Mr. Olney to Mr.
Dupuy de Lôme.
Department of State,
Washington, April 11,
1896.
No. 112.]Sir: I have the honor to inclose herewith copy
of a report of the consul of the United States at Kingston, Jamaica,
respecting the case of the American schooner William
Todd, a case which has already been called to your
attention.
I invite your attention to its early consideration, and to such
settlement of the same, conformably to the recent precedent of the Alliança incident, as the dignity of the United
States and the rights of its citizens require.
I avail, etc.,
[Inclosure No. 112.]
Mr. Eckford to
Mr. Rockhill.
Consulate of the United States,
Kingston, Jamaica, March 28, 1896.
No. 180.]Sir: I have the honor to state that George
D. Campbell, master of the American schooner William Todd, made the following statement to me this
morning:
That he was en route from Mobile to this port with a cargo of
lumber. On the 16th day of March, when between 6 and 7 miles
off the Isle of Pines, in latitude 21° 12ʹ, longitude 82°
42ʹ, at or about 1 o’clock p.m., sailing at the speed of
about 1 mile an hour, he sighted two vessels near the coast.
Soon thereafter wards a blank shot was fired from one of the
vessels, when he immediately hove to and gave orders to the
mate to hoist his colors, but before the flag could be
hoisted two Spanish gunboats, the names of which he did not
ascertain, came alongside; one stationed itself across the
bow of the vessel and the other on the port side. His vessel
was then boarded by four armed Spanish soldiers, who
searched it, examined his papers, and after a detention of
about two hours he was allowed to proceed.
The schooner reached Kingston on the afternoon of March 26, but the
master did not report the matter to me when he deposited the ship’s
papers. This morning, hearing that he had given to a reporter of one
of the city papers an account of the incident, I sent for him
immediately, and he made the foregoing statement to me. I have
examined the log book, and it agrees with his statement, and the
mate and seamen also substantiate it. I considered the matter of
sufficient importance to cable to the Department, and wired this
morning as follows: “American schooner William
Todd, en route from Mobile here, fired on [by] Spanish
gunboats off Isle of Pines before flag hoisted.”
I will procure the sworn statement of the master and mate and
for-ward the same to the Department.
I have, etc.,
