The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-06-26

A Spanish prison Is no novelty to
patriotic Cubans. Indeed there are at
present more than 500 men. samples Of
the best blood and brains of the island.
living the lives OF rats in the prisons
o. Tigueras. Cartagena. Nalladolid and
Ccuts. A few OF these We're captured
in war. but most OF them were trans
ported for reasons purely political. or
so far as many Of them knew, without
rhyme or reason.
This story deals with one OF the most
interesting and long suffering Of Cuban
patriots. Juan Gualberto Gomez. the
editor of La Lucha and La Igualdad.
Mr. Gomez is a leader OF the negro
race in Cuba. If he Is q type OF his
people there the Cubans ave solved
the negro problem by producing ne
groes that can stand shoulder to Shout
der with white men in the march Of
civilization. His bright. intelligent face
beams with kindly humor that has not
been affected by the cruel servitude
that has changed the color OF his hair.
He was born in Matanzas, I'm 1884, and
sent to France to be educated.
He was first called upon to suffer for
his opinions at the close of the ten
years war for freedom when ne was
arrested and sent To Ceuta for two
years. After he got out he was kept
In Spain for nearly ten years and then
n escaped to Cuba and revived his
Havana newspaper. His fiery editor
ais had their effect ON the tempera-
ture OF Havana. and the place soon be-
came too warm for him. so ne went TO
the evolutionary camp as a represen-
tative of the junta. Like many others
he was lured within the Spanish lines
during the autonomy agitation. and
found himself a second time on a Span
ish transport for the dreaded
Ceuta, the place OF life in death, the
most hopeless of Spanish prisons. His
sentence Vas for 20 years. There is
not one merclful custom in the treat
ment OF Cuban prisoners. They were
usually prepared for the terrors OF the
dungeons across the Atlantic by being
| treated to a taste OF the d lively
agreeable prison life in MORO castle, in
Havana. MIR. Gomez was there for
eight months lie never got very hun
CRY. and was seldom struck by a guard
during this sojourn. Not so on board
the transport. There he Was kept in
shackles on hands and feet and the
guards used him as "A punching bag
when Spanish Incidence permitted them
to take exercise.
Then the ships came TO the wharf at
Ceuta. There was a short march
through the town and then the gates OF
Ceuta ~prison-at whose entrance the
Ullnu > eye sees a MOUND FORMED OF the
abandoned hopes that have accumu.
lated there during a century-opened
and the life that had already beer
Gomez's taste Of hell. began again
But he carried his hope with him
Cubs would soon be free.
Down in the lowest tier OF dungeon,
In the citadel OF Ceuta IL a room z
feet square. with a little window i'm /
at the top OF the low wall. This roon
| 40 aaIInH tho ssra1a hAvnHE Dr,ha Aixr -,
"~calaboose" Is named from 1t or som,
similar Spanish dungeon. There is
window in the door. At each Of thes
openings two guards watch day an,
night. In this dark hole Mr.. Come.
and Is other Cubans were crowde 70
nine months. Every man had an irol
band around his waist. which vas con
neCted by a chain TO another band a
the ankle. These were never removed
There Is no furniture OF any kind II
the "Calabozo.'' and when a prisone
sinks upon the floor i'm a piteOus effor
To sleep. water soaks throughout hi
clothing. II Is difficult TO conceive q
an ecstasy OF joy that approaches tn
wild. the intoxicating jubilation tina
seizes those wretched souls i'm the Cal
abozo when the rough voice of the Jail
er orders them To the great prison hal
above. In this apartment Mr.. Come
spent two years, In company with so
pr.soners-mostly criminals of tn
worst sort. II consists Of six room
opening into each other. and each roor