Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-06-09
FITZ LEES REPORT
Summary OF Evidence In the ~"'e va
Dr Ruiz.

The New York JOurndi Vi seS''
prints la full the report that "e"er"'
Lee has made to Secretary sherman !"
the case Of the American citizen Kui%'
dentist by profession, who died under
suspicious circumstances IN JAN ne
General says he has letter rom D,'S'
Ruiz, written four days AFTER tne ~
tors death. saying: "During the thirteen
DAVIS he remained incommunicado they
did not allow me to take 10 him a COZ VI
even a hammock. but only nara chaii
on the eth of February, when the jan
official finally. after my repeateu io
quests consented or allowed me 10 senu
to my husband the char scnu ~"
herewith, and in which YOU VIII sec ~,
last impressions OF man III MS A"ii
mental faculties" -,
The impressions" referred 10 an,
which have seen were sentences a'ounu
the rim of the back. evidently lluei.'r
with the nails of the myers anu "A'0'
read:
Mercedes, Meme, Evangeline' hicai
dito-GOod-by, my children Oh my me-
give you my blessing. he opeulerI ~
your mother. They Will Kill me. IL
am taken TO Habana. tell e'er''n'''s'
Good-by. Rita of my soul. 49,
General Lees report, as given III inc
journal, concludes as follows:
| deduce from my knowledge Oh 'he
facts the following conclusions:
/. Or. Ruiz was arrested on raise
charge.
2. lie was placed under an improper.
jurisdiction, and died before the proper
tribunal considered his case, thereby
giving him no opportunity to prove MS
innocence.
3. That he was kept "incommunicado
in a solitary cell for 3l5 hours In vlo'a-
ton of his treaty rights. when limit
such confinement TO seventy-two hours.
4. He died from congestion of the Drain
produced by a blow on the top OF the
head.
). There are two theories connected with
the wound on the head, One that III
state of mental excitement he ran across
the cell, as described by one OF the
iailers. and butted his head on the door
i'm a frantic effort TO get out. Another
that he was struck over the head wlth
one of the clubs carried by the Jallers-
by the immediate watchman-who had
probably ordered him to cease MS CRIES
for relief and for his children, and upon
mis- not doing so. struck MIN Win more
force than he intended. or, 1T Is possible
the blow was delivered to make him
confess or give evidence against others.
II is possible he went mad, ana many
causes combined TO produce such re-
suit.
His knowledge of his own innocence
his confinement in a gloomy CELL where
he was not allowed TO communicate WIN
family or friends-or TO send or write
Alone. all alone the thought doubtless
impressed itself upon his mind that he
Of
existing I'm and around Guanabacoa, TO be
summarily executed at any moment. lie
loved his wife and children. and in the
darkness and loneliness OF his cell he
was constantly crying out for them The
thought that they were but a few rods
away. and yet he might never see them
again. or hear the sound OF their voices
or feel the touch Of their lips and hands
maddened him and proved too much Tor
the mind Of the distracted and unhappy
man. and | thought il not improbable as
the long hours passed by, 1t may have
given way and left him a mailman. His
wife says his derby hat was AL battered
I'D and his co hes greatly torn when re-
turned to her.
But whether when bereft Of reason he
inflicted the blows which produced braln
congestion. or whether he died at the
hands of others, the truth VIII probably
only be known when the hearts OF all
are revealed-the fact remains, his I'M
lust confinement killed him, and had he
been released from incommunicado by the
hand of man at the end of seventy-two
hours. the hand of death might not nave
released him at the end of 3l5 hours and
to-day the widow would have had the
support 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, VIII,
under the existing conditions, always re-
main unknown. | am, very respectfully,
your obedient servant
FITZHUGH LEE.