The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-08-27
HORRORS OF THE
CUBAN PRISONS
Terrible Experience of the Crew of the
Competitor.
PLACED IN A<CELL WITH A LEPER
The American Sailors Confined in
the spanish Fortress, Cahanas. Are
Badly Cared Fora Twenty-Five
HuddIed in One Small Narrow
ROOm-.Othcr Prisoners Suffering
with Smallpox Are There.

| Havana, Cuba, Aug. 23, via Jackson
| vile, Fla, Aug. 26.-The crew of the
Competitor and the other American
prisoners confined in the Spanish fort
| ress, Cabanas, here, are being badly
| cared for. c. I soup and soggy pota-
toes, their only food, is supplied to them
twice day by military authorities at
a cost of only II cents Il day. All the
| prisoners are sadly emaciated and are
| mere skeletons. With their CHASTITY
eyes. they despairingly look out on their
infrequent visitors from their damp.
| dark, foul-smelling, cofIin-like cells
through the iron barred Jail doors in
mute appeal
a Spanish sergeant who visited Ca
hanaS yesterday said that one of the
Competitors men could not speak above
a whisper, and that the others are
suffering from dysentery in chronic
form. They told the sergeant that they
had lost all hope in the Washington
| government obtaining their release, and
had consequently addressed, as "A last
resort. an appeal to Queen Regent Maria
| Christina for mercy. Before General
Weyler's order fOrbidding Americans
and even the United States consul to
enter the fort the prisoners were en-
ahled to purchase necessities from funds
contributed by friendly visitors. These
are now stopped, and in consequence
their suffering is greater than before.
LEPER IN THE SAME, CELL.
Despite the repeated demands of the
United States government, made
through Consul General Lee, and oft
repeated promises to your correspond
cnt to have these prisoners transferred
to a healthier and less crowded quart +,
they remain huddled together with
Spanish thieves. There are twenty-five
in a single narrow room. and along the
toor of this room runs an open sewer
mpregnating the room with a fearful
stencil which alone is sufficient to
breed cholera And more, a leper, re-
Gently arrested as Il political suspect is
now confined with them. Other pris-
oners suffering f"om smallpox are also
there.
In reply to Consul General Lees
communications of protest, it Is under
stood that Captain General Weyler
personally assured him that the Ameri-
cans had been already moved, but, as
a matter of fact, they stiil remain in
the old quarters, and since the protests
We're made there is every reason for
believing that their treatment has been
worse.
The Herald correspondent in Bahia
Honda. on the north coast of Pinar del
Rio province. sends word that the little
Spanish worship which captured the
alleged American tilibuStcriug Schoon-
cr, the Competitor, some time ago was
recently fired upon by Il mysterious
craft off the Colorado shoals. The
shell struck the man-Of-War and
wounded Cautain Briton and several
members of the crew, besides crippling
the steamers machinery slightly. The
strange vessel, however, kept her course
and soon disappeared, stcaming in the
direction of Cane san Antonio. She
was painted lead color ana her funnel
marks were white and red. She car
ried no az, but the boat resembed a
Norwegian fruter.