Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-04-16

Royal Spanish Mail steamship on her
last trip to the mother country carried
nine hapless prisoners Of state" de-
signed for that terrible fortress in
Barcelona which has been made in
famous In recent years by the cruelties
comitted within its walls. In Weyler's
time that same Royal Mail seldom
made trip without conveying Cubans
to perpetual Imprisonment In the penal
settlements of Africa. or condemned to
chains for life in spanish prisons. The
cause Of their deportation was the al
legged crime of rebellion be most of
them We're at least put through a
farcial trial. The victims of the other
day-under the new reFsme of autono-
my. with Its promise that the rights
of all persons should be sacredly re
spected-had not even the form of n
trial. Without word of warning, or
chance to arrange their affairs, or say
farewell to their families. they We're
dragged from their homes or place OF
business, hurried aboard ship and away
to some mysterious punishment. People
shudder at the mention of the BARGE
Iona military prison. Blood-curdllng
tales are whispered of tortures that
lash, the branding Iron and slow star
walton; OF dungeon cells which are
flooded with water at regular intervals.
when the wrctched prisoner ~ COM
PEELED to swim for his life and cling to
projections in the Shiny walls until the
tide decedes and at last, worn out
with SUFFERING his strength deserts him
and he browns like a rat in hole. The
insurgent general Ruiz Riveria--a gem
tleman of culture and once of wealth.
was sent to that fortress a few months
ago, after his refusal to accept freedom
from Blanco on conditions of his sup
porting autonomy: and there he is now
If yet alive. undergoing what horrors.
who can say? Within the last fortnight
more than thirty persons within my
own knowledge have been arrested on
the indefinite charge of Conspiracy"
They were respectable. law-abiding cit
izens-most of them of means and
pected of favoring the cause of their
cOuntrymen in the field. Just where
they are now. nobody knows. Not a
word has been heard of the evidence
against them, or Of their defense. Some
unknown statement of the police to the
| authorities led to their arrest; and on
this showing. with no opportunity Of
fered of defending themselves. they
may be deported-God knows where or
to meet what horrible fate This is no
fancy picture, but absolute facts. The
deportations are made In the name OF
the new autonomy cabinet and under
/ its authority.
Do you wonder that the Cubans de-
cline TO trust In its tender merices or
to pin their faith on any more Spanish
! promises?
The. speeches OF Senator Proctor.
! Thurston, Gallinger and others in the
United Suites Congress. have Just
/ reached here. In part or entire. and
{ their most thrilling sentences, are being
! circulated. privately. from mouth to
mouth; for In these days nobody in
cuba dares to openly read or repeat
solutions language. If the grateful Gu
bans ever do gain independence.
through the intervention Of the United
States. they will look upon these gentle
men and few bold journalists as their
actual saviors. Fancy Representative
Amos G. Cummings. of Senator Thurs
ton. glasses an all, or any modern