Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1897-06-12
A DEMAND FOR INDEMNITY.

The Next step to be Taken by Our Govern
ment IL the Published Account OF Gep.
hce's Report on the Ruiz Case is Au-
thentic.
New York, June 9.-The journal
prints what purports to be Consul Cen
eral Lees report in the Ruiz case. 1t
is addressed to Secretary of State Sher-
man. The document reads:
The testimony shows that DR. Ruiz was
healthy and unusually strong, able and athletic
man, and that he had no hereditary or mental
troubles, disease Of the heart or other body
ailments. He was carried alive to his CELL and
at the end of 3l5 hours was brought out a
corpse, having been subjected to "incommuni-
cado" Imprisonment, in violation of his treaty
right 2i3 hours over and above the 72-hour
limit
All knowledge OF his condition was confined
to his jailors, and 1t could notbe expected that,
in case of bad treatment, they would testify
against themselves or against each other.
Gen. Lee gives his theories, IL Is said, as to
DR.. Ruiz's death. Perhaps, in an EFFORT to es-
cape, he butted his head against the iron door,
as n jailor said. Perhaps u jailor hit him on
the head with q club, such as they carry, to
make him quit crying for his wife and children.
Perhaps he was hit to make him inform on
others. At any rate, the wound on his head
killed him. He continues: The fact remains
his unjust confinement killed him, and had ne
been released from incommuncado by the
hand Of man at the end of ~ hours, the hand OF
death might not have released him at the enu
OF 3l5 hours. / therefore conclude that
whether DIR. Ruiz killed himself or was killed
by come one else, will, under the existing con-
ditions, always remain unknown. l am, very
respectfully, your obedient servant,
FIT2HUGH LEE
Washington, June 9.-Assistant Sec
retary Day said yesterday that the re-
port of Consul General Lee upon the
results of the investigation made in
Havana in the Ruiz case had not yet
been received at the state department.
Consequently it was not possible tc
learn whether the statement purport'
ing to be copy of the report was cor
rect. Assuming, however, that the
consul generals conclusions are cor
rectly set forth-that Ruiz died while
in Jail in violation of his treaty rights
the question before the department OF
the largest Importance is, what shall
be the next step.
The wife of Ruiz has fled with the
department claim Tor 500, 900 for the
death of her husband. The Spanish
contention has been that he was moi
| killed and that he was not treated
harshly. Gen. Lees inquiry is under
stood to have failed to bring out the
truth on these points, but his state
ment on another, namely, that of hi:
confinement in violation of treaty
rights, appears to make the first two
points non-essential and to leave the
case resting on the broad claim that IL
contining DR.. Ruiz for more than Z;
hours without permitting him to com
municate with his friends or trying
him, the Spanish officials in Cuba as
sumed full responsibility for the re
suits of that extra confinement.
The fact being established that DR.
Ruiz kept up his citizenship by regis
tering himself at American consulate
in Cuba from time to time, as required
by regulations, is taken as an offse
against the claim that by continuou
residence in Cuba for nearly 20 year
he had forfeited his rights as an Amer
lean citizen, so it is surmised that tn
next step in the case will be the pre-
sentation of claim against the Span
ish government in behalf of the famil
| of the victim