The Saint Paul globe., 1897-01-07
HORRORS HAVANA
GRAPHIC PICTURE OF THE SPAN
ISH PRISON GIVEN IN THE
SENATE.
OUTRAGE ON AN AMERICAN.
CHARLES GOWN TIED TO A TREE
AND BRUTALLY CHOPPED TO
PIECES.
OUTRAGE ON AN AMERICAN.
THE CUBAN SITUATION DENOUNCED
Sensational Statements Made by
Senator Cole on the Authority
of a Prominent Man.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6.-The speech
of Senator Call, Of Florida, on Cuba,
today served as the medium for max
ing public a letter giving a graphic de-
scription of the Cabanas fortress Of
Havana and the surroundings of the
American citizens imprisoned there.
The circumstances surrounding the let
ter attracted marked interest to it, as
Mr.. Call said 1t came from a public
man of high standing in the United
States, who would shortly occupy q
place in the legislative branch of the
government The letter dealt with the
immediate present and described visit
made by the writer and Gen. Lee to
Cabanas fortress on the morning of
Dec. 80. 1t told of the pitiful condition
Of the prisoners, some sof them Ameri-
cans, including Julio Sanguilly and
young man who was the companion Of
Charles Gown, the American newspaper
correspondent killed in Cuba. The re-
cital Of these prisoners was given in
full. The writer also gave the partic-
ulars of another arrest. He said that
while at Gen. Lees Office on the Mon
day previous dec 2S) he saw a son Of
DR.. Betancourt, an American citizen,
who had been practicing dentistry at
I1dNd1d 1OI Tic ldSI year. LIE SOH,
also an American citizen, stated that
his father had mysteriously disappear
ed on Saturday night. He was traced
to the Cabanas fortress, where the son,
on paying so cents to a Spanish official,
was allowed to send a cot to his father.
Mr.. Call referred also to letters receiv-
ed from the wife of one of the sailors on
the ship Competitor, now imprisoned at
Havana.
During the day the senate passed
house bills amending the laws relating
to timber culture and authorizing bre-
vets to active or retired officers of the
army or navy. The joint resolution re-
questing the British government to par
don Mrs. Florence Maybrick was in
definitely postponed. The bill exempt
ing settlers on public lands from pay
ing the original government price fixed
on the lands was debated. Mr. Petit
grew, of South Dakota, and Mr.. Car
ter, Of Montana, speaking in it's favor,
but fipal vote was not reached.
After Mr.. Pettigrew (Rep., 8. d. Sc
cured agreement to resolution calling
on the secretary of the interior for a
statement for the amount of subsidies
paid by the Union and Central Pacific
railroads to the Pacific Mail steamship
llIf6, MI. Od1I N1GIIl, L 1d.) WAS T0COS-
rized for speech on his Cuban resolu-
tions, introduced yesterday, concerning
the condemnation of Julio Sanguilly at
Havana. Mr.. Call referred to the re-
port from the state department, as to
the killing of Charles Govine, and said
the report omitted many important
features. which would have disclosed
that Consul General Lee believed Co
vine had been tied to a tree and
CHOPPED TO PIECES.
AS showing the facts in the case, Mr..
Call read a letter from a gentleman in
Havana.
The letter gave graphic description
of a visit to Cabanas' fortress at Ha-
vana in company with Consul General
Lee. Access to the fortress was Sc
cured with difficulty, it being open to
outsiders only on Wednesdays and then
after twenty-four hours notice The
writer said that he and Gen. Lee were
escorted within the prison where eight
or ten prisoners, some of them Ameri-
cans, were brought out. In circle
about them were ranged 100 Spanish
soldiers, heavily armed. One of the
prisoners was a man who had been
with Charles Gown at the time of hiA
capture. The prisoner stated that the
Spaniards tied him and Gown together
GOWN attempted to show his United
otdteS cIIlAelSHlp pdpeTS ana MS Gre
dentials as an American newspaper
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 Cab
anas fortress. The writer stated also
that, from other reliable sources, it was
established that GOWN had been subse-
quently tied to tree and chopped to
pieces.
Julio Sanguilly was another of tho
prisoners seen during this visit to the