The Elbert County tribune., 1898-11-03
OF MANILA.
, REVEAL SPANS INFAmy
,.,.oaer. rmprlsoned for Year.
...,u., the Restoration of the
. ,a. TO spain

-, arraignment and con
WI WI of spain's miserable colo
a'lon q to be found in the pris-
..anitentiaries OF Manila
w ~ p Moffett OF A company
'llu rIrs, North Dakota regiment is
American governor Of ihe To-
pe" pens and police stations. and in
- dutv he has been investlgnt-
ne - - Of every individual pris-
Ser ns his charge. He has been
un" Nv Sandlco. Aguinaldo's per
renresentative In Manila. and the
lireadv familiar with most of
u,tcsI cases, has been invaluable
urr,Inlnc the meritorious ones.
,foffett was made governor OF
-,sans he found that there were
a-ra nenitentiaries, one known as
presidio and the other as Biiibid-
oumber OF small stations The
,S,a nrison he found was used
~ ,ar The confinement of crlmi-
nd Bilibid largely for political Of
~ ~ and that they Jointly con
n about 2.9OO men. women and
rem. Under Spanish rule they
IN charge OF governor. COM
,ante. captain and lieutenant.
hnett's first act was to demand
roll of his prisoners, and II was
4 davs before the unwilling Spanish
w. complied with his request, and
4 the information was not COM
The list did contain the name,
1 ~ Incarceration, charges, and
/ [eondemning courts or processes.
,ot the sentences. The list show
kat n majority of the prisoners had
4 trisd by courts-martial or dis
N OF by the simple order of the
lain general.
Tier Mofett succeeded in finding
III commitment papers, and the
IN records. and these, as n rule,
ked the courts accusations and
Eences. He began first at Bilibid.
for starter took up the cases of
|twenty-eight women held there.
,e,hlnc of the nature of his work
the first day may be gained from
fact that he released seventeen OF
women. The first six women
bse cases he examined belonged to.
|political group. They were arrest
IN the island OF Negras on July IL.
4 for resisting the arms of Spain.
n we're not tried. but upon the slim
|order of the then captain general
\ brought TO the prison. There they
4 been for nearly ten years, per-
1 forgotten. for no attention was
paid TO their cases.
M Of the women came to the prison
A a babe in her arms. and that
II, now n sturdy boy Of 10 years,
Is about the prison yard. He was
er outside OF the gates until Cap
Moffett showed him the way. 1t
Improbable that these six weak
hen could have ever offered any
/ serious resistance to the arms of
In. and yet they have been buried
the best years OF their lives In a
nish dungeon. One falters for Ian
ge TO correctly picture such injus-
Another of the women was a
! old creature of GO years, who was
psted in 1890 for resistance to the
led forces Of Spain. She was the
Ter Of tract of woodland In one
|he provinces. and the government.
hout any knowledge upon her part.
the right to cut the standing tim
She rlghtfully objected, and was
mptly arrested. Her property, val
at $4,000. was confiscated, and
remained in jail to be forgotten.
records Of the prison show that
was charged in July of this year.
eight years after her arrest. She
! grateful for her freedom, but will
live long to enjoy 1t.
b the first day that he worked at
prison Moffett released II women
81 men. On the second day he
'ased 101 men. on the third, 11S,
on the fourth $50. Hundreds of
es have been reserved for future
deeper investigation, and hundreds
cases have not been taken up ut
he scenes in and about the prison
in a way the most remarkable
have characterized this Invasion.
ny prisoner who conceives That he
any chance of gaining freedom has
ked his few miserable effects and
erly awaits the investigation of his
>. They trail about after Moffett
his soldiers and their respect
unts almost TO worship. The play
motion in those who are free Is re-
kable. Some of them shout OUT,
RS cry, and others remain silent
seem dazed. They are escorted 10
gate, where thousands of anxious
YES wait TO claim their liberated
lds and relatives; there Moffett ad-
ses them. and the simple, straight
Fard story of American justice and
rights accorded to free men is told
hem. Sandico converts 1t into
oiog, and every sentence is greeted
cheer.