The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-03-07
JULIO SANGUILY IS HERE.
III PATRIOT GENERAL WARMLY
WELCOMED By THE CUBANs.

ouers Who Arc Crowded late the FILTHY
Cells OF the Csbsn. Fortress-An Attempt
to Poison Him-Grnteful 10 General Lee.
Tho Cuban patriot, Con. Julio Sanguily. WHIT
was released from tho Cabana fortress on Feb.
20. arrived in this city Mt $50 o'clock yesterday
afternoon. DR.. Henry Lincoln do Zayas. Presi.
dent Of tho Cuban club, Oscar Primcllcs, which.
among tho Cubans. takes tho place OF the Red
Cross Society. had invited tho members Of the
club and a few others to 20 to tho Pennsylvania
Railroad station In Jersey City TO welcome him.
Among those who went woro Sonors Manuel
Sanguily Amorcs, Or. Ricardo Lancis. Dr. Diego
Tamayo, DIR. virgilio Zayas Daxam, DR.. Lincoln
dc Zayas, DR.. Ricardo Farrcs, DR.. Raimundo
Menocai. DIR. Guiteras, DR.. Chenard, Iglcsias
Labordc, N. Hernandez, Mrs. Carlos Manuel do
Cespcdcs, Mrs. Itainundo Menocal. Mrs. Man
uel Sanguily. and Mrs. Calixto Garcia.
When tho train arrived and Gen. Sanguily
alighted he was choercd by all, and was ON.
bracod by every one who had q chance to got
near him. As he walked from the station to tho
ferry tho hurrahs for FREQ Cuba, for Sanguily
and for Cen. Leo wero inocssant. lie was ac-
companiod by his vito and son. Julio. and by
Miss Mercedita de Armas, tho devoted COM
panion Of Mrs. Sanguily during her husbands
imprisonment. Col. Lechuga, a veteran Of tho
ten years war. camo with the party from Key
U othbuhy uiu uNb ihiuiiy WouL ~
once to the Hotel Carr!llo. at l4l West Four
teenth street, where their relatives live. At
tho hotel tho General said b a reporter:
II have not been pardoncd. as was orronoously
reported. My sentence to imprisonment for life
was committed 10 that Of Punishment. Conso-
quently, ] have made no promise and have not
given my word OF honor 70 bind myself in any
way to the Spanish or to tho American Govern.
ment. My gratitude to Consul-Gencral Lee Is
boundlcss. l know that 1t was through his I'D.
vice that tho Washington Administration acted
In my behalf until my release was obtained. I
am also grateful to Gen. Williams, who secured
for mo tho rights to which / was entitled. as an
American citizen. to DO tried by q civil court
in compliance with treaty stipulations between
tho United States and Spain. 1t Is my belief
that tho Ruiz murder Case hastened my release.
The Spanish Government feared that the Senats.
BY demanding my release. might bring about n
conflict with tho United States. which Spain IL
determined 10 avert as long as II Is within her
power to do 30.
While in prison I was we'll treated. I had q
whole dungeon to myself. n privilege which /
obtained through my old friendship with Gen.
Sucro, Governor OF the Cabana ut the time ! was
imprisoned. Sucro is, indeed, a perfect gentle
man. Whom he was superseded. the authorities
thought It was better not to cause any change
TO DO made in circumstances In the Cabana.
There are now from $40 to $50 political pris-
oners NJ the fortress. They arc huddlod together
in q few dungeons. some thirty.nve in each dun
geon. The average size Of the dungeons is ar.
teen feet long by nino wide. These dungeons
arc damp. and nobody can remain In them any
length OF time without contracting lifelong dis
ease. That they are filthy and have no hygicnio
convoniences II Is superfiuous to mention.
They lack every comfort, and. as no prisoner
Is allowed for a moment to leave his
dungeon, II Is easy to imagine the condition OF
the air. The meals given to prisoners arc scant
and nasty. Most OF the prisoners have to sleep
on the bare. damp floor. To a few Is allowed
the luxury OF hammoCks, which. however. can
not always be used, for want OF room.
During the two years of my imprisonment l
saw fifty.tour prisoners pass my dungeon, on
their way TO the Foso de los Laure!es. the place
where death sentences arc executed. One OF
them was a boy sTSSSrcGly IL years PIC; Some
He asked where my dungeon was and avoided
passing IL. l inquired whether / got my
meals from the fortress o. from my
OF mine, warnod me not to cat or drink anythin ing
passed and / had already forgotten the incident.
when one day my wife and son and Miss Mer.
treat them and sent Tor some milk with Which to
prepare chocolate. The milk which was brought
to us by the soldier In attendance did not
appear to be very pure, but nevertheless Miss
Nerccdita went to work and gave US each a cup
OF chocolate. Barely AN hour had elapsed after
we drank Il when we felt tho synptoms OF
poisoning. l made a protest, and asked that the
rest OF the milk be analysed; but no chemist
dared perform the analysis. My impression Is
that the opportunity was seized To poison us
with arsenic: but luckily an antidotc was ad-
ministered and we were saved.
The feeling among the Spanish In Cuba
against American citizens has been Intensified as
the result OF my release. ] shall not he surprised
to hear soon OF new outragcs upon American
citizens. I am persuaded from what Trustworthy
pcrsons have told me that DIR. Ruiz was muir.
dered. and my impression Is that Consul.General
Lee has proofs OF the murder.
The war will probably enl this year. While
Spain Is exhausted. the patriots are stronger
than ever. The Cubans expect much from the
Mckinley Administration Not that they
believe that tho United States will fight
for Cuba's independence. but they feel
sure that Mckinley will not devote tho Ameri.
can navy 10 the interests OF Spain, by prevent
ing. as heretofore, the departure OF expeditions
with war supplies for the Cuban patriots. i
have Gen. Sicklcs's views upon this subject.
The trade In arms is a lawful trade In the
United States. II the arms are to be surrep-
titiously exported to Cuba, IL Is SPANS bust.
ness. not ours, to intercept them"
A dramatic performance for the benefit Of tho
sick and wounded OF the Cuban revolution was
given last evening ut the Carnegie Lyceum and
Gen. Sanguily was among those present.
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