Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-06-12
Sailg $saaebef ao,,r,l,sI.
SPAIN IS BLAMED
FOR tho Death Of pr. Ruiz In 1 Cuban Dun
aeon.

pRr ,,ss and death Of Dr.. Ricardo
United States Consulate q ..l General:
State: ~
Sir-rhe right having been reserved to
make q separate report to my goyern-
to s,,,, ~ .ne Ruiz case. have the honor
submit the following statement, which
l. request will be filed with the report of
the commissioners:
he was about forty-six years Of age.
., dentist by profession, married. and re-
SUED SUED with his wife and children at the
t9wn OF Guanabacoa. four miles from
nanana; arrested on February 4. 1897.
ABOUT nine A. M, at his house in GUIANA
Dacoa, charged with being connected
with the attack on a railroad train on the
night or January 16, 1897, at a point near
" midway between Guanabacoa and Ha-
nana. about two and a half miles from
the latter city.
The evidence of his most intimate
friends and that taken before the mill
tary judge. as per record submitted with
the commissioners report, show he was
quiet and domestic in his tastes, a peace
Iui american citizen. engaged in the ac-
tive pursuit of his professionalism he
TOOK no part in the military or political
proceedings on this island, or had at any
Mme any communication by writing or
sotnerwise with those engaged in the in
surrection, and that at the time Of the
attack by armed inSurrectionists on the
train he was In the house of neighbor
an. friend. opposite his own, in Guana-
bacoa, until ten p. NJ. and then went to
MS own abode. where he passed the
night-and knew nothing of said attack
until next morning, when it was known
generally to the public.
F. He was taken from his home and pro-
1esslon, wife and small children, carried
TO jail and thrust into a cell marked in
the diagram, and whose dimensions are
nrf Of t1,lo Ssr-t<
being one of three smallest cells of the
Jail used for keeping prisoners in soli-
tary confinement. The dimension of the
cell in which DR.. Ruiz was confined is
greater than given in my previous re-
ports, which were based upon the state
ments then received from persons who
did not and could not measure it; but the
fact remains that he was in a cell alone
day and night, with stone walls and stone
foor, and with no ventilation for air or
light except a rectangular iron barred
opening or transom above the door.
The manner of his confinement was a
violation of article $40, law of criminal
procedure. ruling in Cuba and Puerto
Rico, which demands that provisional
Imprisonment shall be made in the man
ner and form least prejudicial to the per-
son and reputation of the accused"
While the cognizance of his case being
confined at first to the jurisdiction of the
military authorities was violation of
section ! of the protocol between Spain
and the United States. signed January II.
1877, which stipulated that no citizen of
the United States residing in Spain. her
adjacent islands or her ultramarine pos
sessions charged with any Crime what
soever'' shall be subject to trial by any
exceptional tribunal but exclusively by
the ordinary jurisdiction, except in the
case of being captured with arms in
hand, the testimony shows the jailer
knew DR.. Ruiz was an American citizen
on the day of his arrest-viz., 4th of Feb
ruary, 1S97-and that the acting COVER
nor and captain general of the island was
informed of the fact on the next day, but
it was ten days after his arrest and
three days before his death-viz, Febru-
AIRY IA, 1s96-that the acting governor
general directed his case to be referred
to the jurisdiction of the civil court. and
that he died before said court considered
1t. y. =
The improper judicial proceedings. in
the first place, and the length of time
consumed in getting the case peIore me
proper authority during which the soli-
larry prisoner was the occupant of cell,
proved fatal.
The testimony shows DR.. Ruiz was
healthy and unusually strong, able ana
athletic man; that he had no hereditary.
mental disease or disease of the heart of
other body ailments
He was confined incommunicado. and
neither his wife. children nor friends
were allowed to communicate with him.
He was carried alive to his cell, and at
the end of 315 hours was brought OUT
corpse having been subjected to "incom.
snunicado'' Imprisonment, in violation OF
his treaty rights, 2S4 hours over ana
aboye the seventy two hour limit
From the time he was placed incom-
municado" until his death all knowledge
of his condition was confined 70 ms
iaiers, and therefore there can be no
other testimony except that of these OF
ticials as to the mode of his treatment or
manner of his death. and 1t could not pe
expected that in case of bad treatment
they would testify against themselves or
against each other. so such teslinioii ~
should be received not with "a grain Vi
salt" but with barrel.
a witness named Rafael Galindo, VINO
holds government posltlon' test.lieo
that he carried, at Mrs. RUIZ $ request
some bedclOtheS for the use or Dr. huiz
INTO his cell on the same day he was ar
|'rested. but the testimony OF his most IN,
innate friends-viz., Juan Gratoeos ana
lose Piuggros--doeS not conllrfn sucn .es
timony: and a letter from Mrs. RulZ 10
me written four days after his death, a
cony of which us hereby transmitted
says-'fDuring the thirteen days ne re-
INA ined 'incommunicado' they did NOT az
low me to take to him cot or even d
| ho mmock. but only hard chair, on the
oh Of FEBRUARY when the Jail official
finally after my repeated requests COR
cented or allowed me to send to my nus
band the chair l send you herewith, ana
on which you VIII sec NY TO-
sions of a man in his full mental iacul-
ties" eo. 70 and
/ which have seen. were sentences az ouli i y
| he rim of the back. evidently lndented
| with the nails of the fingers, ana Whlch
/ MERCEDES. Meme. Evangeline: Ricardito
Coodhy. nv children of my life give
| ,Iou INV blessing. Be obedient to your
mother They will kill me. II ! am tax
en- to Habana tell everything. Goodoy'
Rita of my soul. Govt f,,,
This chair, Mrs. Ruiz says, she sent Tor
, fter her husbands death. and nave
seen lately persons in whose statements
Mace reliance that the writing around
tbe rim of the back was not discovered
as the chair was of light color ana the
indented letters not distinct. for some
navs after it had been returned to her
house. ,,,, T
make these statements because L
ro,nd that witnesses who had testimony
unfayorable to the Spanish authorizes
would not give it. for OBVIOUS reasons.
and to the right to make them appear
had been exercised, it would result, dhey
said. in their giving noncomHitai eVi-
dence. for in their opinion the mere Iact
of being summoned would make theih
esusnncts'' considered disloyal 10 Inc
cnanish authorities on the island
An autopsy was held on his body on
.ba afternoon of the 18th at Guanapacoa
ma .ticipated in by two Spanish doctors-
Pc f,;z francisco Vidal Alvando ana jose
,I,,t.nez Castrllion. and by DR.. u. NJ
..ie'i 49, ~ JTpitad States sanitary IN