The New York herald., 1876-11-27
ANOTHER SPANISH OUTRAGE.

IMPRISONMENT OF AN AMERICAN CITIZEN AT
SAN JUAN, PORTO RIco-hrsToRY OF THE
VICTIMS suFFEIISGs-
The American public having by this time got ac-
customcd hearing Of the repeated outrages inflicted
on our citizens by spanish officials in the Antilles will
bo surprised to learn that another OF our fellow
countrymen. in the person OF Placido Izquerdo. has
been arbitrarily imprisoned in San Juan Porto Rico.
The following statement, which was given by man
who has just emerged IRON tho solitude OF prison
CELL will doubtless read with interest BY those who
love liberty and fair play. being furnished as is, by
Mr. Izquierdo himself
THE LArE PRISONERS STORY.
Mr. Placido Izquierdo said, in substance:-I am
twenty years Of age and native Of Cardcnas
cupa visited this city for the first time IN tho year
1853, in which year tsok ont my nitatory papers
preparatory TO becoming citizen OF the United States
and the 22d December OF the same year received
my final papers in the City Hall Naturalization Bu-
rcau In February OF the following year found my
self engaged fourth engineer board the steam
yacht Octavia, at salary Of $l2 month, the vessel
being then in the port OF Kingston, Jamaica,
preparing for her voyage to New York. In
consequence Of financial difficulties which interviewed
10 prevent tho sailing OF the Octava and also because
the vessel laborcd under the suspicion OF being
Cuban prvatccr, she sold TO Mr. A.tamon de Corr
dova wealthy merchant at Kingston, and who IL
connected with tho publication or a leading newspa
per there Tho Ociava, before passing into the hands
Of her purchaser, had sailed under the name Of
the Uruguay, aud under that name she had formerly
been registered British yacht In the
Dominion OF Canada We started on the 18th Of
February for New YORK, having three pas
scngers boagd, Mr. Holland. the actor and his
little grls. Mr. Holland undertook the duties OF
durip tho trtn of rkett
street, Brooklyn, commanded the vessel, and on this
occasion hs wife made the trip with him. The
numbered altogether thirty-two scamcn. During our
run for New York, and while on the high seas, we
chased by the Spanish man of.war Herman Cor.
tez captured and towcd prize into tho harbor OF
San Juan, Porto Rico.
Tho Captain, his wife, Purser Holland and bis two
children, the first engineer and two others wcrc all
put under restraint prisoners but not locked in
the tort Twcnty-thrcc persons OF The remaining por
tion OF the crew. including myself wcre ali put into
tho lorthcaiions and informed by the officers there
that we were 10 DO snot the same night pirates.
lrou handouts wcro put on wrists ana arms
we're p,nioncd behind our backs ! suffered most
cxcruc.ang pans from the pressure Of tho iron, and
tho circulation OF the blood In both arms
almost entirely ceased Ny hands became swollen and
my arms still hear tho marks two red circles
stamped them by the irons which wore. IL was
finally resolved not to shoot u.s. and through the
ergctic rcmonsrancos or Captain Paoli, the British
Consul, our were removed Tho Consul lost no
time IN lcicgraphing Kingston requesting the pros
encc oi a man ot-war at san Juan, wncrc were I'M
prsoned In response 10 the request the BRUSH au-
nor,es sen, out The Eclipse aud this vessel through
the representations OF Captain rao was allowed TO
take nearly everybody away. Captain Wazman re-
NAMED however. 10 look after HIS ship and his
remained with HIM.
THE VICTIMS
had with mo my naturalization papers as an Ameri
citizen, but they were OF no use 10 me, and was
lc.t behind Juan aior my shipmates had been
released and had sacd from Porto Rico. Two other
compan,ons IN adversely, whose names Manuel
Guturrcz, tf Havana, and Victor Soto, OF Santiago
do Cuba were incarccrated with me. They we're !
neither American citizens nor British subjects
We made up our minds alter tue departure oil the |
Eclipse that should mover leave the prison alive
ana that possibly might suffer death by tho torri
bio ordeal of Starvation. confess To feeling hurt
that the American Consul had been able TO effect notr
ing my behalf, much less 10 procure my release, as
the British nsul had donc for hts fellow subjects.
The American Consul Was kind In sending me newS-
friendly messages asking me 10 Keep my courage |
up The British Consul sent us cheese, Yorkshire !
ham, papers and told US not TO givo up hope. When
had been some timc IN the MORO tort We were
taken the chapel as Is the custom 10 do with Grim
mails who under the sentence Of death, IN ordor
that they may have the benefit Of Church rites. The
Governor The fort thcn asked concss that tho
ctav,n was a cuban ahustcring craft, saying that
case OF refusal wound be shot. Our reply
was that lie might shoot II he wished, but that
could not confess any such thing, as the
octava was ,h 'ho property v 81 MI, CoTdova 2,
her clearance papers as British weasel added that
IL they me tho matter would be brought TO
the attention OF Mr.. Hamilton Fish at Washington
and by him TO that of the Spanish govcrnment This
brutal piece oi acting, in bringing out to be shot
we nna became so accustomed 70 u that We laughed
al the farce
Meanwhile my friend. Mr. Gonzalez Acosta, OF No.
o,G West thirty third street, New York, had written
to Mr. Fish about my casc and received reply dated
IN the 3d Of July last, to the effect that
Mr. Hall tha American Consul General al Havana had
been instructed mako inquiries respecting my al
legged citizenship rights also ordering that II
should bc Lona ade tho Consul should afford
Inc tho required protection TO which would in such
casc DC enllted OF course, knew nothing about
what was being done ior me M the tmc nor did I
learn what had taken place TIL got my liberty many
months aitcrwaru.
her j brought cigars and money wnerewitr 10 pnr
chase food our prison fare vas mlscraby mcagrc +
aud drtily cooked. Our blankets, that we're never
changed in the long poriod ot our Imprisonment.
which lasted months, and our bedclothcs were Of
course, covered wtn vermin our shoes worn ou. our
parted IRON as that We cared not whether we
Ilyed died. But tho worst was yet To come We were
taken down the bottom Of the MORO tort, down llb
steps near water battery where tho place damp
iha, boots became mouldy within a few hours
While here some OF Keepers were kind 10 us and
others acted very ,nsuIt,ngiy. Down in these cold
miserable quarters became slck. Our lodgings x
were Immediately bchnd tnc place where the cannon
which was named tho Orivas was mounted. Here u |
was fate 10 live three months Of torture
RELEASED FOREIGN CONSUL
In the first days October after having been about
six months prison. with tho marks vi Spanish ict-
tcrs upon our iimbs tho BRUSH Consul (not tho
American, note you) caused our release and sent us
10 boarding house. On tho 18th OF October hc gave
us S25 embarked us tho English steamer Corsica |
Tor ST. Thomas and upon arriving there were trans
shipped to the French steamer which TOOK us 10
kingstou.
called upon Mr. Altsmont de Cordova, the owner |
of tho Octavia, ask compensation for what had
gone through was informed that he could not entcr-
tain any for damages, but wanted me to receive
GA, and sign receipt for all dues and demands. j
said that had not got single penny and that was
entitled 10 compensation tor tho long imprisonment
which / had undergone nt Porto Rico. Ho
thought not. passed two days IN Kings
ton without q morscl OF food l intended
laying my before the British government through
he hanus OF the British Consul General In this city.
Nv com panon t;utiorrez was paid oil by Mr.. Cordova
al the ratio ol 81 month for tho term Of months
aud somc days, q sailor bcioro tho mast; and do
Soto who second cook received tho same rate OF
m ucu