The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-12-21
SPANS TORTURING HAND.
La Torres Inquisition in Puperto
Pprincipe Prison.

Death for theCuban Would Not Inform on
His Brother-Field Laborers Led Out
and Shot Down at the Command of Col,
Landa-The Censor's Work.
Senior Joes +. Garcia. a Cuban, who
accompanied Mrs. Gen. Ign acio Agra
monte and her family from the city of
Puerto Principe to the United States,
gives graphic account of the methods
used to extort information of insureent
movements from prisoners who fall into
the hands of Joes La Tore, Chief of
Police in the city of Puerto Principe
Tho numerous acts of cruelty practised
by this man." said Senior Garcia, care
almost beyond belief. His barbarity
would do credit to the Spanish inquisition
of the sixteenth, which will be youcbed
for by the best citizens of Puerto
Principe. There was poor man in our
city who had little farm upon the out
skirts where he grew vegetables. bringing
them into town for sale. His brother.
who is a Captain in the insurgent army,
had been making considerable trouble for
the Spanish troops. This inoffensive
gardener, Jose Aguilar, bought gun and
ammunition to defend his little farm
against vandals who overrun the country.
AS he was leaving Puerto Principe 70
home he was arrested by La Tore and
thrown into prison. This prison is an
| old, rambling building in the centre of
the city, and from the adjoining houses
one can hear distinctly all that happens.
Aguilar was questioned by La Tore re-
garding the whereabouts of his brother.
He prostested ignorance. La Tore
ordered that be be struck five times with
q whlp-like GARD. used for that purpose.
He still refusing to say where his brother
was. he was struck again and again.
Then La Tore, convinced that he could
do nothing in this way, placed around
the unfortunate mans head uourniuuet.
Again he asked him to reveal the camp
ing ground of his brother, and each time
the victim denied all KIN owledge of it the
instrument of torture was turned.
''The gardeners groaus and prayers
for mercy could be heard distinctly by all
passers by. La Tore placed guards at
each corner of the building and allow ed
no one to enter. Aguilar's wife and her
aged father, who had heard of the arrest
begged for his release. La Tore dragged
| them into the prison and there kept them
for hours in room within hearing of the
cries of agony. Half crazed by what they
heard they ran past the guard. A sentry
felled the woman with the butt of his
musket. She was left unconscious on the
prison floor for an hour with her two
little children crying over her. Euraged
by his failure to obtain the desired in
formation La Tore gave the turniquet a
| final twist. The mans temples burst and
| in few minutes he lied La Tore the
drove the wife and her father and children
out into the night" Senior Agramonte
| in speaking of Spanish cruelty said:
| Nothing that l could tell you would
paint in its true oolors the bloody work
| being done. do not think Gen. Campos
| approves of these acts but it is beyond his
power to control the many in distant
portions of the island.
"Col. Rojas and Lieut.. Col. Pablo
Lanla are two Spanish officers from
whom we have suffered severely in the
province of Canaguey. Owing to the
strict Spanish censorship, accounts OF the
acts of these men seldom reach tho
American press. l will relate to you one
| incident which occurred upon my own
estate. Lieut.. Col. Pablo Landa visited
several little farms in the neighorhood of
Puerto Principe and took from them
laborers who could be used as guides
| through the forest. Landa ordered these
men to follow him saying that he wanted
| them to show him road. They all went
willingly and after he had collected
fifteen or twenty he conveyed them to q
field near my house. He then ordered
these laborers to reveal to him the where.
abouts of the nearest lnsurgent camps.
All protested ignorance. Landa then had
these men blindfolded and placing his
Cavalry behind them gave them another
opportunity to reveal the desired infor-
nation. Upon their refusing second
time he called out: ''These men are
shielding the Cuban dogs; cut them
down p The cavalry with cold steel fell
upon the laborers and butchered them
without mercy. The bodies were buried
on the plain where they fell. War CORE
spondents between Spanish lines dare
not report these atrocities. If one did he
would be mistaken accidentally for a
Cuban insurgent and stray bullet
would end his career.''