The Monte Vista journal., 1898-11-05
JAILS OF MANILA.
THEY REVEAL sPAlN's ,MFAMY.
Iaasosst tslsodsrs lmprisonod Tor Years
wlthsut = Hs.ring-A Powerful Ar.
Gament Against the Restoration of ths
Islands to Spain.

The worst arraignment and con-
demnation OF Spain's miserable colo
NAL system is to be found In the pris-
ons and penitentiaries Of Manila.
Captain W. =. Mofrett Of A company
of the First North Dakota regiment is
the new American governor of the To-
cal prisons and police stations, and in
his line of duty he has been investigat-
Ing the case OF every individual pris-
oner under his charge. He has been
assisted by Sandico, AguinaldO's per-
sonal representative In Manila, and the
latter. alrendy familiar with most of
the political cases. has been invaluable
In determining the meritOrious ones.
When MOffett was made governor OF
the prisons he found that there We're
two large penitentiaries, one known as
the Preside and the other ms Rilibid.
and number Of small stations. The
Preside prison he found was used
largely for the confinement OF crimi-
nails and Bilibid largely for political Of
Tenders. and that they Jointly con-
tained about 900 men. women and
children. Under Spanish rule they
were In charge Of II governor, COM
mandante, captain and lieutenant.
Moffett's first net was to demand =
list or roll Of his prisoners, and 1t was
four days before the unwilling Spanish
officers compiled with his request, and
then the information was not COM
plete. The list did contain the name.
dates Of Incarceration. charges, and
the condemning courts or processes.
but not the sentences. The list show
ed that majority of the prisoners had
ri 1,u net a ti,aI Its-
posed of by the simple order OF the
captain general.
Later Moffett succeeded in finding
many commitment papers, and the
prison records. and these. as II rule,
showed the courts accusations and
sentences. He began first at Bilibid
and for n starter took up the cases of
the twenty-cisht women held there
Something OF the nature of his work
on the first day may be gained from
the fact that he released seventeen OF
the women. The first six women
whose eases he examined belonged To
one political group. They were arrest.
ed on the island of NcSras on July II
1889. for resisting the arms of Spain
They We're not tried. but upon the sim
pie order of the then captain genera
were brought TO the prison. There they
have been for nearly ten yenrs. per
haps forgotten. for no attention was
ever paid to their eases.
On the first day that he worked nj
the prison Mofrett released IL women
and II men. On the second day h.
released 101 men: on the third, lis,
and on the fourth $50. Hundreds of
cases have been reserved for future
ard deeper investigation. and hundreds
Of cases have not been taken up n
all.
The scenes In and about the prison
are in way the most remarkable
that have characterized this invasion.
Every prisoner who cOnccives that he
has any chance OF gaining freedom has
packed his few miserable effects and
eagerly awaits the investigation of his
case. They trail about after Moffett
and his soldiers and their respect
amounts almost to worship. The play
of emotion In those who are free IL re-
mnrkable. Some OF them shout our.
others cry. and others remain silent
and seem dnzed. They are escorted 10
the gate where thousands OF anxious
natives walt to claim their liberated
friends and relatives: there Moffett ad.
dresses them. and the simple. straight.
forward story OF American justice and
the rights accorded TO free men is told
TO them. SnndIco converts II into
Tagolog. nMi every sentence Is greeted
with cheer.
The prisoners are not subjected "a
much physical punishment aside from
| those who .infract the rules and are
cruelty treated ~ the manner
! described. Many arc chained when
taken out TO work on the roads. hui
the chains are not heavy. Food II
supplied by n Chinese contractor. who
receives l2is cents. Mexican money
for each prisoner. II is clean. well
cooked and properly served. The
| prisoners ARE forced 10 sleep on the
hare boards OF n inble.likc structure
around each room.