Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Annual Message of the President Transmitted to Congress December 5, 1899

Mr. Adee to Mr. Storer.

Department of State,
Washington, August 22, 1899.

No. 59.]

Sir: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your dispatch No. 41, of the 4th instant, in which you report your action in regard to the Cuban political convicts who have been released from confinement at Burgos and elsewhere, and whose cases have been the occasion of previous correspondence by mail and telegraph.

The prompt action of the minister of state in promising you that the four men released from Burgos, as described in your No. 37, should be at once transported to the seaboard and there be provided with shipping, indicates that no question is or will be raised as to the obligation of article 6 of the treaty of peace, and that it will only be necessary for you to bring to attention any similar cases to insure ready execution of the treaty engagement.

In this relation, and referring to my instruction No. 44, of the 3d instant, touching the presence at Gibraltar of a number of persons claiming to have been convicted of political offenses in Cuba and to have been released from confinement at Ceuta, I send you herewith copy of a later dispatch from the consul at Gibraltar, No. 993, of the 4th instant, in which he confirms his telegram of that date, giving the names of the Cubans stranded and destitute at Gibraltar, and gives additional particulars by which their identity may be more conveniently determined, besides which he sends a list of four other released Cubans from Ceuta, who have applied to him for aid and protection to return to their homes.

I am advised by Mr. Quesada, to whom I showed the lists submitted by Consul Sprague, that the only names therein given which appear on his lists of Cubans imprisoned for political offenses are:

Felipe Martinez Rodriguez, field laborer, Matanzas.

Antonio Rodriguez Romero, tinker, Habana.

Luca Morales, colored, laborer, San José Alaja, Habana.

Felipe Hernandez y Torres, carpenter.

Rafael Acosta y Acosta, cigar work, Santa Clara; age, 28 years (whose place of imprisonment is given in Mr. Quesada’s list as Malaga and not Ceuta).

As to these five names the instruction heretofore given you will hold good.

You should communicate directly with the consul in regard to the other names listed by him, and be governed by the ascertained facts in each case. Mr. Sprague is instructed to-day to assist you in every possible way, to the end that you may bring all deserving cases coming within the purview of article 6 of the treaty to the attention of the minister of state.

I am, etc.,

Alvey A. Adee,
Acting Secretary.

[Inclosure.]

Mr. Sprague to Mr. Hill.

Consulate of the United States,
Gibraltar, August 4, 1899.

No. 993.]

Sir: I have the honor of appending herewith copy of my reply to a telegram received last evening from the Department, which called for the names of the released Cuban prisoners referred to in my dispatch No. 983, under date of the 15th May last.

I also beg to inclose a statement giving particulars as to where these destitute Cubans hailed from, previous to their being sent to the prisons of Ceuta during the rebellion in Cuba.

Without means to return to their native soil, they are forced to remain around this immediate neighborhood, depending upon charity and what little they now and then earn during their frequent visits to this garrison during the day, which, however, hardly suffice to meet their daily subsistence.

Within the last few days a further number of Cubans placed under similar circumstances have arrived at the Spanish lines, also coming from the prisons of Ceuta, and are very anxious to find means to proceed to their homes.

They have already called at this consulate for protection, as they can find no means to obtain employment in this neighborhood.

I beg to inclose the names of those who have lately solicited aid from me.

I am, etc.,

Horatio I. Sprague,
United States Consul.

[Subinclosure.]

Mr. Sprague to the Secretary of State.

[Telegram.]

Gibraltar, August 4, 1899.

Rafael Acosta, Martinez Hurtado, Molina Ramos, Perez Lopez, Monteagudo Chanes, Martinez Rodriguez, Rodriguez Romero, Cuadra Cardona, wife, three children, colored.

Sprague.

[Subinclosure 2.]

List of the names of the released Cubans referred to in dispatch No. 983, under date of May 15, 1899.

Names.	Occupation.	Residence in Cuba.	Age.
Rafael Acosta y Acosta	Cigar work	Santa Clara	28
Ramon Martinez Hurtado	Shoemaker	Cienfuegos	33
José Molino Ramos	Cigar maker	Habana	47
Rafael Perez Lopez	do	San Juan de los Rejnedios, Santa Clara.	47
Emilio Monteagudo Chanes	Blacksmith	do	37
Felipe Martinez Rodriguez	Field-labor man	Matanzas	37
Antonio Rodriguez Romero	Tinker	Habana	37
Pedro Cuadra Cardona, his wife, Felipe Coca Montoua, and 3 children, all fine, “colored.”	Cook	Cardena	37

[Subinclosure 3.]

List of released Cubans from the Ceuta prisons soliciting aid and protection to return to their homes.

Names.	Occupation.	Residence in Cuba.	Age.
Ramon Canpo y Gonzalez	Mechanic	Jovellanos, Matanzas	37
Luca Morales (colored)	Laborer	San Jose Alaja, Habana	28
Felipe Hernendez y Torres	Carpenter		28
José Ochoa Peña	Mechanic	Established 24 years in Cuba, where he has a son living at Santa Clara.	46
Manuel Valdez la Guardia	Cigar work		37

Gibraltar, August 4, 1899.