BATTLE WITH SPANIARDS AND GALVIN MURDER TRIAL

American troops landing at Daiquiri, Cuba.

Cortland Evening Standard, Friday, June 24, 1898.

BATTLE WITH SPANIARDS.

Hard Fought and Bloody Engagement Reported.

SPANISH ACCOUNT OF IT.

                   First Announced That the Americans Were Repulsed.

   MADRID, June 24.—Minister for war General Correa, it is announced, has received an official dispatch from Santiago de Cuba announcing that the American's first attack on Puenta Berraco has been repulsed after a hard fought and bloody engagement.

   Puenta Berraco is situated a short distance from Daiquiri, where the United States troops landed. It is nearer the coast and therefore more completely under the guns of the American fleet, from which it can be judged that it is highly improbable that the army has been repulsed as announced in Madrid.

 

FURTHER REPORTS.

Spaniards Obliged to Retire—Two Towns Destroyed by Our Warships.

   MADRID, June 24.—Cable dispatches received here from Admiral Cervera say the crews of the Spanish warships at Santiago de Cuba have joined the land forces in order to take part in the defense of the city. He adds that the situation is critical but a later dispatch affirmed that the Spaniards "have victoriously repulsed the enemy."

   A dispatch from the governor of Santiago de Cuba says: "The attack of Siboney (Sabana?) and Daiquiri continued until nightfall. The enemy was repulsed except on the left at Daiquiri, where the Spaniards were obliged to retire in consequence of a flanking movement upon the part of the enemy, who landed several kilometers east of Daiquiri. The Spanish forces retired in good order into the mountains. Siboney and Berraco were destroyed by the American shells."

 

General Nelson Miles.

NOT SURPRISED.

Officials Satisfied That Our Troops Have Commenced Fighting.

   WASHINGTON, June 24.—Secretary Alger and General Miles were in conference in the secretary's office when the first Madrid bulletins announcing that fighting had begun, was shown them. The secretary read it aloud with evident satisfaction and both of them expressed themselves gratified with this favorable report, coming as it did from the enemy. There was no surprise that the fighting had begun so soon.

   It was suggested by the reporter that the troops had just completed their landing.

   "Yes, but they have gone there to fight and are ready to begin it at once," said General Miles.

   Secretary Alger said that no word had been received up to that hour indicating that fighting was in progress. He had no reason to doubt, however, that our troops had encountered the Spanish forces, and had given good account of themselves. He commented on Admiral Cervera's cable that "the situation was critical" and that the Spaniards had been obliged to retire as in strange contrast with Madrid's claim of a Spanish victory."

   General Miles said that the American troops would now push forward aggressively driving in the Spanish and forcing them to fight. There was not a suggestion of apprehension or doubt, either with Secretary Alger or General Miles, as to what the outcome would be. They had made their plans well and they were confident that General Shafter and his troops would be hammering at the gates of Santiago before long.

   The impression here is that the Spaniards will make their strongest stand close to Santiago and the inner harbor within range of the protection of the guns of the big Spanish cruisers lying there. There is no doubt that until these ships are removed from the field of operations, the campaign against Santiago will be conducted against odds. The guns of the ships command the hills over which our soldiers must come to attack the town and reach the bay.

   The naval officials here believe that when the time comes for an attack by land upon the town Sampson will force his way into the harbor and take part in the engagement. They are satisfied that the wreck of the Merrimac does not completely block the channel, and say that if Sampson does not come in, the Spanish fleet is likely to make a desperate effort to get out. The mines are to be considered in such case, but it is believed that once Morro castle is taken by the combined attack of the soldiers and fleet, these obstructions can be easily removed with the experience gained in Guantanamo bay.

   The only positive news coming from the war department was a dispatch to General Miles from one of his staff officers with General Shafter and also a brief dispatch to General Greeley from Lieutenant Colonel Allen. General Miles' dispatch stated in substance that the landing of troops had been completed without any casualties save to one Cuban soldier who had his arm injured by the bursting of a shell. The troops of Garcia and Rabi, about 5,700 in number, had met the American forces with enthusiastic greetings. Stress was laid upon the point that the Cubans were well armed and well disciplined. General Garcia was confident that his forces would be swelled to 10,000 men as soon as Santiago fell.

   The dispatch to General Greeley merely stated that progress was being made in connecting the military forces directly with the war department.

 

Segment of 1876 map of Town of Preble, N. Y., showing residence of P. Galvin.

Cortland Semi-Weekly Standard, Tuesday, June 28, 1898.

GALVIN MURDER TRIAL

TO BE CONDUCTED AT THE COURTHOUSE THIS WEEK.

Patrick Galvin Charged With the Murder of Thomas Lavan on the Hill

East of Preble on the Night of Feb. 25, 1897—Brief Sketch of the Case.

   The trial of Patrick Galvin of the town of Preble, charged with the murder of Thomas Lavan of the town of Homer at the home of the former on the night of Thursday, Feb. 25, 1897, was begun Monday afternoon at the courthouse in Cortland at an adjourned session of the May trial term of the supreme court, Justice George F. Lyon of Binghamton presiding. The case will be conducted for the prosecution by District Attorney Edwin Duffey, assisted by Hon. O. U. Kellogg and H. A. Dickinson. The prisoner has retained as counsel Messrs. J. & T. E. Courtney, and they will be assisted by County Judge J. E. Eggleston.

   The calendar at the May term of court was a very long one. As much of it as was possible was gone through with at that time, and then when Judge Lyon had to go elsewhere by reason of other engagements an adjournment was taken till Monday morning. In the meantime an extra panel of 150 jurors in addition to the regular thirty-six was summoned.

   The forenoon session Monday was devoted to the hearing of motions and the Galvin case was not called till the afternoon at 2 o’clock, at which time the courtroom was crowded to its fullest capacity.

   Inasmuch as the death of Lavan occurred over sixteen months ago a brief review of the circumstances of the case may be in order.

   Patrick, or Patsey Galvin, as he was commonly called, is a bachelor 51 years old. He lived alone on a little farm of fifty-four acres, two and one-half miles east of Preble on the road leading over the hill from Preble to East Homer. Thomas Lavan was a man of about 60 years who lived on a farm of sixty-five acres, a mile and a half south of Galvin’s just over the line into the town of

Homer, The two were great friends, and it was said that Lavan used often to visit Galvin at his home and occasionally spend the night there with him.

   On the day in question Galvin went to Tully to sell a load of wood. When interviewed soon after the death of Lavan, Galvin said he returned at about 1 o’clock and met Lavan in the road near his home. Lavan told him that he wanted to see him about some cabbages and rode back to the house with Galvin. Galvin said they visited together till to ward 11 o’clock and then he went to bed, leaving Lavan sitting in a chair beside the stove in the same room.

   The events of the night are in question. Galvin professes to know nothing about them. A coroner’s inquest was held in Preble and from the testimony it appeared that at about 7 o’clock on the morning of Feb. 26 Galvin came to the house of Robert Dorothy, one of the nearest neighbors, and asked him to go over to his house as he had found Lavan’s blood stained body with life extinct outside of his house that morning. How the body came out there and who caused the death are two questions not explained.

   Coroner George D. Bradford of Homer was called, and he summoned the following jury: Seth Hobart, C. C. Dennis, J. Henry Gay, A. H. Van Hoesen, D. O. Crofoot, James Manchester, John Manchester, Harley Dowd, W. D. Van Denburg, Richard Squires, Curtis DuBois, Alonzo Harter. The inquest lasted three days and on the fourth day the jury brought in a verdict stating it to be their belief that Patrick Galvin caused the death of Lavan between the hours of 1 P. M. on Feb. 25 and 7:30 A. M. on Feb. 26, 1897.

   Galvin was arrested by Sheriff Hilsinger and Deputy Sheriff Edwards on the afternoon of Friday, Feb. 26, and was lodged in the county jail, where he has been ever since. He was arraigned on March 4, 1897, and pleaded not guilty. On March 17 he waived examination to await the action of the grand jury, and on Sept. 17, 1897, he was indicted by the grand jury charged with the murder of Thomas Lavan.

   In the afternoon the effort was begun to secure a jury for his trial.

 

TERMS OF PEACE.

The Suggestions of the United States for Ending the War.

   Madrid, June 25.—It is reported that the peace negotiations suggested by the United States include the possession of Porto Rico, the independence of Cuba under an American protectorate, a naval station in the Philippines and a coal depot in the Canaries.