The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-02-24
Timely Resolutions introduced in
House Yesterday.
CALLS FOR RELEASE OF AMERI-
CAN PRISONERS In CUBA

Country Have Been MaiCreateu anu
Butchsred to Enable Spaniards to Vent
Spite Against United States.
Washington, February 23.-Mr. Gibson,
Republican of Tennessee, introduced In
the House today a joint resolution con-
cerning tho arrest of American citizens
in Cuba. The preamble states that
many American citizens have been IL
legally and without sufficient cause ar
rested and imprisoned in Cuba by the
Spanish authorities; that some OF these
Americans have been maltreated and
some havo been inhumanly done to
death. In majority of the cases these
Americans have been denied the trial
guaranteed them by the treaties between
the United States and Spain; these
Americans have been maltreated and
some butchered, mostly to enable the
Spanish officials to vent their hatred OF
the United Staes, and these wicked,
illegal and barbarous deeds Of the Span
ish officials in Cuba are an international
insult and injury to the whole people
and the government Of the United
States.
These resolutions directs the President
to demand of the Spanish authorities in
Cuba the immediate restoration to liber-
ty OF every American citizen now i'm
prlsoned by them in Cuba, to accompany
it by the presence Of a sufficient num-
ber of the United States ships of war
to make the demand good. If the said
demand is not granted within "a hours,
the resolution directs that.thes city of
Havana and, If need be, other parts of
Cuba be .bombarded, until said demand
is fully complied with. The resolution
was referred to the committee On for
eign affairs.
: AND HE AN AMERICAN CITIZEN.
Details of the Horrible Torture inflicted
ON DIR. Ruiz.
New York, February s3.-A special
from HAVANA to the Sun says; The
torture known as componte in Cuba, and
by means Of which the American citizen
DIR. Ricardo Ruiz, was assassinated is
the most barbarous Of all the cruel
punishmsnts Invented by the spaniards.
A prisoner is beaten sometimes with
cane and sometimes with large
cylindrical-piece Of iron until he faints
from pain or loss of blood. His wounds
are thsn cared for; then when he is better
the awful treatment is repeated again.
The design is to kill him by degrees
and when the climax OF cruelty is reached
then a powerful blow on the head puts
an end to the victims suferlngs.
DIR. Ruiz suffered the oomponte for
days. On the night Of the 18th instant,
the doors of his cell were opened and the
componte began. The other prisoners
heard the desperate cries of the victim,
his entreaties for mercy and his despair
ing imprecations. At the door of the cell,
while the compOnte was going on, stood
Major Fot Deyiella. and several times he
addressed the pl isOner and the execu-
tioner.
On the 18th the scene was repeated
Ruiz appeared to have made desperate
effort to overthrow his enemies and get to
the door. The noise sounded as though
he bad made a leap and had at once re-
oeived terrible blow which felled him,
and as he fell he uttered a loud cry. The
door was Immediately locked ana the as
sassins, passing through one OF the halls,
expressed to each other the fear of having
killed the man against orders. One OF
them was plainly seen in the dim light
of the corridor. He wore the uniform of
soldier belonging to the military police
called Orden Publico.
On the next Sunday Ruiz was left
alone in his cell, and the torture was not
repeated. He passed the day crying
.'Sooorro," "Help, help, for hours to-
gether, until his strength was exhausted.
During the night. like wild beast in its
cage. the doctor was heard scratching the
walls of his prison.
On Monday night the murderers In
fiioted upon tie doctor only one or two
blows. The voice of the unfortunate man
was not hoard again that evening.
On Tuesday night, the 10th, the
struggles and cries were heard again, and
also the last tremendous blow which put
an end to Ruiz's life.
The above details aIe now known to
all Cubans in Guanabacoa.