Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-05-10
The American Representative Leaves
for Cuba This Evening.
TO INVESTIGATE DR.. RUFUS DEATH
Interest of the American People in
the Case.
REVIEWING THE TRAGEDY
pec,al Dispatch to The Evening Star.

TAMPA, Fla, May 1O.-President Nc
Kinley's special envoy, William ]. Calhoun.
leaves Tampa for Havana by this even
ings steamer.
He is to Investigate the death of DR..
Ricardo Ruiz. a naturalized American cit
lien. Consul General Lee reported that
Ruiz was murdered in the jail Of Guiana
baooa. This was denied by the Spanish
government.
1t is stated that Mr.. Caihoun's mission Is
a judicial and not diplomatic one. New
ertheless, it is of common report that the
President hopes to see through the eyes of
his special envoy something of the actual
conditions in Cuba. 1t is not improbable
that besides the Ruiz inquiry, Mr.. Calhoun
may learn of matters which will have
distinct bearing on the Cuban policy of
the administration. The American people
are interested in knowing the circum
Stances surrounding the death of DR.. Ruiz.
They are also interested IN the situation
1t may present itself to the special repre-
sentative of the President.
1t Is my purpose to present the facts to
them just as they are presented to the Off
cial representative of the United States.
The Case of DR.. Ruiz.
Ricardo Ruiz came to the United States
from Cuba at the end of the ten years war
III 1915. tie STUDIED uentlStry IN fnllduef-
phia, vas naturalized as an American cit
izen ard returned to Cuba He practiced
his profession at Guanabacoa, near Ha-
vana. but, it is claimed, with the declared
purpose Of returning to the United States,
which he occasionally visited. However,
as 10 question of his citizenship is raised,
that point is not in controversy. The stars
and stripes were supposed to shield him
much as any native-born citizen.
Ruiz was arrested by the Spanish author
tiles early in February last. He was
charged with helping an insurgent band
wreck a train, on which were Spanish Off
GERS, several of whom were captured. 1t is
alleged that treaty stiDulationS were not
follow ed and that the consul general was
not rot!fied at the time of his arrest and
Imprisonment.
DIR. Ruiz Found Dead.
A report reached Havana one night that
an American prisoner had shot himself in
his cell in the Guanabacoa Jail. This was
the 18th Of February. Later it was stated
that DR.. Ricardo Ruiz had been found dead
IN his cell the previous evening, and that
he mad killed himself by butting his head
against the walls of his cell. Consul Cen
eral Lee demanded of Acting Captain Cen
eral Ahumada that an autopsy be held,
and that he be permitted to investigate the
circumstances of the prisoners death.
After Some parleying the demand was
granted. General Lee reached the Jail just
as the dead cart was leaving 1t with the
body of DIR. Ruiz. This was on February
-.
The autopsy conducted by DR.. Bur-
CESS of the United States marine hospital
and DR.. Vidal, the municipal surgeon.
Maj. FOndeviela, the commandment at the
jail had had previous notice of it. The
face of DR.. Ruiz was frightfuly distorted.
DIR. Vidal stated that the Tuesday previous
he had been summoned and found the
prisoner suffering from most intense
excitement
mide. and directed him to be placed in a
larger cell. Early Wednesday morning he
had been called, and found the dead body
OF Ruiz on the floor of the cell. He be-
lieved the prisoner, in delirium, threw
himself against the wall of the cell, and
...-. .::S sno~,, yauseyi- ueatn. ar. Dur-,
CESS Conclusions were submitted to the
consul general. He found bruises on the
fore arm and the head, and was satisfied
that death resulted from congestion of the
brain. Whether death was self-in1icted or
whether there was outright murder per-
haps might not be satisfactorily deter
mined by an autopsy. Other testimony
was needed.
Major FOndeviela's Cruelty.
There was the more need for this testi-
mony because Of the rumors. of Maj. Fon-
deviela's cruelty to prisoners. In the case
of DR.. Ruiz there was a whisper of a visit
to him by Fondeviela, of an attempt to ex-
of the jailers, of blow from a club, and
then silence in the cell of Ruiz. There were
whispers as loud as could be echoed
through the corridors of the jail of pierre
ing shrieks from the cell Of Ruiz for three
nights before it was known that he was
dead. There was also a direct statement
that the dead body had been carried from
a noisome and narrow cell and placed in
the larger one known as Santa Maria.
In making his inquiry of the Jail officials
Consul General Lee did not draw the same
story from all of them The alcalde and
the jailer said they had found the prisoner
dead on the floor of the cell where he had
spent the whole term of his fourteen days
imprisonment.
The judge of instruction corrected them
that at first all the good cells were occu
pied, but that after twenty-four hours
Ruiz mad been placed in the larger one.
This, in turn, conficted with the state
ment of DR.. Vidal that he had ordered the
prisoner placed in the larger cell the day
before he was found dead. Other discrep-
ancies in the statement of the Jail officials
were also noted.
Gen. Lees Report.
Consul General Lee officially reported
that Ruiz was placed and kept for thirteen
days in small. closed and filthy cell,
three feet by five. having a rough stone
floor. with no window, and only a six-inch-
square opening in the door for the admis-
sion of food; that no one was allowed to
see him, that he became deranged, and
that he died from neglect or violence. The
Spanish officials declared that Ruiz was
confined in a large, well-ventilated CELL
that he had every convenience, that his
treatment was most considerable, and was
better than in the cases of other prisoners
Secretary Olney's Demand.
The disclosures following the death Of
| DIR. Ruiz were of a sensational character
Secretary Olney made a demand on the
| Spanish government at Madrid and Ha-
vana for thorough investigation. more
| exciting episode the demand on his
own government by Consul General Lee for
warships. because ''he could not stand an
| other Ruiz murder" Coupled with this
| call for warships for the protection Of
American citiZ ens was his resignation in
| case the ships were not sent He was di-
| rected by President Cleveland's admins
! tration TO make a further invcs tisa Iion.
| bat his resignation was not accepted. and
| the warships were not sent to the harbor
| of Havana.