Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-06-08
DEATH OF DIR. RUIZ
Alleged Report Of Consul cenera
Lee Thereon.
GOTHAM PAPER GETS IT SOMEHOW

That win Never Ne Solved, says the
General-several Ways He Nay HAVE
Decidedly Thing Proved Il Violation
Of Treaty Rishts-special Counsel CAL
houn Talks About Cube.
New York. Jung A-The Journal this
morning publishes the full text Of Con-
sui General Lees report on the Ruiz
case to Secretary Sherman. 1t is dated
Havana. May 81, and says in part:
I deduce from my knowledge of the
facts the following conclusions: First,
DR.. Ruiz was arrested on a false charge.
Second. he was placed under an improp-
er Jurisdiction, and died before the
proper tribunal considered his case.
thereby giving him no opportunity to
prove his innocence. Third, he was
kept incommunicado' in q solitary cell
for S15 hours, in violation of his treaty
rights, which limit such confinement to
seventy-two hours. Fourth, he died
from congestion Of the brain. produced
by a blow on the top Of the head.
How Did He Receive the Blow?
Fifth. there are two theories con-
nected with the wound on the head.
One that In a state Of mental excitement
he ran across the cell as described by
one OF the jailors and butted his head on
the door in q frantic effort to get out
Another that he was struck over the
head with one Of the clubs carried by
the jailors-by the immediate watch
man-who had probably ordered him to
cease his cries for relief and for his
children, and upon his not doing so
struck him with more force than he in
tended; or It is possible the blow was
delivered to make him confess or give
evidence against others. It is possible
he went mad, and many causes COM
bined to produce such a result.
Some Causes for Madness Suggested.
His knowledge of his own innocence
his confinement in a gloomy cell, where
he was not allowed to communicate with
his family or friends, or to send or
write. Alone. all alone, the thought
doubtless impressed itself upon his mind
that he was liable in the reign of terror
then existing in and around Guanabacoa
to be summarily executed at any mo-
ment. 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 htey were
but few rods away and yet he might
AiSNSA sec ehSiii again vi HtdT tUe SUunu
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 unhappy man.
Cause of Death Will Never He Known.
Il thought it not improbable that as
the long hours passed by his mind may
have given way and left him a mad
man. His wife says his derby hat was
all battered up and his clothes greatly
torn, when returned to her. But whether
when bereft Of reason he inflicted the
blows which produced brain congestion,
or whether he died at the hands Of 9TH
ers-the truth will probably only be
known when the hearts of all are re-
vealed-the fact remains that his I'M
just confinement killed him, and had
he been released from incommunicado
by the hand OF man at the end Of seven
ty-two hours the hand Of death might
not have released him at the end of the
315 hours. and today the widow would
have had the support Of her husband
and the means of his fatherless chill.
dren would never have been heard in
the land.
Il therefore, conclude, saying as I
have done in all previous reports about
| this case, that whether DIR. Ruiz killed
himself or was killed by some one else,
will under the existing conditions al
ways remain unknown"