The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-06-08
RETURN OF CALHOUN
Cuba as Far as Hs Saw 1t Was HouseIeSS
and Practically Depopulated.
RAPIDLY BEING DEVASTATED
DIR. Ruiz Was Undoubtedly All Am Dcri.
can Citizen-Circu1nstnnc Of HIS
Death Carefully Concealed by
Spanish, ,AuthOrfties-Gen. Leo Will
Report the Result Of Inquiry.
New York, May Z, 1897

New York, May Z, 1897.
William j. Calhoun, who was sent to
Cuba as special commissioner to in
Eestigate the circumstances of the death
| IN prison of DR.. Ruiz, an American citi-
zen, reached this city on his return to-
day. lie was accompanied by George
w. Fishback, his secretary, and Charles
NJ. Pepper, n Washington newspaper
correspondent, who went to Cuba with
the commissioners. :
MI. Calhoun said that the commission
held three sittings between May Goth
and June 1st, at Havana, Regulus, and
Guanabacoa.
The papers examined in the case were
| chiefly records. The final report will be
made TO Washington by General Lee.
In a conversation, Mr.. Calhoun said:
"Thc island Of Cuba Is rapidly being
devastated by q relentless. cruel and
bitter civil war, SO that in a short time
it will not he worth anything to any
| one. II is difficult to get at the exact
situation there. In the first place ther,,
| is q. severe censorship of the press, and
those who arc naturally friendly to the
| Cuhans hardly dare to express ther
| views and opinions. Furthermore the
adherentS Of both sides are exceedingly
intense. They tell their stories just as
they want you to believe them. From The
Spanish point of view, the island is prac-
tically pacified, and from that Of the
Cubans, the insurgents never were in
such excellent shape as they now are"
did YOU so into the interior Of the is
land?" asked the reporter
Yes, went from Havana to Matan.
zas. While both are on the sea coast,
still to go from one point to the other
by rail, it takes YOU through 4 large part
Of Interior country. / also made several
short trips from Havana in other direr-
tions.'' Al
what is the condition Of the coun-
try?"
1T seems to be entirely dcpopulated
anT there are no signs Of any buildings 6
standing eNcept at the railroad sta
tions. These, by the way, are practi-
cailE forts. 1 was generally informed
that the same condition exists through
out Cuba from Havana to Pinar del Rio,
except in the extreme Eastern end
There is where the Cubans get their
supplies and their cattle. They control
that section now 1t was the portion of
the island which held out ten years in
The last war. Cuba IS undoubtedly q
magnificent country It is rich and
beautiful, and the soil responds bounti-
fully to the seed
while an not called upon to make
any formal report to the President, be.
cause acted merely as counsel to Gene
raj Lee In the Ruiz case, still may De
e|StN>o ~ tSii ALL. 4iS1NlulCy anu the sec
retary OF State of the things which !
have seen and heard in my brief trip to
the island of Cuba. In that case 7
readily will do So"
at the sessions Of the commission
Mr. Calhoun said, in response to a re-
| porter's questioning, eve examined sew
| eral witnesses, but when you ask me
If they were plentiful can only say that
they did not run after us, and we had to
use no force to keep them away. They
were composed Of Spaniards and Gu
| bans. The Spanish witnesses, and, in
fact all Of those who testified, were SO
surrounded with safeguards that it was
| impossible to get at the naked truth
one person whom we would have liked
to hear could not be found This was
FondsdeViela, who commanded the
Spanish In theGunanbacoa territory FIe
| disappeared. and It was impossible ia
| find him. Captain General Weyler did
! not pnt In an appearance ut the investi-
| cation. We inspected the jail at Guiana
oacoa, and when we were there 1t was
| suSpicously clean. We learned that DR.
| Ruiz was arrested on February 4th,
| charged with having some connection
| with an assault which took place on a
railroad train between Guanabacoa and
Havana. He was placed in solitary con-
| finement, or as It was known there, he
| was incommunicado. Thirteen dnys ter
he was taken out Of his cell on account
| Of his mental and physical condition. II
| was then found that he was suffering
! from a severe wound on the head and he
| died two hours after he had been releas-
| cd from the cell in which the secret OF
| his injury is buried.
THE question Of the deceased doctors
American citizenship was never denied
The autopsy showed that lie died from
| congestion Of the brain His remains
| are inferred In Guanabacoa We had no
! positive or direct proof of any assault
whatever and the conclusion arrived at
must be based on the detailed evidence
in the report OF Consul General Lee.
| which is now on its way to WASHINGTON
T. myself, will make no report, and ]
| prefer not TO say anything rs to my
| idea Of the affair until tho ronort Is
made public by the proper authorities at
| Washington"