The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-07
TORTURE, DEATH.
Senator Call Reads a Letter De-
scribing Spanish Cruelties.
From a Prominent American
Who Visited Cabanas Fortress.
CHOPPED TO PIECES.
Correspondent GOWN Tied to a
Tree and Cut Up.
A PitifuI Story Told by Julio
Sanguilly.

washington, Jan. 1.-The speech OF
Senator Can of Florida on Cuba yester-
day served as the medium for making
public a letter giving a graphic descrip
ton of the Cabanas fortress at Havana
and the surroundings of the American
citizens imprisoned there The circum-
stances surrounding the letter attracted
marked attention, as Mr.. Call said il
came from a public man of high stand
ing in the United States who would
shortly occupy a place in the legislative
branch of the government.
The letter dealt with the immediate
present and described a visit made by
the writer and General Lee to CabanaS
fortress only seven days ago, viz: on
the morning of December 80. 1t told
of the pitiful condition of the prisoners,
some of them Americans, including
Julio Sanguilly and a young man VINO
was the companion of Charles GOWN,
the American newspaper correspondent
killed in Cuba. The condition of the
prisoners was given in full He said
that while at General Lees office on
the Monday previous December 2S) he
saw q son of Dr. BetancOurt, an Amer
lean citizen who had been practicing
dentistry at Havana for the last year.
The son, also an American citizen,
stated that his father had nysteriously
disappeared on Saturday night. He
was traced to the Cabanas fortress,
where the son, on paying so cents to a
Spanish official, was allowed to send
in food and later, on paying 81 to
the official, was allowed to send a cot to
his father. Mr.. Call referred also to
letters received from the wife of one
of the sailors on the ship Competitor,
now imprisoned in Havana.
The letter went on to give a descrip-
ton of the visit to Cabanas fortress
Access to the fortress was secured with
dificulty,it being open to outsiders only
on Wednesdays, and then after "a hours
notice The writer said he and General
7 hi f1n rariC
where eight or ten persons, some Of
them Americans, were brought out.
In a circle about them were ranged
100 Spanish soldiers, heavily armed.
One of the prisoners was 8 man who
had been with Charles GOWN a the time
of his capture. The prisoner stated
the Spaniards tied him and Gown to-
gether.
Gown attempted to show his United
States citizenship papers and his ere
dentialS as an American newspaper cor
respondent, bet the Spanish commander
struck these from his hand and turned
Gown over to the cavalry, while the
other prisoner was sent to the Cabanas
fortress.
The writer stated also that from other
reliable sources it was established that
Gown subsequently had been tied to a
tree and chopped to pieces Julio San
gully was another of the prisoners seen
during this visit to the fortress. The
writer described him as an old man
whose ha1r haQ turned gray ana VINO
appeared to be over 60 years old. San
gully told pathetic story to the visit
ors as to the injustice of his trial and
conviction, and begged that the United
/ States investigate the case with a view
/ of establishing that he was prosecuted
for what he might have done and not
/ what ne had done.
/ Mr.. Call stated that this letter came
1 from a prominent man of the United
| States a Republican who had been
/ highly honored in this country and
| would soon return to a high official
place.
| After reading letters referring to tl1e
cruel methods employed in Spanish
/ prisons, Mr. Call declared these pris-
ons were stained with the blood OF
American citizens. 1t needed but ar
| investigation to unmask the extent OF
the butchery, he said. The senator as
serted that a nation which failed tC
protect it's citizens justly deserved the
execration of the civilized world.