The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-03-03
TREATMENT OF DE. RUIz.
Secretary Olney Sends to the, Senate the
 Documents in the Case.

Documents in the Case.
 Washington, March 2.-Secretary Ol- ney to-day responded to the senates resolution calling for the correspond ence in the Ruiz case by sending an abstract of the matter, declining to send the full correspondence on the ground that it would not seem to be in the public interest
 The abstract shows the following facts:
 Richard Ruiz was native-born Gu ban and came to this country during the Cuban insurrection which termin- ated in 1878. He received his final pa pers as a naturalized citizen in Janu- uary, 1880, in Philadelphia. Immedi- ately after he returned to Cuba he en- tered upon the practice of dentistry, married and reared a family, and re sided there permanently and continu- ously He was arrested February f. 1S97 and thrown into prison on the charge of participation in the capture and robbery of railroad train. His arrest was reported to this government by telegraph on the same day, and un- til the 17th nothing more was heard of the case by the department, which as- sumed that it was being attended to by the consulate in the regular course; that at the end of seventy-two hours the prisoner would either be put in communicate, or, if not, that a proper demand for suclf relief would be made and that if such demand were made and were not successful the depart ment would at once be notified. No measures of the sort were taken, how ever, though the prisoner remained in- communicate, and on the 17th the con- sulate reported that Ruiz had been found dead in his cell under circum- stances which led to a demand for in vestigation.
 ''The consul general reported that Ruiz was kept 315 hours in a small, closed and most filthy cell, three by five feet, having a rough stone floor, with no window and only a six-inch square opening in the door for the ad- mission of food, which aperture was kept shut except when used; that no one was allowed to see him; that he died from neglect and violence; that he became deranged; that an autopsy showed severe contusions on top of the head; that he died from congestion of the brain; that there was no fracture of the skull, but that all knowledge was confined to officials and it was diff ffcult to ascertain the facts"
 Secretary Olney then quotes the re- port of the acting governors -genral to roomy cell, lighted and ventilated; that he had an easy chair and mattress sheets, pillows, etc.; that blow being heard in his room on the 18th he was found much excited with confusion on the head and was removed to a better room and placed under medical Urea t. ment; that on the 17th he was found bv an attendant putting his head against the grating of the door and through quieted, died; that an autopsy being held the physicians present agreed that death ensued from cerebral congestion, not induced by the wound on the head. which was superficial, and that the prisoners treatment during confine- ment was most considerate and better than in the cases of other prisoners.
 In conclusion. MT. Olney says: "Irn- til the results of the investigation shall have been reached what further steps should be taken in the matter byr the United States cannot, of course, be de- termined.