The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1897-03-04
THE DR.. RUIZ MURDER.
Correspondence in the Case Re-
fused the Senate.
SOME POINTS ARE SUBMITTED.
the Consul General Revealed an Aggra-
waiting Case of Abuse OF an American.
The Spanish Captain General Made n
Conflicting statement.

WASHINGTON, March 3.-The presi-
dent has sent to the senate report
made by Secretary Olney on the resolu
tion requesting the correspondence in
the case of DIR. Ricardo Ruiz. The re-
port suggests the individuality of sup
plying the correspondence at this time,
which suggestion the president en-.
dorses, saying that it would be 'incom-
patible with the public interest to do so
pending the public and exhaustive in
yestigation about to be instituted"
The president adds the suggestion
"That the consul general should have
professional aid in such investigation,
though that matter together with the
selection of the particular persons to
act with him properly devolves upon
my successor in office"
Instead of transmitting the official
correspondence, the secretary supplies
an account of his own composition COW
ering the essential facts in the case.
He says: Ruiz, a native of Cuba,
came to this country during the revolu-
tion which terminated in 1878 and
studied dentistry at Philadelphia, de-
claring his intention to become citizen
of the United States IN 1877, he re-
ceived his final papers in 1880. After
this he returned to Cuba and has re-
sided there since"
He details Ruiz's arrest on Feb. 4, of
which he says the department was inn
mediately informed, but that nothing
more was heard in regard to the matter
until Feb. II, when the consul general
reported that Ruiz had been found
dead. He says the department had as
sumed that the case was being attended
to during this interim and that de-
mand would be made that the prisoner
should be put in communicate, but that
it afterward developed that no such
demand had been made and the pris-
oner had remained constantly in soli-
tary confinement. The circumstances
attending the death were such as to
lead to a demand for immediate in.
vestigation.
After such personal examination as
he was able to make" the secretary
continues, 1.-The consul general has re.
ported to the department that Ruiz was
placed and kept for 3l5 hours in small
closed and filthy cell, three feet by five
having q rough stone floor with ne
window and only q six inch square
opening in the door for the admission
of food, which aperture was kept shu
except when so used that no one wa
allowed to see him that he died from
neglect or violence that he became de
ranged that an autopsy showed sever
contusions on top of the head that h,
died from congestion of the brain tha
there was no fracture of the skull, bu
that all knowledge was confined Il
officials and that it was difficult t.
, ascertain the facts.
He says that on the other hand. tn
acting governor general of Cuba in
report made to his government, on Fet
J Is, made report entirely different
claiming that Ruiz had been we
; treated This official also reports tina
!, Ruiz was found in his room very mucl
excited with q confusion on his head
after u blow was heard in the room
l Later he was found by the attendant i
the act of butting his head against tn
grating of the door, afterward died.
The conclusions of the official report
. of the two governments being thu
radically conflicting, the secretary say
:, another open and thorough investigf
: tion seemed to this government indi!
= pensable and that the Spanish govern
: ment concurred in this view.
The secretary enclOses copy of Mir
= lister de Lome's letter acceding to tn
= request. He says that Ruiz did NJ
q make known his Americanship whe
| arrested, circumstance, which,
i says, often occurs and always leads
y complications.