The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1897-03-05
THE DIR. 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 a
Conflicting Statement.

WASHINGTON, March 3.-The presi-
dent has sent to the senate Il report
made by Secretary Olney on the resolu-
ton requesting the correspondence III
the case of DR.. Ricardo Ruiz. The re
port suggests the inadvisability of sup
plying the correspondence at this time,
which suggestion the president en-
dOrses, saying that 1t woue be ''incom-
patible with the public ini"reSt TO do so
pending the public and exhaustive in
vestigation 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 a citizen
of the United States IN 1877, he re-
ceived his final papers in 1850. 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 I'M
mediately informed, but that nothing
more was heard III 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
| il afterward developed that no such
demand had been made and the prls-
! oner had remained constantly III soh-
tarv 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 80 hours In small,
closed and filthy cell, three feet by five,
| having a rough stone floor with no
window and only six inch square
| opening i'll the door for the admission
! of food, which aperture was kept shut
! except when so used that no one was
| allowed TO see him that he died from
neglect or violence; that he became de
ranged that an autopsy showed seven
| cOntuSlOnS on tOD OF the nedu tudJ Ht
died from congestion of the brain ; that
there was no fracture of the skull, but
that all knowledge was confined tC
officials and that 1t was difficult &c
ascertain the facts"
He says that on the other hand, the
acting governor general of Cuba i'll d
report made TO his government, on Feb
Is, made a report entirely different
claiming that Ruiz had been wei
treated This official also reports thai
Ruiz was found in his room very much
excited. with confusion on his head
after blow was heard III the room
Later he was found by the attendant IL
the act of butting his head against th'
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 investiga
I tion seemed to this government indis
, pensable and that the Spanish govern
ment concurred in this view.
The secretary encloses a copy of Min
lister de Lome's letter acceding to thi
] request. He says that Ruiz did nc
= make known his Americanship whe
, arrested, circumstance, which,
saws, often occurs and always leads t
complications.