The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-02-25

WI SEEM TO EE IN FOR IT now.
The news from Cuba has assumed a
serious phase in the last few days. Ia
that period the New York Sun and the
New York Herald have been publishing
special dispatches from Havana that con-
tain the most startling statements, and
the public Is strongly disposed to believe
their statements 10 bc true. because
neither paper publishes anything unless
IL has good reason TO believe It 10 be
founded ia fact.
For ourselves. We believe their state
ments in the main. and are compelled
therefore to oonccde that We have a
very serious situation before us.
We make up the following narrative
from the dispatches 20 the Herald and
Sun OF the past two days
! Or. Ricardo Ruiz is a Cuban, who be-
came naturallzed in this country as an
American citizen, and afterwards return
| ed TO Cuba and pracOced his profession
Of dentist in Guanabacoa. "a town in the
| outskirts Of Havana. Men Of this sort are
! objects Of great hatred 10 the Spaniards.
| They look upon them much as we would
have looked upon Northern man with
Union sentiments domiciled here during
our Civil War.
About two weeks back Or. Ruiz was
arrested by the Spanish military authori-
ties at Guanabacoa. upon trumpet up
chlrge. and thrown into q loathsome
dungeon. After a few days had passed
information got out that he was dead.
and the Spaniards said he had committed
suicide. though rumors filed the air that
he had been fouly dealt with. General
Lee demanded Of the Spanish authorities
that he should he permitted TO make an
autopsy with two physicians. one appoint
cd by them and one by himself. The de-
mand was conceded, and last Thursday
General Lee. accompanied by Or. Burgess.
in charge OF the United States Marine
Hospital al Havana, went to- the Guiana
bacoa prison. They intercepted Dr. Ruiz's
body upon the dead car" on its way 10
the grave, and made the autopsy. On
his left arm were three bruised wots, that
had all the appearance of having been
received in wardng blows from his head
on shaving the hair from his head, a
great bruise was found upon IT, ana. upon
opening his skull the brain was found
suffused with blood. Dr. Burgess says
he died from the effects Of blow upon
the head which caused this sunusion OF
blood.
General Lee demanded TO see. and was
shown the cell in which Or. Ruiz had been
confined. 1t was five feet long, seven feet
high, and three and half feet wide; il
contained no table. chairs. or other arti-
cles Of furniture. and its floor was of
cobblestones. uneven and with points.
There was no window to this cell. except
a small aperture six inches square through
which food was passed to the prisoner.
The Splniards said Or. Ruiz became
violently excited and dashed his head
against the wall. which gave him the
bruse on his head. from the effects OF
which he died. The prisoners in cells near /
by say that be was terribly beaten on
three separate days. his piercing shrieks /
being heard an over the prison, and that !
on the third day he was given a fearful /
blow upon the head with a club. which |
put him out Of his misery. This is in |
brief the case as the Herald and Sun have !
made it. and there appears to be only /
too much probability that It is true. The |
Spaniards have twenty-odd more Ameri- |
can citizens now under unlawful arrest |
in cuba, and any one or an Of them may /
meet with the fate Of Or. Ruiz at any
moment.
The question arises therefore. what is |
this Government to do about il? No one /
can deprecate war more earnestly than |
The Times. But there are some thines /
that are worse than war Can the United /
States Government slt supincly by and /
permit Spain TO treat American citizens
in this way? The Times thinks THAT il
cannot. ln the opinion " The Time
Or Ruiz's case should bee sifted Co trc
bottom; fun PREPARATION should be demand.
ed of Spain, and she should Pc forced
to release all Americans unhwfuuv hold
in arrest by her. II this involves us f1
war then We must prepare ourselves for
war.
IN RESTRAINT on Personal LIE.