynamite cruiser Vesuvus under
Lieutenant Commander John f. Pllsbury, stationed
at Jacksonville to prevent any more expeditions from
leaving that port She remained there, off the Mar
ket-st wharf for more than year The fast cruisers
Marbehead and Raleigh and the light draft gunboat
Marietta ASST gned to patrol the coast from Key
West to Jacksonville In addition there half
dozen cutters that watched the ports north of
Jacksonville and cruised along the coast The authori
ties confident that barrier had been established
which it would be impossible for to break through
On shore the force of detectives largely increased
and all customs officers cautioned against slumber
when any suspected fibusters were in sight
The Dauntless, having than paid for herself
with the four landings she had made had been sold to
Jacksonville syndicate and was being used tow
boat between Jacksonville and the bar at the mouth of
~
her. and pay much less than the regular price for
her services for her did not expect to profit
from her operations a fibuster. By devoting the
DauneSs to lawful navigation for the greater part OF
the time she acquired mixed reputation, in place of
entirely bad, and the authorities confused 1t
never would have done for to ship all the
time. The Three Friends also towing between
Jacksonville and the bar Both vessels were closely
watched by the Nesuvius; but unless there was some
thing suspicious in their movements in the general
situation the warshp did not follow them up and down
the their routine trips.
MY arrival soon started talk that plan
A'A ming another violation of the neutrality law; but
| pretended to be sick, and not much in evidence
The unfaing Fritot, for whose genius for deception
had come to have great admiration, and were working
together, and tracks faint that
seemed able to follow them
The clever detectives decided that if there really
anything doing would the Dauntless, account
of her record of unvarying success; naturally
selected the Three Friends. George l.. Batzel, Col
ector of Customs at Fernandina twenty-five miles up
the coast who the most faithful kind of public
want and one of the few in Florida who not
active sympathizers with the Cubans, had been in
dulgng in much loud talk about ilibusterng. "They
are sending expeditions out of Jacksonville whenever
they want to-" he frequently declared: "but should
like to them try to get out of Fernandna, by
gosh! I'll nail em to the in holy minute if they
start anything here!
Fernandina good place knew of to
start from; concluded to accommodate the
plosive Mr.. Baltzel. When our plans completed
telegraphed Palma and two carloads of revolution
airy equipment including Hotchkiss welve-pounder
one thousand rifles, FIVE hundred thousand car
trdges, and lot of small arms, dynamite and machetes
expressed to Jacksonville They We're intercepted
in the Fritot fashion, at siding north of Callahan and
their transferred to other The two
that had started from Bridgeport of which the seepess
sleuths had the lines and numbers, empty but sealed,
on into Jacksonville, where the waiting de-
tectives proceeded to guard them day and night The
that carried the switched off at
Callahan and to Yuee, between Jacksonville
and Ferdandna, where they patiently waited for
to claim them.
General Morales, who had lost eye in the Ten
Years War, to command the landing party. He
New and The yhO