The New York herald., 1874-12-05
DOCKRAY IN PRISON.
The Life of the Convicted in
Spanish Dungeons.
A VISIT TO THE AMERICAN PRISONER.

MADRID, Nov. 10, 1874
The prisons OF Spain are Mamertine In condition
and dimensions. WiDeriorce would need 10 add
o certain labor OF Hercules TO labor Of love In
such cause. for the handsnake OF sympathy
would nave TO be preceded py stroke or two at
the Augean plough Borrow, IN his "Bible in
| Spann-a title by the way, intimately connected
with our subject-has admirably described the old
prison OF Madrid, which, in MS time, lay in the
heart Of the city. conveniently near the Plaza
| Mayor-that "Place OF the Skur' IN the triumph
i ant days of the holy ONCE. The institution OF
| which we speak seems TO have been known In
Spain only as place to connne political enemies
and other inconvenient customers, quite inde-
pendently OF their having committed such venlal
offences as MURDER. robbery, &C. Hence prisons
| were early known as alcaxa6ds, or alcdzdrS, and
! their keepers as alcavdes, the former meaning
! iortresses ana the latter the commanders thereof
The Arabic name for the edincs mas yielded at last
to the older Roman one OF cdrcei career, ana so
has the common OF The bulldlng but the turn
key SIM enjoys the magnificent title OF "Com-
mander" (Aicaydel. and his ofice, where he still
receives his .'gues.s" In true Bassompierre STYLE
Is still the aicavdia, as IN the Gays OF the ADd-er
| anmans OF Cordoba and MIramomolin. or Emir OF
the Faithful. oil 1oedo.
The present Carcel de villa is removed to one Of
the outer boulevards OF the town. where air and
sunshine are 10 be had gratis for those iortuLate
inmates who are placed on The eastern side Of the
building. II il situated IN the Plaza de Santa
Barbara-a sort OF gunpowder SAINT, aud there .ore
nothing to do with baroarous suggestions-the
same that presdes over all lortresses, magazines
and other offensive and defensive literature. said
prison Is aptl7 termed by the popular voice the
saladeTo, or 'pace ior packing salt hsh, derived
no doubt IRON the conservative character 0 the
spot ana Its traditions. We visited this establish
ment yesterday ior the purpose OF seeing our un-
fortunate countryman, Mr. Dockray. Calling .
"cab," we looked the fellow straight in tne eye
ana cooly said, ''al Sal1de7'O.u He winced trlne
stroked his chin but At last with sort OF husky
''corriente," drove US rapidly TO tae suburbs.
These gentlemen have an innate horror OF prisons,
1or without money or influence, when men or
their ilk are once In, judge, turnkey and all con-
cerned seem to forget from year t0 year sentence
ana term alike, 50 tnat the InLnate grows from an
hijO TO an 00uetitO de Ia cdi'ceJ.
AT the entrance we lOund some guards seated
or standing, engaged in lumigating themselves
with the lnseparaole ct0arrito, too busy
other miracles Oh their procession TO notice our
passage. The portal was grand enough, but
on turning TO ascend to the hrst i0or We caught
the first lesson IN prison luxury by being pinched
between narrow, dank and all but lnoaOrOus
mlttetn al but glveth egress only to the ..eecI."
some old women VITA baskets ana assistance 1or
the doomed Inside, while standing win US before
the gate were busily engaged with their compll-
Gated prestidigitatiOn called crossing, whlcn re-
mlnded us, too that It was good occasion 70 re.
hearse soiemn things before passing the fatal
wicket. and SO we began
BY BY me ye pass .: INTO to the woefui city;
BY me ye mings with q hopeless people, &c.
Within the door, which at last iell back ON Its
hinges, sat an oncer, with the ''cord0n" still in
his nand by which ne lifted the latch without NOV
Ing from his eternal posture OF waiting. We were
at once conducted TO tue AlcAyde's Office He
himself proved to be tail, tine specimen Of the
ObXlnQ LaStnllau. aud told were lull
liberty 10 visit Mr. Dockray at all hours, ana could
grateful i IN return for THIS latter nospsane
suggestion, expressing our regret that previous
M o ana the senor 1 a%s
ing the curiosities o. his fortress at 80 late
an nous % s were now P0'eiy ,dr furnished WITH
9, upper corridor. We ascende0 another staircase
casting side glance on our way INTO the patio,
/ or inner court where tine poor Fellows who have
no friends cluster and vegeta.e. We we're At
length ushered into long corridor, nanke0 by q
! series o. rooms on ole side and on the other by
small barred windows from whlcn the view
stretched out over the RecoletOs ana tie Castel-
| lana, famous prOmenades al summer and drives in
| the c00er season. Tue rooms bore tnelr c0rre-
! spending number over eacn door, seemed to i
ocS bee een nne table aI and
| had the luxury OF chair or two. We stopped be-
lore No. ., winch was occupied by Mr.. Dockray and
a Cuban named Lawrence GlmeneZ said to be
| naturalized American citlzeH, and who was taken
OIL the coast or Cuba by spanish cruiser last
June.
| In the course OF conversation with Dockray /
learned that since his arrival mere, on the Sh inst
he receives aaily visits from numerous people,
| mustly Cuoans, all oil whom he gladly welcomes
but with the reserve ana reticence that are due
his own inter esrs and 10 tue efforts Oi the United
/ states governments IN his behalf. Mr.. Docxray
| was removed from Santander through the personal
exertlons o. Mr.. Cusalng. For SIX weeks he nad
tine cdrca oil that town, where the fetld air from
within and the cod drafts from wltnout
/ were rapidly undermining his health. When taken
! from the pi ison cary IN the morning, has arms
we're bound and with three inspect rs VI police a.
/ q guard he was taken TO the station and thence
conveyed 10 Madrlu. Arriving IN TINS city the
/ Governor o. the Province immediately gave orders
ior ms excePomai treatmert as 81 political
| be assigned him, together with Tree communlca-
tion at all times wita the Embassy ana witn ms
| friends. Here Is Translation OF the Governors
| order to the Acayde OF the Sdtader0
| CIVIL GOVERNMENT OF THE provinces OF MADRrD,}
The Alcayde OF the City Prison viii reserve one Of the
tor Mr. showing hm
las pIi'te
"n q f. as limited State. Embassy SHS may as on
aApnD, Nov. 9. 1874
Mr.. Dockray IN rooust health and excellent
| spirits. wnicn he assured me had never failed HIM
IN all the conditions OF Imprisonment TO whicn he
has been subjected. asked him II he had reason
| to expect any lurther communication OF his SEN
tence. He replied that he was entirely IN the
hands OF General Cushing, In whom he mad per-
s0naily all confidence. In the course remarks on
the contrast OF nis actual position with past expert
ence, he observea that IN Puerto Principe ne mad
been closely confined, was put into the Preside
snacked, shaved and cropped he was taken to
havana III irons, and IN Santander he was locked
up III Loaf hsUlne, unheatny quarters, deprived oil
all facilities and comforts except what he could
pay at an ex rDltant price. through the Efforts
OF Mr. Cushing he ID now being treated with great
Kindness. Inc Alcayde has offered him tne use Of
his private ONCE, hts friends come TO see HIM at
ali nours, tne entire clrceL - open 10 him Tor exer
cse and he Is even permitted to go INTO the street
occasionally with an INSPECTOR as guard. Yes.
terday MIR. Dockray visited our Legation and was
In conference with Minister cushing lor two
| hours.
| VIII not prejudice Dockrav's cause (the pre-.
else position ol which understand better tnan ne
does Just now ny giving lurther details, or
making any pre- judgment or CONNIE ntarles on
luture movements and policy. Sufice 1t To say
tnat the animds Ol the authorities here 10 more
than just-irom their point OF view-and even lem
ieuf, and opine that they are, IN general, DIS
posed to do all compatible with ther interests IN
4 IN n