The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, March 30, 1898, Image 1
TOUS 89MTKS WATCHMAN, Xatebliahed April. IS 50.
44 Be Just and Fear not-Let all the Ends thou Aims't at4 be thy Country's, thy God's and Truth's."
THE TR?B SOUTHRON, Established Jane. 13*>9
Consolidated lng. 2,1881.
SUMTER, S. CL WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30,1898.
New Series-Toi. XTII. No. 35
PnEttatiod Erery 7edaesd&y*
--BY
JEST. Gr. Osteen,
SUMTER, 8. C.
TXRXB :
$1.50 per annum-ia advance.
iDTigriiii HT:
On* Square Erst insertion..$1 00
Everr subsequent insertion 50
Con tracts for three months, or longer wO
be made at reduced rates.
Ail communications which subserve private
interests wilt be charged for as ad ver tiemen ts.
Obituaries and tributes of respects will be
charged for. -
KEEPING PUBLIC IN
THE DARK.
President Expects to Hold
Report Till Next Week.
President Said to Cherish the Re?
markable Hope That Spain Will
Arrange Everything in
Cuba.
Washington, March 22 -The cabi?
net meeciog to-day lasted somatiog over
&o hoar nod vas devoted extensively to
the Spanish sitaatioo io general and to
tie* forthcoming report of the Maine
court of inquiry ia particular. Tba
tone of the discussion was very firm
and determined that there must come
aa eod to toe present state of affairs ia
Cuba.
Secretary Long act ii or ?2 2 d the state?
ment that tbs understanding before the
cabinet was that the report would reach
Washington Thursday or Friday, that
i; was very voluminous and that its pub?
lication and transmission to eoogress
would not occur until next Monday, as
the President wonld require that rnnoh
time to give the document the mature
consideration its momentous character
required. Other cabinet officers stated
that the general pian incl oded the sen di og
cf a presidential message along with
tba report, stati ag that Spain has been
called upon to make suitable response
to the case presented by the court of in?
quiry While the cabio et associ?tes
of the Prsident maintain their usual
reserve as to the exact character of the
deliberations, it was conceded that the
discussion proceeded on the theory that
(he coming report would show that the
Maine explosion was not the result of
an accident, but was dne to an external
cause. This was not because of any
positive information, however, as to the
fiodings of the court. There is no doubt
that substantial uoanimosity exists on
the part cf the President and all his
sabinet, both as'to the Maine question
and the general subject of
Cuba. The possibility of a recourse to
invention in case Spain declined to
make suitable response to the represen?
tation we will make regarding the situ?
ation in Coba, has been discussed.
Necessarily the consideration of the
Maine disaster has been abstract th as
far. and 00 conclusion has been reched
cr is it possible until the vital question
as to the court's findings are before the
President and eabicet At the same
time there is a "'very evideot intention
to consider all eventualities, iaolud
tog the recourse to intervention,
the recognition of independence
and other methods which appear to sait
ably meet the requirements of each a
condition It is believed to be the in?
tention of the President, however, to
bring about a very material and satis?
factory condition tn Coba by what shall
seem to be the bestand most practicable
method of obtaining this cod. It is
the hope of the administration that
Spain herself will so far realize the sit?
uation, as to see the necessity for snob
radical aotion on ber part with respect
to Cuba as shall command the appro
batten of the country and thus at occe
pot an end to all differences.
Spanish Editozs Talk.
Havana, March 23.-Bishop Manuel
Santander y Tratos, the bishop of Ha?
vana, ha3 consecrated the central re?
lief St?tten and also the Lee Orphan?
age. He paid high tributes to Louis
Klopsen, the special commissioner, for
bis system of relief work, and seemed
greatly pleased with all the arrange
ments made to help the poor, as ?eli
as the orphans. 9
La Luoba, tn an editorial under the
caption of "Expectation in the World,11
maintains that the American ooort of
inquiry, owing to the short time it wa?
here, could not give a scientific report
on the M cine disaster.
?.American Naval c fibers," says La
Lucha "are o ot likely to decide against
brother officers. The divers could not
give expert testimony, owiog to the
fact that the machinery was imbeded
four feet in the mud. It is greatly tc
be regretted that more time and care
were not given to tho preparation cf a
report for which the whole world waits
?sd is likely to change the entire feel
ings of a part of the American people
toward Spain and Goba."
La Lucha publishes also an interview
with General Lee, which quotes him as
saying that be knows nothing of the
nature of the report, but is satisfied
that General Blaoco sever conceived
the disaster until he beard ?be shock in
the harbor.
Gunner Horgan Uft for the fleet at
Key West to day. With him went the
naval divers Fisher, Ran 3 qa est aod
Schl?ter, and Hans, the belper. This
leaves two navy divert and fife civil
ians on the contract work.
Tbe body of a white mao was found
in thc forward part of the wreck to?
day. It will probably be identified by
marks on the clothing when the latter
has been disinfected. The body was
sent to Key \t est on the Olivette.
Tbe Outlook for War.
The Washington administration is
steady developing its polioy of -discoaut
iog in advance the report of the board
of inquiry. -U is tbe fear cf President
McKinley, we learn from "anti jisg^1'
j papers, that if congress shall receive
; the report of tbs board without due pre?
paration it will explode in a dynamic
oa tba rsi of wrath and forthwith declare
war against- Spain. Even Speaker
Reed is apprehensive that bis ' recon
centrados" of the house will revolt and
break through his trooba. So by bints
and sn 2g es ti oo s and inferential admis?
sions congress is being seasoned against
a surprise.
I it is hardly worth while to speculate
at this late day as to the findings of the
board. That proof of the ex
j ternal origin of the explosion will be
I presented in the report is already oou
i oeded by the press of the country, the
Charleston News and Courier excepted,
j The enly question is whether the board
j have been able to traoe the crime to
Spanish offioiala This proof we hare
not expected. Bat it is not essential.
The faot that the Maine was blown up
by Spanieh age noies is sufficient to
compel the demands which will briog
the issue to such a point that either
the United States or Spain will have to
flank. And it won't be the United
States.
The New York Mail ui? Express
vouches editorially for a ?taff corres
pondent who wires from Key West that
when he told Judge Advocate Marix
that he was going back to H aba ca that
member of the eoort replied: "Don't
do it. Habana will be a hot plaee
wheo the findings of the court are
known. It ts as much as your life ia
worth to go there." The decision to
abandon the Maine, anoounoed to-day,
and the recall of the officers of the
wreoked ship as also the Fern, from
Habana seem to confirm this and to
suggest that the board's report will do
more than find that the explosion was
external.
The New York Herald's Madrid cor?
respondent is apparently a Spaniard
and unmistakably close to the gov?
ernment, whose views he bas been re?
flecting. We therefore attach import?
ance to this announcement from him :
A am in a position lo state, and it
maybe useful just DOW in connection
with political calculations of the im?
mediate future, that the Spanish gov?
ernment will refuse to accept any finding
of the Maioa commission which may
suggest Spanish responsibility. What
is moro, thia intention is known to the
United States government. The Span?
ish ministerial view is that the imputa?
tion which such a finding would have,
if admitted, would forever bs a blemish
upon Spain's-.reputation as a civilized
country.
If the report of the commission
throws blame upon Spain, which would
carry with it a call for indemnity, the
Madrid government will forthwith
make an appeal to the combined Euro?
pean powers, cn tbe plea of equity and
common fairnees, to intervene in raver
of Spaio against what every Spaniard
would esteem as a monstruas and ini?
quitous Gading.
Such intervention by European pow?
ers the United States would of course
refuse to admit. Kven if President
McKinley were willing to arbitrate the
matter, cocgress would not consent, and
if goaded by executive action would cut
the matter short by declaring war.
But the prospect is that if this atti
tude shall be assumed by Spain Presi?
dent McKinley will play his second
card and rcco*nmeod to congress the
recognition of Cuban independence ;
and that he will also take such action
for tbe reeoocentrados as will provoke
Spain to strike the first blow.
A most sigificaut feature of to day's
news is the determination of the
government to dispatch ten of its
swiftest revenue cutten? to , serve
with the war ships ia Flor ida wates as
auxiliaries. This in essentially a war
measare. Nothing but th ? expectation
of e&rly hostilities would prompt the
government to strip its cowers of these
ranging scouts of the treasury Their
withdrawal for navy duty, by the ?*ay,
will make filibustering expeditions to
Cuba very easy.
We do not see how war can be avoid?
ed unless Spaio backs dowr.. Ar.d tbst
she will thus humiliate h&mi we cae
not Minm Thn fifrfr
HAYANA A PLACE
OF DANGER.
Warning that Carried a Great
Secret.-What Lt. Marix
Said.
From The New York Mail and Ex
press we clip the following startling
correspondence. The paper from
which it comes, is one of the most
conservative in America, and io an
editorial in the same edition, The
Mail and . Express tells of the relia?
bility of its correspondent :
Key West, Fia , March 22-I have
information from a source which ad?
mits of no possible question that the
Court of Inquiry will report that the
battleship Maine was destroyed in
the harbor of Habana, on the night
of February 15, by a sub marine
mine, previously laid by parties on
known.
The report will start for Washing?
ton at 4 o'clock this afternoon in
charge of Judge Advocate Marix It
should reach there some time Thurs?
day.
Testimony of the survivors, par?
ticularly officers, all of whom were
awake at the time, proved conclusive?
ly at the beginniug of the sessious of
the court that an accident could not
have caused the disaster. This con
elusion was reached, for the following
reasons :
The situation of the ship's boiler
was so far aft that it was impossible
it could communicate with the for?
ward magazine, either by heat or ex?
plosion.
The explosion was all foward The
condition of the ship shows that the
dynamo boiler could not explode, be?
cause steam for dynamos was sup?
plied from the main boilers
Spontaneous combustion of the
coal in the bunkers was impossi?
ble, because they were thoroughly
inspected, as is customary, on that
day.
The gases arising from the wreck
immediately after the explosion, and
which overcame several officers and
men, were not due, in the judgment
of the court, to, the coal in the
bunkers, but to high explosives,
which always throw out a bad odor
and gases
The gun cotton could not have ex
ploded, because it was regularly in?
spected that day and found to bo
thoroughly wet, which was neces?
sary, and besides, said gun cotton was
mostly situated aft under the ward
room, and not in the forward maga?
zine as supposed by the reporters all
along
Lastly, bad explosion been internal
and in communication with any of
the four magazines, all would have
gone of, in which event not an atom
of the ship would have been left and
the greater portion of Havana would
have been destroyed.
Another convincing proof that the
board will report that the explosion
was not caused by an accident is
found in the following incident :
I told Judge Advocate Marix that
I was going back to Havana to-day.
He said :
"Don't do it, Qaigley. Havana
will be a hot place when the find?
ings cf the court are known. It is
as much as your life is worth to go
there !"
One officer will always be on the
watch while the report is en route to
Washington. The same precautions
will be maintained as on shipboard,
one always remaining awake. All will
bc armed
Admiral Sicard says that the "re?
port will be most peculiar." This is
taken to indicate that evidence of a
most startling nature will be dis?
closed
The survivors could prove nothing
They could only give their personal
experience without opinions The di?
vers, however, explained everything
though soundings
- - i t am
The Army Reorganization
BUL
Washington, March 22 -The mili
tary affairs committee of the Houso
the to day completed consideration of
army reorganization bill, and ordered
a favorable report upon It As agreed
upon only a few changes were made.
An additional section was added as
a precaution, providing that nothing
in the Act should bo construed as an
authorization to increase the enlisted
force of the army in time of peace
Another amendment provides that
"at the end of any war in which the
United States may become involved
the army shall be reduced to a peace
basis by the transfer or absorption
through promotion of the supernu
merary officers, and the honorable
discharge or transfer of supernumer?
ary enlisted men "
Chairman Hull, of the military af?
fairs committee, will secure action
on thc bill at the earliest possible
moment It may require a special
rule to get the bill before the House.
Action of the Torpedo Flo?
tilla Considered Almost
Hostile.
Naval Strategists Say Flotilla
Should Not be Allowed
to Beach Western
Waters.
The United States Fleet is Fut On
War Footings.
Washington, March 24 -The last
day before the arrival of the report
of the Maine court of inquiry was
one of unexampled activity in all offi
cial quarters. Advices came early
that the Spanish torpedo flotilla had
sailed from the Canaries for Puerto
Rico and from this moment the most
energetic warlike measures followed
one another in constant succession.
The movement of this fleet had been
watched with the keenest, interest
as it was felt to involve
serious possiblities which might
compel the United States gov?
ernment to protest against the
movement as of a hostile character.
Immediately upon the receipt of
the official dispatch from one of our
naval attaches abroad, briefly an
nounciog the sailing cf the fleet, ?he
fact was made known to the Presi?
dent andan earnest conference was
held between him and Secretary Long
and Assistant Secretary Roosevelt.
The seriousness of the movement was
fully considered and the President
was advised that na^l strategists re
garded it as essential that this tor?
pedo fleet should not be allowed to
reach western waters What, if any
conclusion was reached, is not known.
Later in the day the Spanish minister,
Senor Poloy Bernab?, called at the
state department and spent some time
with Judge Day. It was naturally
inferred that the approach of the^
Spanish flotilla was one of the sub"
jects referred to. Whether, however
there was any suggestion against this
move was not disclosed by either
Judge Day or the Spanish minister,
both of whom maintained the strictest
reticence regarding their conference
Following the flotilla announce?
ment, important news came rapidly.
The first was this announcement by
Secretary Long indicating the plac
ing of our squadron and fleet on a
war footing:
"Admiral Sicard has been granted
leave very much to the regret of the
navy department, on account of his
health.
"Capt. Sampson has been made
commander of the fleet at Key West
Capt Evajs has been ordered to take
command of the battleship Iowa.
"The orders to the squadron in
Hampton Roads have riot yet been is
sued "
Although the announcement did
not state, it soon became known that
Commodore W. S. Schley was slated
to command the "flying squadron "
This announcement was recognized
as of unusual importance at this
juncture. Admirai Sicard has been
in command of the fleet at Key Wept
throughout the critical period of the
Maine disaster. Capt. Sampson has
been in command of the Iowa, but
more recently has been conspicuous
before the public as president of the
Maine court of inquiry. Capt. Robley
Evans is better known as "Fighting
Bob."
The next important move was a de
termination to create a joint com
mission from the war and navy de?
partments so as to ifring them into
harmonious action on ali measures
Capt Barker, the naval aide of Sec
retary Long, was designated to rep
resent the navy department in this
common plan of action. The repre?
sentative of the war department has
not yet been named. It will not be
necessary for these two officers to
leave Washington, as they can best
ariange a joint pian of action in con?
ference with the bureau chiefs of the
two departments here. Then at the
close of day came an announcement
that the navy department bad sue
ceeded in purchasing eight steam
yachts and four steam tugs, presuma?
bly at and near New York, for use in
the auxiliary naval.fleet. The boats
8re about 400 tons eocb, and in sn
emergency would be suitable as tor
pedo boats The yachts purchased
are among the fleetest along the At
lantic coast and are said to be some
what similar to the Mayflower re
cently purchased by the Ogden Goe
let estate This acquisition to the
navy is regarded as an exceptionally
valuable one at the present time, as
(he greatest need is felt for emali
craft, suitable as torpedo boats and
dispatch boats The names ar:d
amounts paid for the various yachts
and tugs are not disclosed
Throubout the day the White House
precented an animated appearance,
senaters and representatives from both
political parties calling to confer with
the President. ?moog the callers wer*
enators Call?n), Fairbanks, Lodge,
Aldrich, Jones of Arkansas and
Spooner, and Representative Bailey,
the Democratic floor leader io the
boase of representative?. The upper?
most question at ali the conferences
was the Maine disaster and the antici?
pated action of the President in layiog
the report before congress. The con?
ferences showed that the President
still boped for peace, but there would
be oo abatement of preparation to meet
tho other alternatifs.
Thc President said to several of his
visitors to-day, in discussing the situa?
tion, that he would do everything con?
sistent with the honor and dignity o?
the couotry to avert war, and he still
believed war could be averted. He
also said that he believed the govern?
ment of Spain was as anxious for peaee
as we were, but at the same time he
did not hesitate to admit the gravity o?
the situation. The President frankly
acknowledges that he believes the re
port of the beard of icqniry will find
that the Maine was blown up from the
outside. His programme bas been de?
finitely decided. It is bis purpose to
treat the blowing up of the Maine as an
incident. The report of the board will
be sent to congress on Monday with a
very brief message, relating the events
leading op to that point and informing
congress that the facts contained in the
report have been cabled to Madrid to be
laid before the Spanish government
by Minister Woodford. No demand
will be made upon Spain, bat the lay?
ing of the facts before the Spanish
government will be equivalent to call?
ing upon Spain for an explanation and
such aotion as she may deem proper
It is the purpose of the house leaders
to refer the report and message to the
committee OB foreign affairs without
debate, and to this purpose it is be?
lieved the Democrats of the house have
acquiesced, reserving the right to de?
mand action if a report from the com?
mittee is too long delayed
Much will then depend upon Spain's
response, bnt there are those close to
the President who believe that from the
time the report is sent to congress it
will drop oat as a factor in the situa?
tion. Tho second part of the Presi?
dent's programme removes the Maine
question and involves intervention on
humanitarian grounds within a week or
j 10 days after the report of tho board
goes to congress. It will be interven?
tion to relieve the starvation in Cuba
and upon Spain's acquiescence tn or ob?
jection to this set will depend peace or
; war. A prominent member of the
bouse said to-day that, in his opinion,
the nest two weeks would determine
which it would be.
Snob information as exists here leads
those close to the President to believe
that (be Spanish government will go
to any length it dares to preserve
peace. The queen regent is especially
acxioas to prevent war and it is be?
lieved the ministry will go just as far
as it can without jeopardizicg its own.
existence and the survival of the pres?
ent Spanish dynasty.
With the report in Washington to?
night, it will bs laid before the cabinet
at the regular meeting at ll o'clock to?
morrow, and at that time the Presi?
dent and bis advisers will begin the
grave work of weighiog the conclus?
ions reached and determioiog the ac?
tion that is to bo taken. The formal
plan of its transmission to congress
next Monday is already arranged, but
with the report and evidence before
them, the President and his advisers
for the first time will be in a position
to outline the obaraoter of the message
whiob is to accompany the submission
of the report to congress and to ar?
range definite plans of detailed proc?d?
ure, which as yet has not been worked
out.
The Spanish authorities here have
been informed that some time ?fo
Capt. Sigsbee asked permission to use
dynamite in the destruction of the
wreck cf the Maine. This was refused
by Captain General Blaneo for the rea
soo, it is officially explained, that as
there are evil disposed persons who in?
sist that the Maine was blown up from
external causes the Spanish authorities
do not want the wreck destroyed, as it
affords all thc evidence obtainable as to
the actual cause of the disaster.
Washington, March 22.-The ne
gotiation8 for the purchase of ships
abroad is going steadily forward, but
there was a regretable disappoint?
ment in this connection to day. The
authorities had been exceedingly anx?
ious to get tho big torpedo cruiser
Tupy, built for Brazil. She is one of
the most formidable torpedo craft
afloat, her size placing her in the
cruiser class, while her torpedo ar?
mament gives her the effectiveness of
torpedo boat and cruiser combined.
It was learned positively to day, how?
ever, that the Brazilian government
would not part with the Tupy, and
: his closes the efforts for one of the
best ships under negotiation.
In a small measure this was offset
by the success of the navy de?
partment in securing a trim little
Yarrow built launch, which though
very small, will 6erve as a harbor
torpedo boat. She is of the same
cla68 of craft as the Moxoto, built for
the Brazilian navy.
Shot at and Thought he Was
Dying.
It is a queer fact that the mind can
so influence a mao that cooditions alto?
gether unnatural will be brought about.
You may take a man who ii in per?
fect health and make him positively ill
by telling bim that be looks bad. Fur?
ther than that physicians say that per?
sons can bring on certain diseases just
by tbinkiog that they have them.
Ooce in a French prison a man was
condemned to die and physicians desir?
ing to make a test of a theory asked
permission to use the criminal as sub?
ject.
They told the man that they were
going to bleed him to death, and that
ia half an hour after they opened an
artery he would be a dead man
The criminal was blindfolded and
then bis arm was scratched, but not
deep enough to cause the blood to flow.
Through a small tube water was allow?
ed to flow over the arm of the man to
give bim tbe idea that be was really
bleeding. The doctors stood near and
discussed the man's condition as the
mientes passed just as though be was
dying from loss of blood. They notic?
ed that the man grew weaker and
when the half hour bad elapsed he died.
Several nights since in the operatiog
room of the Associated Press in The
Chronicle building, ons of the two oper?
ators eent out for some cocoa cola and
without telling the other operator what
it was got bim to drink several glasses
from the pitcher. One cf tbe young
men had never before drack cocoa cola,
nor bad be touched beer ia his life.
The operator, after be had finished,
told his friend that hs had been drink?
ing bock beer. The yoang fellow be?
lieved it, thought be was drunk, and
actually quit work for ever two hours
trying to sober up.
There was yet another similar inci?
dent io Augusta on yesterday.
John Thompson, a negro, was shot at
by another negro named Richard Smal?
ley, and the pistol ball struck him in
the chest. The affair occurred on Tel
fair street near Tenth.
Thompson fell to the ground moan?
ing that he had been killed. Smalley
had fired at bim at close range. A big
crowd gathered aroocd the prostrate
form of the negro and closely examined
his shirt front where the hole made by
the bullet was seen.
Then the am balance-came, and thin k
! icg that he was bleeding internally
? Thompson went to the Lamar hospital.
There he was hurriedly stripped abd
physicians began looking for the ball.
It fell out of the..man's clothing and
rattled on the floor. There was no
wound at all, enly a bruised spot.
Angosta Chronicle.
Free Rural Delivery.
Washington, March 22.-Congress?
man Stokes this morning completed
arrangements at the postoffice depart?
ment for the extension of the rural
free delivery of mail in his district in
South Carolina Naturally he feels
some elation over this, as he was
largely instrumental in procuring in?
creased facilities for the rural districts
when the appropriation bill was pend
?og last week Iiis argument on the
bill in general, and especially on the
free delivery then, was considered by
his friends as strong affd convincing.
Congressman Stokes's district is per?
haps one of the happiest selections
for a test of the system. Though it
has about 180,000 population it is
almost wholly a rural community,
there being only three Presidential
offices in its limits, and they of the
third class. It is none too well sup?
plied with even the poor facilities
afforded by fourth class postoffices
and star routes, there being enly 183
postoffices within its limits.-News
and Courier.
? ilia- ^c?w
Darlington, March 23.-Special :
Mr. Samuel Melton, of Darlington,
was drowned at Lowther's Lake to?
day. He was a member of a fishing
party and fell out of his boat. Be?
fore anyone could assist him he was
drowned.
We have bright, honorable n:ercharts ia
thia town, and they give the public w"uat it
demands. They never offer ss a substitute
something "just S3 good."
In-^zmmm^trwi ?mr ? -- r,-.-wjng?
Royal makes the food pure, '
wholesome a&d del ich.<. ts. g
polios
jj Absolutely Puro .
pom, warn POWDER co.. NEW VQBX.