The Portland daily press., 1897-09-01
COLD In HEAD
OUT OF A SPANISH PRISON.
Fifteen Cubans Who Suffered Horrible
Torture Reach New York.

New YORK, August ol.-Ihe sun says:
Fifteen Oubans who were released from
the Spanish prison in Ceuta on July q
arrived here yesterday from Gibraltar on
the Kaiser Wilhelm. They were met at
the pier by DR.. Medina, who himself was
released recently from a Spanish prison,
and he took them to boarding house on
East Fifteenth street.
All the men had horrible tales to tell of
the atrocious cruelty of their Spanish
keepers and the barbarous manner in
which they were housed and fed
Antino Prinelles said he was arrested
one DAY without word of explanation,
and from Havana he was sent to Ceuta as
a suspected rebel. P. Gonzalez, a son of
in his home in Havana and also sent to
Ceuta as suspect. G.. Campos, cigar
maker, was arrested four times. The last
time he was taken for his home in Alque-
zas, near Havana, and his two brothers
and his aged grandmother were driven in
to the street. His property was confis-
Gated
P. Sandoval was arrested in Gabriel
and taken to Havana, where his hands
were burned with hot irons to make him
confess that his friend Campos was
rebel When he was taken from his home
lived with him, was strung up to a tree
in his sight. Before leaving his captOrs
set fire to his house, and it was destroyed.
The hands of P. Casares were also fright
fully burned with hot irons to make him
confess that he was a rebel.
Marcos Diaz, who was arrested in
Havana; Richard Casanoay, who was
taken from his blacksmith shop in Santa
Clara; J. Cardena, who was caught in
Colon; Casares, whose hands were burned
and three others were confined in the
Isle of Pines. Once they made break
for liberty and succeeded in reaching the
coast, where they were recaptured.
AT the end of six months the prisoners
named, together with a number of others
forty seven in all-were transferred to
Havana and from there to Ceuta, where
they were treated in a most brutal man
ner. They were all confined IN a one
story building, whose roof leaked like d
sieve and many of them became i'll, but
none received any medical attendance.
The food was horrible, and if one of the
prisoners SO much as dared to speak to
another he was beaten into insensibility
by the keepers.
Their release was brought about by the
fact that Gen. Weyler had declared early
In May that four provinces of Cuba were
pacifled. Moreover the Queens birthday
occurred on May II, and their release was
decreed in celebration of the event, al
CnOugn bl6y UlO nOU lettV0 prison uQU1l
more than two months later. Finally,
on July 81, they were literally driven like
cattle from the prison to the little town
Of Algecidas, where they were left to shift
for themselves.
\ They made their way to Gibraltar, and
Pimelles undertook to make a journey on
foot into France in search of aid There
he found a wealthy Cuban woman who
gave him sufficient money to pay the
passage of fifteen of the men to this
country.
Thirteen others had succeeded also in
finding means to get away from Gibraltar
before the party which landed here yester-
day sailed. The other nineteen are still
there.
Cubans Were Surprised. Iet
Havana, August 31.-Gen. Linares in
the province OF Santiago dc CUBA, has
been engaged with an insurgent force.
The enemy lost two men killed and the
troops lost thirteen men killed, including
two captains. The horseN of General
Linares was struck by two bullets and
killed.
A Spanish column, consisting of 1900
men of all arms, under the command OF
General Luque and Colonel Sotomayer.
recently left Holugin, province of Santa
go de Cuba with the intention of attack
ing an insurgent force which occupied a
strongly fortified position at Sabana de
Becerroo. The troops camped nine miles
from the enemys position without being
observed and during the night the Spanish
commander ordered two guerrilla COM
panles and three companies of Spanish in
fantry to surprise the enemy.
The Spanish forces approached close to
the lnsurgent camp, and then rushed up
on 1t, under heavy fire, from two sides
and captured it.
The insurgents were completely taken
by surprise and fed in disorder with the
loss OF sixty men killed, according to the
oh1olal report. They carried away their
wounded. The insurgent General Estrada
Is Is sad TO nave been wounded in both legs
six wounded.