THE MAINE EXPLOSION. A CONFESSION.

Manawatu Herald, 14 May 1898, Page 2

THE MAINE EXPLOSION. A CONFESSION.

A special to the World from Chicago says that Charles A . Grandall, who, acting under the personal orders of Captain- General Weyler, planted mines and torpedos in the harbour of Havana, has been run to earth, and is in ouatody of the three United States secret service agents, who will escort him to Washington where he is expected to give information to prove beyond any possible doubt that the Maine was blown up by a mine, and her 266 officers and crew, murdered designedly by agencies known to the Spanish officials. Crandall's statements are substantiated by letters in his possession from the officials oi General Weyler's staff. The testimony taken before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in connection with the investigations into the relations between the United States and Cuba has been made public General Lee (the Consul at Cuba) said "lam satisfied the explosion was from the outside. I cabled to the State Department a few days after the Board assembled that I was almost certain the explosion was from the exterior. I have always had an idea about the Maine that is was not blown up by any private individual or by any private citizen, but that it was blown up by some of the officers who had charge of the mines and eleotrical wires and torpedoes in the arsenal there, who thoroughly understood their business, for it was done remarkably well. I don't think General Blanco, the present CaptainGeneral of the Island of Cuba, had anything to do with it. I don't think he had any knowledge of it. I saw him shortly after the occurr•ace. I was sitting in my room at the hotel when I heard the explosion and from the balcony of the hotel I saw a great column of fire go up in the air. A few minutes after ascer* taining that it was the Maine I went Light; down to the Palace, and I asked for General Blanco. " He came in directly by himself. He had just heard it and was crying. Teara were coming out of his eyes. He eeemed to regret it as much as

anybody I saw in Havana."