The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-01-02
BURIED ALIVE.
Dungeons Where spain's Political
Prisouers Are Kept In Torture.

Prisoners Are Kept In Torture.
The most horrible conceptions OF torture
chambers which the fsndish Moor could
imagine were given free play mt Central
Africa and many ramain to this day. spain
acquired IL In 1910. bat hardly an improve
ment has ever been made In It's murdsrous
prisons since they were built. With tho sx'
ception OF occasionally removing the skeletons
OF the prisoners who rot away In the dungeons.
they are never opened. In many cases even
this IL not done. and besides the pitchy dark
ness the etench 10 terrible Once these
dungeons close upon man he 10 dead to the
world. for only the throne release him,
and these psrdons are seldom granted. 10 10
said that there are mon now languishing in
these cells whose Identity il absolutely for
gotten. They have not the light OF day
for 20 years. and who they are and what they
were are absolutely unknown.
The occasional clsnking OF their chains ne
the poor wretches crawl from one to another
| is tho only evidence that they still alive.
But once "A year do they see a human face,
and that IL when the masonry is torn open for
the keepers TO inspect the wear OF their
| chains. and possibly TO put additional ones on
to hasten death.
Ceuta Ia very small place. says the st.
Louis Globe Democrat. and the Noors con.
structed a chain Of fortrosses aroand IL TO
guard against any possible attack. IL Is in
tho cellars OF those ancient and decaying
| fortresses that the dungeons are located. They
are bewn out OF the solid rock. and are in
| tiers at depth OF 20 or 60 feet. The approach
| TO them is made through narrow opsnings in
| tho stone floors Of the fortresses. and when
the horrible hols is opened the foul odor OF
| filth and decomposition is overpowerine.
Tho descent is made by long flight OF steep
| stone stairs to long damp alleys. that wind in
| and around tho base of each fortress. Each
| of these alleys are small holes about ore foot
| from the ground. and these are tho sole open
| inrs into the dungeons.
When a prisoner is TO be cast into one, hole
| sufficient TO admit the passage Of his body is
torn open in the masonry and he Is squeezed
in. followed by armed keepers aud black
smith. Ho is then thrown on his back, and
] chains welded from his ankles 10 the solid
rock. Besides this a heavy iron hand Is
| oftentiinos riveted around his waist and
welded TO n chain and ring in the side OF the
wall. No looks or keys are used. Everything
| il done by actual welding.
| Thus shsckled and loaded down with chains
| his keepers leave him. The opening in the
4
and from that time forth prisoner 10 dead to
| all living things.
A notice hearing the name and sentence Is
| posted upon the wall, but this in time moulds
| and decays. and then even tho circumstances
| OF his entomhment are forgotten.
| Through the same hole in the lower part OF
| this wall are passed som. spare scraps Of food
| each day, and through the same opening the
| occupant ~ expected to push the dirt from
| his dungeon, whenever he can crawl around
| and clean IL.
In this dark. disease infested hole. with an
entire erea OF but eight square feet. the un-
| f1ftunate victim must rot away. The vermin
| in these dungeons is thick, ond this additional
torture often aids death in its CHASTITY work.
| SO damp are these dungeons that the clothes
| OF the occupants rot away, and in an almost
| naked condition the miserable wretches
| crouch in the dark corners of their cells
awaiting death.
| Not all the men sent to Ceuta kept in
| solitary confinement. Many are put in the
| chain gangs and work for The support OF tho
cclony. This is a.welcome sentence. and hard
as the labor is. they beg for IL, fearful OF
being cast into the dungeons.
! Others, again. are put in large numbers In
| one underground CELL often 30 and 40 in a cell
not more than 30 feet square, and kept there
with chain and ball to their legs for months.
| Horrible and Ioathsame as this Is, it has one
| advantage-compauy.
| But Spain has many political prisoners that
| must be silenced forever. and these are sealed
| up in the solitary dungeons. Some OF the
men now in these dungeons were cast there
during the previous Cuban rebellion. and may
never the light Of day again.