The Saint Paul globe., 1897-06-08
CUBA BEING RAPIDLY DEVASTATED
BY THE CRUEL, RELENTLE
CIVIL WAR.
Mr. CALHOUN Is AUTHORITY.
NO SIGNS of LIFE EXCEPTING
ABOUT THE BUARDED RAIL-
WAY STATIONS,
RUIs INVESTIGATION A FAILURE.
Little Developed Because the Wit
nesses Were Either Absent Or
Intimidated.

NEW YORK, June 7.-William J.
Calhoun, who was sent. to Cuba as q
special commissioner to investigate the
circumstances of the death in prison
of DR.. Ruiz, an American citizen,
reached this city on his return today
He was accompanied by George W.
Fishback, his secretary, and Charles NJ
Pepper, Washington newspaper cor
respondent, who went to Cuba with
the commissioner.
AT the sessions of the commission"
Mr.. Calhoun said in response to re-
porter's question, I'VE examined sew
eral witnesses, but when you ask me
if they were plentiful L can only say
that they did not run after us and
we had to use no force to keep them
away. They were Spaniards and Cub
ans. The Spanish witnesses and in
fact, all who testified, were surrounded
with guards, and it was impossible
to get at the naked truth One person
whom we would have liked to hear,
could not be found. This was Fonds-
villa. who commanded the Spanish in
Guanabacoa territory. He disappeared
and it was impossible to find him.
Capt. Gen. Weyler did not put in an
appearance at the investigation. We
inspected the Jail at Guanabacoa, and
when we were there it was suSpiciously
clean.
I'VE learned that DR.. Ruiz was ar
rested on Feb 4, charged with having
some connection in an assault which
took place in a railroad train between
Guanabacoa and Havana. He was
placed in solitary confinement. Thir-
n ~ hn 70 l<0 ont Of
his cell on account of his mental and
physical condition. 1t was then found
that he was suffering from a severe
wound on the head, and he died two
hours after he had been released from
the cell in which the secret of his in
jury is buried The question of the
deceased doctors American citizenship
that he died from congestion Of the
brain. His remains are inferred at
! iGuanabacoa. We had no positive or
direct proof of any assault whatever,
and the conclusion arrived at must be
based on the detailed evidence in the
report of Consul General Lee, which Is
now on it's way to Washington. l, my
self, will make no report, and 1 pre-
fer not to say anything as to my idea
Of the affair until the report is made
public.
In a later conversation Mr.. Calhoun
Said: 1.-THE island Of Cuba is rapid
ly being devastated by a relentless,
cruel and bitter civil war, so that in
q short time it will not be worth any
thing to anyone. It is difficult to get
at the exact situation there. In the
first place, there is a severe censorship
Of the press, and those who are natural
ly friendly to the Cubans, hardly
dare to express their views and opln-
ions. Furthermore, the adherents Of
irofo
They tell their stories just as they
want you to believe them. From the
Spanish point of view, the island is
practically pacificd, and from that Of
the Cubans, the insurgents never were
in such excellent shape as they now
are"
Did you go into the interior of the
"Yes. I went from Havana 10 Mat
anzas. While both are On the seacoast,
still to go from one point to the other
by rail, it takes you through large
part of interior country. I also made
several short trips from Havana in
other directions"
What is the condition of the coun-
try?"
'It seems to be entirely depopulated,
and there are no signs Of any buildings
standing except at the railroad sta
tions. These, by the way, are practi-
cally forts. 1 was Informed that the
same condition of affairs exists
throughout the island from Havana to
Pinar del Rio, except in the extreme
eastern end. There is where the Gu
bans get their supplies and their cattle.
They control that section. It was the
portion Of the island which held out
ten years in the last war. Cuba is
undoubtedly magnificent country. 1t
is rich and beautiful and the soil re-
spends bountifully to the seed.
while 1 am not called upon to make
and formal report to the president,
because 1 acted merely as counsel to
Gen. Lee, in the Ruiz case, still I may
be asked to tell Mr.. Mckinley and the
secretary Of the state Of the things
which I have seen and heard in my
brief trip to the island of Cuba. In
that case, 1 readily will do so.''