The Portland daily press., 1897-06-11

being summoned would make them Hsus-
poets considered disloyal to the Spanish
authorities on the island.
An autopsy was held on his body on the
afternoon of the 18th at Guanabacca,
participated in by two Spanish doctors
VIZ, Francisco Vidal Alvando and Jose
Martinez Castrillion, and by DR.. ID. M.
Burgess, the United States sanitary in
spector at this port, at which the United
states Consul General was not present.
That said autopsy, signed by the two
Spanish doctors, declared DIR. Ruiz's
death resulted from cerebral congestion;
that on the apex or top of the head of de-
ceased there was found confusion or
wound which is described by the Spanish
doctors as being a 'small abrasion, which
only involved the first surfaces of the
skin. about a centimetre long more or
less" centimetre being about two
fifths of an inch, but which is described
by DR.. Burgess as being "a severe con-
fusion of about an inch and a half long
by half inch wide. y
CONSUL GENERAL LEES CONCLU-
SIONS.
deduce from my knowledge of the
facts the following conclusions:
First-Dr. Ruiz was arrested on a false
charge
proper jurisdiction and died before the
proper tribunal considered his case, there
by giving him no opportunity to prove his
innocence.
Third-That he was kpt incommunicado
IN solitary cell for 315 hours in VIOLA
ton Of his treaty rights which limit
such confinement to seventy-two hours
Fourth-He died from conclusion of the
brain produced by a blow on the top of
the head.
Fifth-There are two theories connected
with the wound on the head. One, that
in a state of mental excitement he ran
across the cell as described by one of the
jailers, and butted his head at the door
IN frantic effort to get out. Another,
that he was struck over the head with
one OF the clubs carried by the jailers-by
the Immediate Waterman, who had proba
bly, ordered him to cease his cries for re-
lief and for his children, and upon his
not doing so struck him with more force
than he intended. org it is possible the
blow was delivered to make him confess
or give evidence against others.
HOPELESS CONDITION OF THE
VICTIM.
1t is possible he went mads and many
causes combinedsto produced such re-
sult-his knowledge of his own innocence
his confinement in gloomy cell, where
he was not allowed to communicate with
family or friends, or to send or write.
Alone, all alone, the thought doubtless
impressed itself upon his mind that he
was liable in the reign of terror then ex-
listing in and arount Guanabacoa to be
summarily executed at any moment He
loved his wife and children, and in the
n sa1.ly1 nd |,
constantly crying out for them. The
thought that they were but few rods
away, and yet he might never see them
again or hear the sound of their voices,
feel the touch of their lips and hands
maddened him, and proved too much for
the mind of the distracted and unhappy
man, and 1 thought it not improbable
as the long hours passed by, it may have
given way and left him mailman. His
wife says his derby hat was all battered
up and his clothes greatly torn when re-
turned to her.
But whether when bereft of reason he
inflicted the blows which produced brain
congestion, or whether he died at the
hands of others-the truth will probably
only be known when the hearts of all are
revealed-the fact remains; his unjust
confinement killed him, and had he been
released from incomunicado by the hand
OF man at the end of seventy two hours
the hand OF death might not have re-
leased him at the end of 315 hours, and to
day the widow would have had the sup
port of her husband, and the means of his
fatherless children would never have been
heard in the land.
therefore conclude, saying, as have
done in all previous reports about this
case, that whether DR. Ruiz killed him.
self or was killed by some one else, will,
under the existing conditions, always re-
main unknown
am, very respectfully, your obedient
servant,
(Signed) FITZHUGH LEE.
Il Z,