, 1876-11-12
SPANISH PRISON HORRORS.
Cubnn Patriots Herded with the Worst
Crininals---Convicts Treated with Fiend-
ish Cruelty.


Cuban Patriots Eerded with the W"rs
criIninals-~-Convicts Treated with Fiend
ish Cruelty.
london Times.
In Ceuta the prisoner is alone, separated from
his friends, without God to love or hope in
without any religious consolation or educatio,
whatever. He drags and curses throughout his
weary, suffering life, then lies down and diet
with 2 blasphcnly. on his lips. In the autumn
OF 1887 an English gcnt1c1nar,-now holding
her Majesty's commission as Vice-Consul in O
well-known town in Spain,-was riding along
the then untnade road between Puerto Sants
Maria and San 1ucar dc Barranlcda, where ,O0C
convicts, called prcsiddrios, or inmates Of tue
nearest presili0S were ut work, making the road
which, watered with these poor wretchcs' blood
is now one Of the best III Spain. s'The sight
that I saw" says he,-And give his
own Words" curlled and 1roZe m}
blood. These l,ooo men were lent
By the Government to the contractor who bad
driven to it By blows from the thick sticks Of
other prisoners made ca5os, or scrgeants,. be-
cause stronger or more brutal than themselves,
from morning until night, on one scanty mess
OF pottage." The winter passed along, unusua!
in its severity in 1S37-1sSS, and the wind swept
in fury a"ross tic low, aguisl flats Of San Lucar.
Ny friend cxpostnlated with the superintend-
ent, aud said, "This is not even human; it is
fiendisn; it is hellish to treat human beings
thus.'' II cannot help it, was the answer
'$I0c CQuLIlCtOl uQCo ~ AE SAOooeo" IA :
friend passed by once more. An orerseer rode
by on horseback. One Of these poor, half
starved fellows came crouching to his stlrrup to
supplicatc fur mercy. He looscned his right
foot from the stirrup, and struck the mans
naked breast SO fearful blow that the blood
rushed from his mouth. He rolled, over on the
earth, and was carried off corpse. Ever
since that awful sight, when had occasion to
mass those prts:dari0s, set spurs to my horse,
and galloped away from the spot."
There is a mound in the buria'-ground OF san
Iucar which, il it's rotting inhabitants could
sncak, could tell tale Of awful suffering hardly
eo11a]ed in these latter days. There sleep 50)of
those 1000 ragged reckless, wicked men who
were placed by the Government of Madrid - at
The 1isnosition Of their road-contractor." Cold,
nrivofi1n. blows, and want of clothiug did their
tej1 work No car heard these sonB of crime
crv ont. no eur bowed down to listen to their
cr,mnlaint: tbcy meyer knew Of any car that
ro,1fI hear, and so they passed away, by fivcs
and I,v ,ifties and little lime and chalk dis
soJroj lie ta]c. and the road was made, and the
rcmnant of the band, "not the 1,000," were
,,rofte1 l,acl to their respective prisons. It
NAV Ike said, nay it was said, "'rhesc ere such
a,sinlly ficraycu and lost sons Of crime that it
Is hest to kill the,n.' Possibly, but not under
The nretencr of Offering them life and work, to
oirc them death aud slavery. Utterly reckless
tnoxv they wcre. 4 friend Of mine used to
o;ve The noor fellows cnartos to buy bread when
+hev t1,rpnrcl round him and pleaded their
h',nocr sai,l the oyersccr 10 humane one) to
h;m :tIt is no good; they won't buy bread
vi vonr farthiues: they will only gamble, and
Insc III the ray6 they have to one another.