Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1897-06-17

| WAS NOT PRESENT.
That said autopsy, signed by the two Spanish
| doctors declared DR.. Ruiz's death resulted from
cerebral congestion; that on the apex top of
/ the head OF deceased there was found contu-
sion or wound which is described by the Span
| ish doctors as being small abrasion which
| only involved the first surfaces Of the skin.
| about centimeter long, more or less" cent?
meter being about two-ffths Of an inch, but
| which is described by DR.. Burgess as being "a
severe confusion of about an inch and half
! long by half-inch wide
| deduee from my knowledge Of the facts the
following conclusions:
First-Dr. Ruiz was arrested on a false
charge.
Second-He was placed under an Improper
| Jurisdiction, and died before the proper tribu-
nal considered his case, thereby giving him no
opportunity to prove his innocence.
Third-That he was kept ''incommunicado'I in
a solitary cell for 3l5 hours, in violation of his
treaty rights, which limits such confinement to
- hours.
Fourth-He died from congestion of the
brain. produced by blow on the top of the
head.
Fifth-There are two theories connected with
| the wound on the head: One that in state of
mental excitement he ran across the cell as de-
scribed by one of the jailers, and butted his own
head on the door in a frantic effort to get out
Another. that he was struck over the head with
one of the clubs carried by the jaiIers-by the
immediate watchman-Who had probably or
dered him to cease his cries for relief and for
his children, and upon his not doing so struck
him with more force than he intended or it is
possible the blow was delivered to make him
confess or give evidence againt others
1t is possible he went mad and many causes
combined to produce such result. His knowI-
edge Of his innocence, his confinement in a
gloomy cell, where he was not allowed TO COM
municute with family or friends-or to send or
write. Alone-au alone with the thought
doubtless impressed upon his mind that he was
liable in the reign of terror then exist
ing in and around Guanabacoa, to be
summarily executed at any moment
He loved his wife and children and
in the darkness and loneliness of his cell he
was constantly crying out for them. The
thought that they were but a few rods away
and yet he might never see them again, or hear
the sound of their voices, or feel the touch of
their lips and hands maddened him and proved
too much for the mind of the distracted and I'm
happy man, and I thought it not improbable. as
the long time passed by, it may have given way
and left him mailman
His derby hat was all battered up and his
clothes greatly torn, says his wife, when re-
turned to her. But whether when bereft of
reason he inflicted the blows which produced
brain congestion, or whether he died at the
hands Of others, the truth probably will
only be known when the hearts of all
are revealed-the fact remains, his con-
fnement killed him. Had he been released
from fncOmmunicadO by the hand of man at the
end of - hours, the band of death might not
| have released him at the end of 315 hours. and
to-day the widow would have had the support
of her husband and the means of his fatherIess
children would never have been heard.
therefore conclude, saying as I have done in
all previous reports about this case. that
whether Ruiz killed himself or was killed by
someone else will under the existing condi-
lions, always remain unknown. 1 am very re-
spectfully, your obedient servant,
(Signed) FITZHUGH LEE