The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-02-25
RUIZ'S FEARFUL DEATH.
His Tortures Prolonged Four Days,
When the End Came..-
Beaten Each Time.

From the Sun.
Havana, Feb. 20-The torture known
as componte in Cuba, and by means of
which the American citizen, DR.. Ri
cardo Ruiz, was assassinated, is the
most barbarous of all the cruel punish
ments invented by the Spaniards. A
prisoner is beaten, sometimes with q
cane and sometimes with a large cyl
indrical piece of iron, until he faints
from pain or loss of blood. His wounds
are then cared for, and when he is bet
ter the awful treatment is repeated.
Care is taken by the savage execution
ers that the victim shall not die at the
first componte. The design is to kill
him by degrees, and when the climax
of cruelty is reached, then a powerful
and decisive blow on the head puts an
end to the poor victims sufferings.
The torture began on Friday, Feb. 12.
Ruiz was patiently awaiting assistance
from the American consulate, it being
then the ninth day of his arrest. The
only persons who had entered his cell
We're the Auditor de Guerra and his no.
tary. He declared before them that he
was innocent of any connection with
the insurgents, denied all the charges
against him, and, asserting his Ameri-
can citizenship, asked permission to
communicate with the American con-
sui general.
He received no answer and was left
alone. Meanwhile his wife sent word
to Consul General Lee, and later called
herself at the American consulate.
General Lee, as usual in these cases,
notified the state department of the ar
rest, and awaited instructions, which
did not come. Neither General Lee nor
Mrs. Ruiz could believe that the doctor
was in danger of being assassnated
Without any answer from Washing
ton and without any more news from
DR.. Ruiz, the time passed until Feb. IL
Mrs Ruiz repeatedly, but in vain, tried
to communicate with her husband, and
to send him food from their own house
Admittance to the jail was refused to
her. She was told that her husband
was incommunicado.
1t is also said that she called on Ma
jor Fonsdeviella, who gave her a very
rough reception. Apply to the Ameri-
can consul general, madam" said
Fonsdeviella to the poor woman, with
the devilish, ironical smile which had
made SO many men tremble before
him.
On the night of Feb. 12 the doors of
The cell in which DR.. Ruiz was confined
were opened and the componte began
The details of the awful scene cannot
he told as no witness was there eX-
cept Ruiz and his murderers. What
all the other prisoners heard were the
desperate cries of the victim, his en-
treaties for mercy, and his despairirs 2
imprecations. A fact is also knowl
which is proof that the torture was in.
tiicted by the majors orders, for at the
door of the cell, while the componte
was going on, stood Major Fohsdeviel-
la, and several times he addressed the
pris and the eXec'.tloners.
on Feb. 13, about p. m., the scene
was repeated. The unfortunate Ruiz
appears to have made a desperate e.
fort to overthrow his enemies and get
to the door The noise sounded as
though ne had made a leap and had at
once received a terrible blow which
fellcd him, and as he fell he uttered a
loud cry. The door was Immediately
locked and the assassins, passing
through one of the narrow halls, eX .
pressed to each other the fear Of hav-
ing killed the man against orders"
one OF them was plainly seen in the
dim light of the corridor. He wore
the uniform of d soldier belonging to
the military police called Orden Pub
liCo.
on the next day, Sunday Ruiz was
left alone in his cell and the torture was
not repeated. He passed the day cry
ing "Socorro. socorrO!" (Help! helpD
for hours together, until his strength
was exhausted. During the night, like
a wild beast in it's cage, the doctor was
heard scratching the walls and the door
of his prison. How could he live in such
such situation and suffer still two tor
lures more?
On Monday night the murderers in
f1icted upon the doctor only one or two