Mr. Dupuy de Lôme to Mr. Sherman.
Washington, June 11, 1897.
Mr. Secretary: I regret to inform you that, owing to the fact that the members of the Dauntless expedition have been acquitted, and that [Page 530] that vessel has been released (concerning which decision I refrain from expressing an opinion), a new filibustering expedition is being organized on the southeastern coast of Florida. I have knowledge that a car of the Florida East Coast Railroad, with arms and munitions of war on board, left Jacksonville yesterday morning and passed last night through New Smyrna, going south, and that another car, loaded with rifles and dynamite, left Jacksonville this morning in a regular freight train for the east coast, the intention doubtless being that the goods which it has on board shall be transferred to some vessel. My agents suspect that the vessel which the filibusters will use is the yacht Volusia, of New Smyrna, which has been chartered to transship the goods for the expedition from the railroad to the vessel which is to carry the expedition.
In order to frustrate the criminal intentions of the filibusters, it will be well to exercise great vigilance on the southeastern coast of Florida, since it is very possible that the vessel which is to receive the expedition on board will not come near the shore.
I avail myself, etc.,