The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-09-01
FROM A LIVING DEATH.
wEYLER RELEASED THIRTY-FoUR
CUBANs.
without q Trial. They
Were Subjected 10 Treatment Al
most BarbnrOus.

| General Weyler. in Issuing recent
| pronunciamento declaring that three OF
| the Cuban provinces were pacihed, ordered
| that all pacfcos who had been In durance
as SUSPECTS should be released.
This order gave freedom to thirty-four
young Cubans, among others, who had
been prisoners for two and half years
at tho Spanish penal colony at Ceuta on
the coast of Morocco. They were taken
across the strait to Gibraltar and left
there penniless. Jose Prinellcs OF this
city. who was provided with a subscrip-
ton fund. has just returned here with
fifteen Of the released pacifcos, this being
as many as the fund enabled him to pay
passage Tor The remaining nineteen are
still In Gibraltar. some with friends and
all getting food and shelter as best they
can. Those who have reached here are
arturo PrinelleS. a brother of Jose and
nepnew OF the late General Agramenta; p.
Gonzales. son Of the late General Cecilio;
". Campos A. Herrera, NJ. Diaz A. De
feira nephew OF the Cuban brigadier
general OF the same name, =. Sandoval,
r. Casares. s. Nca. X. Casanova, j. Car
denas. ~ Maurique, 8. Valdez N. Es-
Dlnosa. and r. Bairios. They all came
In on the Storage of the steamship Kaiser
William H.
None Of them. Mr.. Prinelles said, had
ever been allowed a trial or hearing and
being only suspects, were not subjected TO
tho full rigor of prison discipline at Ceuta
| They were. in fact, allowed the liberty OF
the town. but they found il desirable to
avoid encounters with the Spanish SOL
diers or officials. They had to return to
the prison. or castle. as Il is called, at a
certain hour in the evening and be locked
up for the niEht They were fed on beans,
onions and very bad meat generally
tainted. There were over 400 men in the
prison and many of them sick but II one
complained he was confined to 4 cell ana
denied medical attendance, instead VI
being sent TO the hospital
The prison they described as being
filthy. No attention was paid to sanitary
conditions. The cells were gloomy. damp
holes, pungent with musty filth that en-
crusted the floors. or the mortality in the
prison the pacificos knew nothing. They
thought Of the place, even as they had
known it, with horror, and Mr.. prnelles
said they did not like to recall 1t. They
were satisfied to be free.
Casanova was found with friends in the
Cuban quarter of the city last night He
was one of seven who, when first arrested,
were sent to the isle of Pines Gonzales
Dlaz and Cisheros were with him. They
made desperate attempt to escape and
succeeded for four days in GLIDING their
guards. They had no food and little water
and were finally captured and returned
TO prison, where they we're nogyod At
the end OF six months they were taken TO
Havana and with forty others were placed
On transport ship, They were manacled
and confined in small compartment be.
tween decks during the seventeen days
voyage 10 Ceuta
Arturo Prinelles' father and mother
a ta1 nj no H..
but they were subsequently released. He
has n brother in the field and that was
his olfunse
Campos was a cgarnaker He was ar
rested on suspicion four times, the last
time at his home near Havana The
brothers and n grandfather were driven
from the house at the same time and their
property was seized
Sandoval was arrested at Gabriel and
his hands were burned with rel hot irons
10 make bini impllcatc Campos with the
revolution.
Cesdres was also put to the torture with
hot irons to extort a confession In none
OF the cases, however. was confession
wrung from the victims.
valdez was arrested in Pinar del RIO
province. His offerse was in having a
brother in the field.
Referring to the liberty of Ceuta, which
the pacticos were allowed. Casanova SAID
that each man had guard Of two SOL
diers when on liberty aud II one dared to
speak to anyone ho was prodded with a
bayonet and taken back to The prison,
where he was subjected to beating at the
hands OF half dozen soldiers.
Many of the returned do not yet know
what the fate OF the members of their
families has been. Some have been killed
in battle others imprisoned and tortured.
Valdez learned last night that brother
had been killed in battle