Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-07
CALL PLEADS CUBA'S CAUSE
Florida Senator Speaks in Behalf of thu
Struggling Patriots,
SPAIN PEPETRATES GREAT oUTRAGES
Letter from n Prominent Man who
Visits Cnbanns Fortress and
witnesses Cruel Tr. ntment
of Prisoners.


the medium for making public letter, Civ
ing a graphic description of the Cabanas
fortress at Havana, and the surroundings
Of the American citizens imprisoned there.
The circumstances surrounding the letter at
tracted marked interest to il, as MIR. Call
said it came from republican of high stand
ing in the United States, who would shortly
occupy a place in the legislative branch OF
the government The letter dealt with the
immediate present, and described visit made
by the writer and General Lee to Cabanas
fortress only seven days ago, viz. on the
morning of December 80. 1t told of the pitt
full condition of the prisoners some of them
Americans, including Julio Sangully, and a
young man who was the companion of
Charles GOWN. the American newspaper cor
respondent, killed in Cuba. The recital of
these prisoners was given in full.
The writer also gave the particulars of an
other arrest. He said that while at General
Lees office on the Monday previous Decem-
Der 2S), he saw son of DR.. Betancourt, an
American citizen, who had been practicing
dentistry at Havana, for the last year. The
son, also an American citizen, stated that
his father had mysteriously disappeared on
Saturday night. He was traced to the
Cabanas fortress. where the son, on paying
90 cents to n Spanish Official was allowed to
send in food, and later on, paying $3.50 to
the Official was allowed to send a cot to his
father. Mr.. Call referred a'so TO letters re-
ceived from the wife of one of the sailors
on the ship Competitor, now imprisoned at
Havana.
During the day the senate passed house
Dills, amending the laws relating to timber
culture and authorizing brevets to active or
retired officers of the army and navy.
The joint resolution requesting the British
government 70 pardon Mrs. Florence May
brick was indefinitely postponed The bill
eXemptlng settlers on public lands from pay
ing the original government price fixed on
the lands was debated. Mr.. Pettlgrew Of
South Dakota and MI. Carter of Montana
speaking in its favor, but a final vote was
not reached.
Senator Culom, republican OF Illinois, re-
ported adversely from the committee on
foreign relations the bill to grant 81 800 to
eX-Consul Waller, United States representa-
tive to Madagascar, pending an inquiry into
the case, and the bill was Indefinitely post
poned.
Mr.. Hale, republican of Maine, secured the
adoption OF resolution directing the secre-
tary OF state to send to the senate a state
ment as TO the action of the president or
senate. or secretary of state, touching the
recognition of any foreign people or power
as an Independent government and the corre-
spending action of other branches of the
United States government
Mr.. Pettigrew, republican of South Dakota
secured an agreement to a resolution calling
on the secretary of the interior for state
ment of the amount of subsidies paid by
the Union and Central Pacific railroads to
the Pacific Mail Steamship line.
CALL ON CUBA
Mr.. Call, democrat of Florida, was then
recognized for a speech on his Cuban reso-
lutions introduced yesterday concerning the
condemnation of Julio Sanguilly at Havana.
Mr.. Call referred to the report from the
State department as to the killing OF Charles
Gown and said the features which had been
disclosed induced Consul General Lee to be-
lieve Gown had been tied to a tree and
chopped to pieces. AS showing the facts in
tho case, Mr. Call read a letter from gem
tleman In Havana who. MIR. Call said would
occupy a responsible place as a member of
one of the legislative branches Of the gov
ernment The name was withheld.
1t gave n graphic description of a visit
to Cabanas fortress at Havana, In company
with Consul General Lee. Access TO the
fortress was secured with difficulty, 1t being
open to outsiders only on Wednesdays and
then after twenty-four hours notice. The
writer said he and General Lee were escorted
within the prison, where eight or ten per-
sons, some Of them Americans, were brought
out. In circle about them were ranged 100
Spanish soldiers, heavily armed. One OF the
prisoners was man who had been with
Charles Gown at the time OF his capture.
The prisoner stated that the Spaniards tied
show his United States citizenship papers
and his credentials as an American news
paper correspondent but the Spanish com
mander struck these from his hand and
turned Gown over to the cavalry, while the
other prisoner was sent to the Cabanas for
tress.
The writer stated also that from other
reliable sources it was established that Gown
subsequently had been tied to a tree and
chopped to pieces.
Julio Sanguilly was another Of the pris-
Oners seen during this visit to the fortress.
The writer described him as an old man,
whose hair had turned gray and who ap-
peared to be over 60 years of age. Sanguily
told pathetic story to the visitors as to the
injustice Of his trial and conviction, and
begged that the United States investigate the
case with view of establishing that he was
prosecuted for what he might have done and
not what he had done.
Mr.. Call again stated that this letter came
from a prominent man of the United States,
a northern man and republican who had
been highly honored in this country and
would soon return to high public place.
- After reading other letters rectlng the
cruel methods employed in Spanish pris-
ons, Mr.. Call declared these prisons were
stained with the blood of American citi-
zens It needed but an investigation to
unmask the extent of the butchery he said.
The senator asserted that the nation which
failed to protect its citizens justly deserved
the execra.on of the civilized world
COERCION NOT TO BE FEARED.
Mr. Call spoke of reports that the powers
of Europe would coerce the United States.
What effect, he asked, would such con-
cert of European nations have. when the
sympathy OF mankind and the sentiment Of
the Christian world was with the strug
Cling patriots of Cuba? 1t would be a
futile intervention. Even II attempted no
statesman of Europe could successfully ap-
peal TO the masses of his people to strike
at those engaged in a struggle for indie
pendence and liberty. II the United States
remained passive while such outrages as
those on GOWN and Sanguilly proceeded
there could be no prosperity for this country
and no respect for 1t. declared Mr. Call. Ii
was a spectacle which belittled the United
States In the eyes OF the world.
The senator spoke bitterly against the
delay In the senate, idle assertions that
trade and commerce would be jeopardlzed
by action and the concerted movement
emanating from some central source to have
chambers OF commerce and boards of trade
urge delay. Mr.. Call declared that the
whole force OF the United States was being
used to protect and continue that condition
The senator closed with an appeal that the
American flag be made the symbol OF power
and protection TO American citizens through
out the world.
At the close OF the speech the senate
agreed to Mr.. Calls resolution requesting
the secretary OF state for all correspondence
relating TO the case of Julio Sangully. The
~. 1ntnaOding Inn.