collector that the Spanish consul had also obtained a certificate regarding her husband, and the port he had cleared for, Miami. I am, etc., JOSEPH A. SPRINGER, Mr. Springer to Mr. Rockhill. No. 226.] UNITED STATES CONSULATE-GENERAL, Habana, November 23, 1896. SIR: Referring to dispatch No. 223, of the 19th instant, I have to inform the Department that the copy of the oath and appointment of Alfred Laborde as master of the schooner Competitor, transmitted by this office to the General Government, has been forwarded to the com. mandant-general of marine, the admiral commanding this naval station, which authority has cognizance of the case of the capture of the said vessel. JOSEPH A. SPRINGER. I am, etc., P. S.-Mr. Laborde sent me a message, that he had been well treated while recently in the hospital (as reported in No. 211, November 12), and had been returned to the "Cabaña" at his own request. J. A. S. [Telegram.] Mr. Springer to Mr. Rockhill. HABANA, November 26, 1896. Am informed that the declarations of Competitor prisoners are being taken again by ordinary marine court-martial. Confrontation of the master of the Competitor with witnesses day before yesterday lasting five hours. Shall I enter a protest even against preliminary proceedings by the naval authorities or the military authorities! No. 234.] Mr. Springer to Mr. Rockhill. UNITED STATES CONSULATE-GENERAL, Habana, November 26, 1896. SIR: I have the honor to confirm the following telegram, transmitted this morning.1 I understand that these preliminary proceedings are intended as investigatory, the case being in "sumario" (the nearest equivalent of which is taking declarations for a grand-jury indictment). But in the case of Sanguily, the United States declined to recognize the validity of the military jurisdiction in preliminary or at any stage of the proceedings. JOSEPH A. SPRINGER. I am, etc., 1See telegram of November 26, 1896. No. 246.] Mr. Springer to Mr. Rockhill. UNITED STATES CONSULATE GENERAL, Habana, December 3, 1896. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your cablegram, reading: WASHINGTON, D. C., November 28. I do not believe that protest at this preliminary stage of proceedings against "Competitor" prisoners can be of any avail. Obtain conclusions of preliminary inquest as soon as they are reached and cable Department. Watch all proceedings carefully. ROCKHILL. With respect to the prisoners, after the usual formalities a clerk from this office was allowed to visit them yesterday morning. He reports that Laborde returned from the hospital on November 26. All the prisoners had again made declarations before the military judge of instruction, Laborde having declared four times and Melton three times. Nothing is yet known respecting the conclusions of the preliminary examination. Their treatment and food continue the same. I am, etc., No. 251.] JOSEPH A. SPRINGER. Mr. Springer to Mr. Rockhill. UNITED STATES CONSULATE-GENERAL, SIR: I have the honor to inform the Department that I received from Mr. William L. Delaney, of Key West, an affidavit, made at Aurora, Ark., respecting the American citizenship of D. W. Melton, and birth of Ona Melton, one of the Competitor prisoners, which I sent to the Governor-General to be transmitted to the court having cognizance of the case of said Competitor prisoners. I am, etc., No. 260.] JOSEPH A. SPRINGER. Mr. Springer to Mr. Rockhill. SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith copy of a letter received from Alfred Laborde, one of the Competitor prisoners, respecting certain phases of his examination by the authorities in the prosecution of the case against him. I am, etc., JOSEPH A. SPRINGER. [Inclosure in No. 260.] FORT CABAÑA, December 11, 1896. SIR: I beg to inform you that yesterday afternoon I was ordered by the actual military judge of the prosecution of the Competitor's crew to dress a military's suit, with the purpose of being recognized by some one. Of course I formally protested of such act and refused to be disguised that way. He answered immediately that he was going to compel me by force, and fearing to become the victim of his brutality, I obeyed. As he did not allow my protest to be considered, I hurry to let you know this, and afford a proof in the way justice is dealt with me. I am, sir, your humble servant, ALFRED LABORDE, Master. CITIZENS OF UNITED STATES ARRESTED IN CUBA. Message of the President. To the Senate of the United States: I transmit herewith in response to the Senate resolution of Decem ber 21, 1896, addressed to the Secretary of State, a report of that officer, covering a list of persons claiming to be citizens of the United States, who have been arrested on the Island of Cuba since February 24, 1895, to the present time. EXECUTIVE MANSION, Washington, January 25, 1897. The PRESIDENT: GROVER CLEVELAND. Report of the Secretary of State. The undersigned, Secretary of State, having received a resolution passed in the Senate of the United States on December 21, 1896, in the following words That the Secretary of State be, and he is hereby, directed to send to the Senate a report of all naturalized citizens of the United States of whose arrest and imprisonment, trial, or conviction, or sentence, either to imprisonment at the penal colony of Ceutro or elsewhere, he has any information, and that he shall inform the Senate in such report of the persons now held in confinement at Ceutro and of the charges, briefly stated, on which they were condemned and the nature of the evidence, so far as the same appears on the files of the State Department, has the honor to lay before the President a list of persons claiming to be citizens of the United States who have been arrested in Cuba since February 24, 1895, to the present date, to the end that, if in the President's judgment not incompatible with the public interest, the same be transmitted to the Senate in response to the foregoing resolution. Since the breaking out of the insurrection in Cuba, on February 24, 1895, to the present time, 74 persons, citizens of the United States, or claiming to be such, have been arrested by the Spanish authorities of the island. Passports, certificates of naturalization, registration in the consulates of this Government on the Island of Cuba, and service on ships sailing under the flag of the United States, having been alike accepted by our consular officers and the Spanish authorities as prima facie evidence of citizenship establishing the rights of the claimants to the treatment secured to our citizens under our treaties and protocols with Spain, it has been deemed advisable to include in the subjoined list all persons of the classes referred to who have been arrested. Of the 74 persons arrested, 7 have been tried, namely: Nos. 1, 36, 70, 71, 72, 73, and 74. In the cases of 2 of these (Nos. 1 and 36) appeals have been taken, and in the cases of the other 5, the Competitor prisoners, a new trial has been ordered. Thirty-six persons arrested have been released after the charges against them had been investigated and found to be baseless. Eighteen have been expelled from the island, after periods of confinement lasting from a few days to nearly a year in the case of José Aguirre (No. 2); while 17 cases are still pending. The charges against 14 of the 17 are as follows: Nos. 31 and 55, sedition and rebellion. 1 Reprinted from Senate Doc. No. 84, Fifty-fourth Congress, second session. No. 38, rebellion. Nos. 37, 40, 61, and 62, rebellion with arms in hand. No. 43, purchase and concealment of arms and ammunition. No. 53, disorderly conduct and insults to Spain. Nos. 70, 71, 72, 73, and 74, landing arms from Competitor for insurgents. In the remaining three cases (Nos. 35, 47, and 52), the nature of the charges having not yet been ascertained, demand has been made both at Habana and Madrid that they be at once formulated and communicated or that prisoners be released. Mr. Delgado (No. 54) died in hospital at Habana on the 19th instant. Besides the above 74 cases, 9 correspondents of various newspapers in the United States have been expelled from Cuba by the Spanish authorities, after temporary detention by the military. No American citizen has been sentenced or is confined at Ceutro. Demands have been made upon the Spanish Government in every case where trial seems to be unreasonably delayed that it go forward at once or prisoner be released. Respectfully submitted. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, January 22, 1897. RICHARD OLNEY. List of American citizens, native and naturalized, arrested and imprisoned in Cuba since February 24, 1895, to date, stating also cause of arrest, charges, place of confinement, whether tried, released, deported, or cases pending. 1. JULIO SANGUILY, 49 years; native of Cuba; naturalized 1878; arrested February 24, 1895; charge of rebellion; tried November 28, 1895; found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment; case appealed to supreme court, Madrid. Was also tried on charge of participation in the kidnapping of the sugar planter Fernandez de Castro, in 1894, by the late bandit Manuel Garcia, and acquitted. Tried for the second time December 21, 1896, for rebellion; the case remanded from Spain, and again sentenced December 28 to life imprisonment; an appeal taken. Has been imprisoned in the Cabana fort. 2. JOSÉ MARIE TIMOTEO AGUIRRE, 52 years; native of Cuba; naturalized 1881; arrested February 24, 1895; charge of rebellion; confined in Cabana fort; acquitted and deported September 6, 1895; went to the United States. 3. FRANCISCO PERAZA, arrested at Sagua March 2, 1895; charge of participation in the robbery of some cattle; released March 4, 1895. 4. FRANCISCO CARRILLO, 45 years; native of Cuba; naturalized 1891; arrested at Remedios on February 24, 1895, upon a gubernative order for not having inscribed himself in the register of foreigners in any province of the island; confined in Cabanas fort; released and deported to the United States May 29, 1895. 5. JUAN RODRIGUEZ VALDES, native of Cuba; naturalized 1876; arrested at Puerto Principe April 5, 1895; released April 6. 6. Justo GENER, 68 years; native of Cuba; naturalized; arrested at Matanzas April 6; released April 9, 1895. 7. JOSÉ MARIA CARABALLO, 42 years; native of Cuba; naturalized 1877; arrested at Matanzas April 6; released April 9, 1895. 8. MANUEL FUENTES, 33 years; native of Cuba; naturalized 1889; correspondent New York World; arrested at Caimanera April 30, 1895; released May 4, 1895, on condition that he return to the United States. 9. MANUEL VARGAS, arrested at Remedios July 3, 1895; released and expelled July 13, 1895; charged with being an agent of the insurgents, etc.; naturalized. 10. DOMINGO GONZALEZ Y ALFONSO, 42 years; native of Cuba; naturalized 1876; arrested at Quivican July 3, 1895; expelled September 3, 1895, for the reason that his presence in the island is a source of danger to the Government. 11. VICTORIANO BULIT PEREZ, 33 years; native of Cuba, of American parents; arrested at Sagua July 12, 1895; accused of "proposing treasonable acts;" released November 8, 1895. CITIZENS OF UNITED STATES ARRESTED IN CUBA.1 Message of the President. To the Senate of the United States : I transmit herewith in response to the Senate resolution of Decem ber 21, 1896, addressed to the Secretary of State, a report of that officer, covering a list of persons claiming to be citizens of the United States, who have been arrested on the Island of Cuba since February 24, 1895, to the present time. EXECUTIVE MANSION, Washington, January 25, 1897. The PRESIDENT: GROVER CLEVELAND. Report of the Secretary of State. The undersigned, Secretary of State, having received a resolution passed in the Senate of the United States on December 21, 1896, in the following words That the Secretary of State be, and he is hereby, directed to send to the Senate a report of all naturalized citizens of the United States of whose arrest and imprisonment, trial, or conviction, or sentence, either to imprisonment at the penal colony of Ceutro or elsewhere, he has any information, and that he shall inform the Senate in such report of the persons now held in confinement at Ceutro and of the charges, briefly stated, on which they were condemned and the nature of the evidence, so far as the same appears on the files of the State Department, has the honor to lay before the President a list of persons claiming to be citizens of the United States who have been arrested in Cuba since February 24, 1895, to the present date, to the end that, if in the Presi dent's judgment not incompatible with the public interest, the same be transmitted to the Senate in response to the foregoing resolution. Since the breaking out of the insurrection in Cuba, on February 24, 1895, to the present time, 74 persons, citizens of the United States, or claiming to be such, have been arrested by the Spanish authorities of the island. Passports, certificates of naturalization, registration in the consulates of this Government on the Island of Cuba, and service on ships sailing under the flag of the United States, having been alike accepted by our consular officers and the Spanish authorities as prima facie evidence of citizenship establishing the rights of the claimants to the treatment secured to our citizens under our treaties and protocols with Spain, it has been deemed advisable to include in the subjoined list all persons of the classes referred to who have been arrested. Of the 74 persons arrested, 7 have been tried, namely: Nos. 1, 36, 70, 71, 72, 73, and 74. In the cases of 2 of these (Nos. 1 and 36) appeals have been taken, and in the cases of the other 5, the Competitor prisoners, a new trial has been ordered. Thirty-six persons arrested have been released after the charges against them had been investigated and found to be baseless. Eighteen have been expelled from the island, after periods of confinement lasting from a few days to nearly a year in the case of Jose Aguirre (No. 2); while 17 cases are still pending. The charges against 14 of the 17 are as follows: Nos. 31 and 55, sedition and rebellion. 1 Reprinted from Senate Doc. No. 84, Fifty-fourth Congress, second session. |