The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-30
SPAIN'SC EUTAPRISON
The Place to Which Patriotic Cubans
Are DepOrted.
THE PRISONERS IN CHAINS
Political Prisoners OF Education
and Refinement Forced to Min
gle With the Lowest Criminals
Dungeons Cut Out OF Rock.

CendtOT WILKINSON Sdll OF tlOTlua IN
troduced a resolution in the senate of
the United States on March request
ing the president to inquire OF the gov
eminent of Spain as to the truth of the |
charges made in a letter purporting |
to be from Gualberto Gomez. lately |
editor of La Lucia, a newspaper pub |
lished at Havana. Mr.. Gomez was rep |
resented as saying that he had been |
tortured while confined in a dungeon at |
Ceuta. the penal colony of Spain, in
Africa, and that attempts were made |
TO extort from him in this manner evil |
dence against julius Sanguilly, a nat
uralized citizen of the United States. |
IT is not stated that Gomez gave the |
desired evidence after being tortured |
in fact, II is said that he was afterward
put to death by the authorities of the
penal colony. and it may not be unreal
sonable, therefore, to assume that Mr..
Gomez died in silence, a martyr to the
cause of Cuban independence.
There are now in the penal colony at
Ceuta between 300 and 400 Cubans who
have been condemned by summar. pro-
cess to various terms for political ac-
tivity in aid of Cuban independence.
Spain has for centuries maintained a
system of penal colonies that have been
a reproach TO her civilization, and the
convict settlement at Ceuta is about
the worst of the lot. Ceuta is not iso-
lated as are most of SPANS prison COL
onies, but is easy of access. and has,
moreover, a lively trade with the out
side world. Consequently more is
known of the horrors of prison life
there than at other Spanish prisons.
Ceuta is town of about $4,000 people,
and is on the African coast at the en-
trance to the Mediterranean. 1t is but
II miles southwest of the great fortress
of Gibraltar, and has been described as
A
rises almost out of the sea, and upon
it's highest point is @ royal castle of
Spain. This great rock forms the ex-
tremity of the narrow peninsula upon
which the town is built, the town be-
ing Immediately back of the royal cas-
tie. At the other end of the peninsula
is strong citadel, commanding the
Mediterranean. 1t is said that were the
fortress well armed with modern guns
il would be impregnable.
The convict establishment is in the
town and the prison buildings are an
cient stone structures of heavy and
somber appearance. Here are confined
the most prominent political prisoners
of Spain and Cuba, and several hun
dreds of the most desperate of Spanish
criminals. No other penal colony in
the world. perhaps. contains such an
assortment of brigands, cut threats,
highwaymen, burglars and thieves.
Political prisoners who have served
terms there declare with a unanimity
that carries conviction that the sole
object in surrounding the political pris-
oners with ordinary criminals is TO de-
grade them and render their existence
the more miserable. The same policy
is followed in the selection of guards
and keepers. These are chosen from
among convicts who have served long
terms, or are taken from other prisons
where they have made records for in
humanity.
There are more dungeons than COM
mon cells in the prison. The rock be-
meath the prison is honeycombed with
them. They are mere holes cut i'm the
rock. Water trickles down the walls,
and they are bare except for rude
benches, upon which prisoners must
eat and sleep as well. Confinement in
one of these holes is calculated to kill
the most robust man in three months
The cells have some ventilation, but
not much. They are very small. and
on cold nights are very uncomfortable
The food is of the coarsest.
Perhaps the worst feature OF prison
life at Ceuta is the system of labor
Every prisoner is compelled to perform
some manual labor. The prisoners are
divided into three classes. First there
are those who are made servants to the
1ailers. wardens and keepers. These toll
all day long, dragging heavy iron balls
attached to chains, which are rivited
TO iron bands around their ankles
Some of the more desperate have i'm ad-
dition chains extending from an iron
band about the waist to the ankle
bands. The combined weight of the
balls and chains Is between 25 and 30
pounds. The second-class prisoners are
those who work in the prison making
various articles for trade. They are
not hampered by ball and chain. hut
crInr da fol hnr al
IL is said that outbreaks among these
prisoners are frequent. and that num-
bers of them are killed at such times
by the guards. The third class in
cludes n large proportion of the politi-
cal prisoners. Ever since Spain ac-
quired Ceuta from Portugal the work
OF fortifying the great rock has been
going on. 1t is upon this work that
the third-class prisoners are employed.
The prisoners work from sunrise TO
sunset upon the steep sides of the
mountain. cutting out the rock for for
tifications. hauling guns TO their places,
1eveling roads. Telling trees and break
ing stone. The prisoners are loaded
with chains and compelled TO drag be-
hind them great iron balls attached to
their ankles. First there IL an iron
band around the neck. To this are at
tached two chains which hang down
and are fastened to an iron belt at the
chains. one on each side. to the ankle
bands. Behind these bands are fast
ened two chains, each about two feet
long and with an iron ball at the end
of each. Each ball weighs from Is TO 20
pounds. so that the total weight i'm
posed upon each prisoner is about 30 or
60 pounds.
Four transports carrying political
prisoners have sailed from Cuba for
Ceuta since the insurrection began.
Among the prisoners are some OF the
most prominent patriots on the island.
one of these prisoners now confined at
Ceuta is DR.. Jose Maceo mot a relative
of General Maceo). who was a distin-
guished white physician in the city OF
Bayamo and a member OF one OF the
best families on the island. DIR. Maceo
was deported after a brief trial.
Most Of the facts in this article were
supplied by F. G.. Pierra. a leading