Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-02-08

washington, FEBRUARY I'll ne fTeS-
ident to-day transmitted to the House
the reports from Consul General Lee
relative to the execution Of Colonel
Ruiz, which the House called for by
resolution. These reports consist of
two dispatches from the State Depart
ment from Gen. Lee. The first, under
date of December 81, is in the form of
a narrative account of the circum-
stances attending the execution. LAS
a matter of public interest" says Gen.
Lee, Il have the honor to inform the
I department that on Monday, December
ID, Lieut.-Col. Don Joaquin Ruiz, Of
the Spanish corps of engineers and
aide-de-camp of the Captain General,
an officer we'll and favorably known
in the city, visited Col Aranguren, an
active and enterprising insurgent chief,
with whom he had been formerly we'll
acquainted, as he had been in his en-
| ployment when Ruiz had charge of the
water works of this city Col. Ruiz
left here at a. m. Monday, December
Is, alighting at Camp Flovido, twenty
one miles from this city, where he
breakfasted with the Spanish com
mander and in company with practi-
cos (guides), white man and a negro,
he rode on horseback in the direction
of Arrangements camp. After he had
proceeded two leagues he was met by
Aranguren, who was mounted and had
an escort of fourteen cavalry Colonel
Ruiz, after the exchange of salutations,
began a speech to Aranguren and his
party, setting forth the prospective
| glories of autonomic rule and I am ad-
vised, made offers upon the part of
the authorities here for the surrender
of his command, whereupon Arangu-
rem, acting under the instructions Of
his general in chief, Maxine Gomez,
had Colonel Ruiz and his two men
executed
ut will be remembered that in No
vember last Gomez issued a proclama-
ton ordering his officers to put to
| death any person or persons that
| should approach them with the effort
to make them traitors to their COM
rades or cause, or to induce them to
accept autonomy under Spanish rule
| Aranguren previous to the war lived
| in Havana with his mother, but has
since been bold and active officer of
the insurgent ranks.
I'm accordance with a request made
to me by the Russian consul and other
| friends of Col. Ruiz, and with the
| knowledge, consent and approval OF
| Gen. Blanco, I made the attempt to
| save the life of the Spanish officer By
| sending to him Mr.. Ernest Tosca, as
| my representative here, with the fol-
| lowing note
'Habana, December 16, 1897
! "Mr. Nestor Aranguren:
my Dear Sir:-I am Informed that
| a Spanish officer named Col. Joaquin
| Ruiz is your prisoner. | write to say
| that the said officer is a personal
| friend of mine, and has shown me
kindness and courtesy since my ar
rival in Habana. | Therefore request
you. as a special favor to me, to re-
lease Col Ruiz and to allow him to re-
turn to this capitol. The bearer e.
this note, Mr.. Ernesto TOsca, is ~
personal representative, and / COM
mend him to you.
4 am, etc,
(Signed) 'FTTZHUGH LEE y
81 regret to say" continued General
Lee, that my representative did not
reach the insurgent camp in time to
deliver said note before Col Ruiz's
execution which had taken place on
the day of RuiZ's arrival
On December General Lee wrote
as follows
Referring to my previous dispatch. l
desire to say further that the note to Ar
anguren contained therein was not deliv
cred because when my representative
reached the camp. the insurgent chief
was temporarily absent therefrom, but the
next ranking officer, then in command,
gave to Mr. Tosca the following state
| ment:
Camp of Cuba.
"Details of the death of Lieutenant
Colonel Joaquin Ruiz.
This gentleman comes to these fields
dressed in the uniform of Spanish mill
tary officer and before the Cuban forces
made to Col. Nestor Aranguren PROPOSE
tons of autonomy for Cuba.
" Col Aranguren, respecting the orders
of our army. made Ruiz prisoner, and he
was executed later, after court martial
had been held. in the name of the law of
organization of our army. And that II
may be known, I furnish this information
to Mr.. Ernesto Tosca, who came commits
stoned by the American consul at Haba-
ma.
."'(P. Y. L) Country and liberty) Ar
my of Cuba, December Is, 1897.
Csigned)
MAJOR ALFREDO LIMA
1T now appears that Col. Ruiz visited
the nsurgent camp in his private unof-
fetal capacity, and that with the excep
ton of one or two of the authorities of
the place and possibly few others. no
one knew or his errand or departure. 1t
would seem therefore that he went into
the insurgent camp in an unofficial or pri-