Evening star., 1897-02-22
ALLEGED MURDER OF RUIZ
Sensational Gesuip in the Cats at Ha-
vana,
The City Shocked by the Tragedy
How He Was Dragged From Ms
H0he At Midnlght.

A special cable dispatch from Havana to
the Philadelphia Press says regarding the
alleged murder Of DR.. Ruiz, the Philadel-
phia dentist. at Guanabacoa:
The murder Of DIR. Ricardo Ruiz In Gu
anabacoa jail may bring American war
| ships to Havana, may force the govern
ment at Washington out Of its policy Of
ignoring the wrongs done its citizens and
| compel the Spaniards to cease their cruel
ties and other outrages. at least on Amer
| lean citizens.
Cleveland and Olney are blamed here
for Ruizs death. and it Is the gossip of
the cafes that Consul General Lee. Gis-
gusted at the ignoring of his urgent mes
sages, has threatened to resign his post
unless the warshfps sent and the gov
| ernment at Washington takes a stand that
will enable him to protect Americans in
| Cuba.
Ruiz was reported as having killed him
self in his dungeon. He really died from
| a frightful blow on the head, inflicted
within "a few hours of his death. He died
| not lie at full length in it, and in that
| cell he was kept for thirteen days in SOL
itary confinement, half starved and tor
tured with thirst.
| beg for mercy on Wednesday night, and
| they sent word that the hapless American
citizen had been murdered in his cell by
his guards.
Consul General Lee forced the Span
iards to permit an autopsy on the body
of the alleged suicide, and Dr. Burgess
found the awful wound on the head.
The Spaniards explanation of this is
| that Ruiz went crazy in mis- cell and dash
ed out his brains against the wall No
| body believes this story.
His Citizenship Ignored.
Ruiz's awful death has shocked this
community more than anything that has
happened in this island of horrors for
months. He was a cultured, intelligent
man, man of family and position, and
one whose standing in any other country
would have counterbaIanced anything
! snort OF direct proof of his guilt
No one ever suspected him of aiding
| or abetting the Cuban cause. nor was
isee ne ever ne, heard to discuss local political
as issues MS certificate of naturalization
| above his professional diploma
-, AhG yet. ne was dragged from his home
py 9h Fondesviea's insaaes military police on the
| 4ln instant at midnight and kept .'incom-
| municado' thirteen days In slimy cell.
| compelled to sleep upon the bare floor
| led upon salt Goldfish and given but a scant
nary examination.
various subsequent communications
uIsins prompt hearing of the case, are
! UNDERSTOOD m to have been virtually ignored
Whatever be the charge against them
must De examined and formally commit
teu Mitnih seventy-two hours. but an
ican. nitaI,, IL seems: may be held indefi-
nteiy without effective protest from
Washington. "'h
Consul Lee Helpless.
General Lees hands are tied. All his Of
forts to obtain justice and protection for
Americans here are fruitless The Snanisb
authorities banking on the supineness of
cleveland and Olney in such matters. con-
tlnue to ignore Lees repeated protests and
go on with their outrages.
tIey sneef at our government; say their
munster, DE LONE. is not spending 100000
Ler month at Washington for nothing. he
little our white squadron and say the init
ed states will never risk serious issue
WIN spain whose people are real patriots
and would fight the whole world n nacss
sary to defend her national honor
AS wired from Key West when on
thursday afternoon. news reached the con-
SUI general through private channels from
prison, General Lee went at once to the
palace. and seeing Acting Captain General
Ahumada. demanded the delivery of the
body for autopsy.
Armed with this paper and accomn.r;o,
by Dr. II. M. Burgess. L. s. H. NJ S., and
Two naive surgeons, together with the
consulate Interpreter, the Press representaE
tive and various other New York newsna-
per correspondents, General Lee left i'm
mediately for Guanabacoa. where Com
mandant Fonsdeviela and the Alcade re-
celved the party with cold courtesy.
Iaklng carriages from the Comma ndancia
Alcauia once to the jail. accompanied by
fohsdeVleia, we were led into a large
square room apparently used by the ward
en- as private quarters. Four candles burn
ed upon the coffin. into which the body of
tie last American victim of Spanish meth
DDS had been placed
While we were there a hearse drove I'm
Lea tfnc
tne BODY was transferred to Fonsdeyiela's
once, where the examination was held
Lee asked to see the cell where Ruiz had
been confined, but this was refused An
ugly wound was found upon the hacL or
the mead, and deep scars upon his wrists
and hands. The hideous expression mon
ms ms Iace showed that he had suffered terri
Die asonies before death came to him
Inc consul general is deseryedlv indig
i nant. Ihis, he says. is only one of MANY
instances; He does all he can, personally
or onlcially In behalf of Americans In trou-
Bile, reporting facts and awaiting the state
Departments Instructions.
II there Is no warship at Havana to en-
@ doree respect of the Competitor prisoners,
ana number of other Americans who are
stlli rotttng in Spanish jails, it is not his
fault. Ai'
II he should resign any day and go home
In disgust, American people need not ra
ceNe the announcement with surprise.
What the Prisoners. Said.
Havana says:
DIR. Ricardo Ruiz naturalized Ameri-
can citizen, arrested on suspicion by the
Spanish week ago. was found dead In his
cell In the Guanabacoa jail last Thursday.
The body bore marks of violence. The
;ailor. Fondesviela. said that he died by
suicide Consul General Lee sought the
privilege of viewing the body and asked for
1uii statement of the circumstances of
his death. The Spanish at first ignored
both requests.
General Lee telegraphed to Washington.
NO reply was received. On Friday General
Lee imperatively demanded that the body
OF Or. Ruiz be turned over to him. and
mat an autopsy be made by two physi-
cfans one Of whom should be designated
by General Lee.
The Marquis of Ahumada, acting captain
general in place of General Weyler, who is
In the field. issued the necessary order but
SO long was the delay that, although Qua
nabacoa Is less than three miles from Ha-
Vana. General Lee was not admitted to the
prison there until Friday afternoon, thirty
hours after DR.. Ruiz's death. and barely In
time to stop the burial of the American
physician In plain pine coffin by squad