Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-07-09

NJ cltlItU Oh inc tnltcu states has
kccncr recollection OF Spanish atrocities
than Captain J. J. Allies Of Cclestine Ills.
I'm November, 1850" says Captain
Allies, 81 went to New Orleans with q raft
Of timber from the Iaz0o swamps. On
my arrival found they were organizing
an expedition to assist the CuNans 10 their
freedom. Being young and anxious for
advQiturc, | joined them as did also Ey
partner, Robert Wcathers of Tennessee.
General Narcisso Lopez was in command.
We were paid so each in Spanish gold,
and II we succeeded in freeing the island
wo were to have farm apiece. There
were 400 Of Us, and We went into camp he
tween tho United States barr;ici;s and the
jackson battle-ground. Lore. placed u,
under regular military discipline, and We
were not permitted to 80 into The city
without u piss.
After VIZ had campcd there for three
weeks President Fillmore issued proc
laination stating that .hc UPitcd States
was not ut way with spain and those who
went to Cuba would not he protected by
the government uf thc United States. He
Issued special orders, 1 aftcrward learned,
Tor us To icaand. We were not allowed to
know this. The same night the prGcla-
nation was issued an old ship was muurcd
Tor u.s. believe her name was Pompcrio
We wcrc hurried aboard, and tho next
morning we were 80 miles below New Or
leans and anchored in the gulf Of Mexico
We staid there ten hours and then sailed
Tor the awful end that awaited us. 1t
seemed that our officers were afraid our
government would send vessels after us.
As l'1Carnct atic.ward, the govern
ment had absolutely nothing To do with
tho expedition. IL was simply iilibustcr-
Ing trip started hy spectators from New
York, Philadelphia and other centcrs
who We're in u land grabbing scheme with
the Few Insurgents who were then rebel
lious. They had promised Topaz To or.
gantzo other companies, AID we anchored
ON tho south " the gulf TO await them.
but they did not show up promptly. The
officers wcrc afraid Of the government
ovcrtaking them, So as lcfurc stated, we
lifted anchor and sailed. We went around
the south of the gall and were about 10
land ON Cuban soil ono fine morning
when Spanish cruiser came along. COB
blcd us up bodily and flowed u. into la
vana rs prisoners We were put into his
toric old MORO Castle.
Il learned later that Other cuiEpaniss.
hearing of our mi fortune, nut back to sea
and dishandCG Our officers were all
Spaniarls--gchcls My captains name
was RODRIGUEZ. They told u when we
enlisted that when we got e. Cuba all
would be our friends except few aristo-
crafts. | am sorry to say that In later
events we found the Culans our worst
enemies. The descriptions which we have
had so graphically in the PRESS deal lightly
with MORO Castle The reporters have
evidently never explored thc man consum-
ing bowels Of the great monster Men
cannot find in che English language
words that can picture thS horrors of the
underground construction as e was in
1850, and suppose IL Is worse today The
first thing the Americans should do when
they take Havana IS 10 tear down the old
castle
"Thc descriptions Of the terrible Spanish
prisons at Ccuta on the north African
coast give faint ideas of the catacombs OF
the Moro. Tear down the walls and
there, lying in dark, damp. vermln filed
caves Americans will fird people who have
not bcheld the glurics of the sun for years
] cannot describe now how we trnncled
underground to these little easements.
The one Wcathers and I. by rlust remark
able coincidence, were placed in was about
feet long, feet wide and feet high.
Tho water was constantly dripping on the
straw we had for a bed. and there was no
telling how long this straw had been
there. IL was moldy and alive with vcr-
min. The odor was sickening. We were
left In continual dusk The light from
the tunnel was the only ray from the out
side world reaching Us.
"From every side Of this tunnel of star
walton and torture came groans Of agony
and sighs Of resignation. Here a political
prisoner told Of his Incarceration for
months because of some trivial act. There
n woman and her children Were being
starved. The awful inquisitional horrors
and imprisonments of those OF Ccuta
could not have been more terrible. But
this Is but the overture for the drama of
tragedy and barbarity that We were to
witness.
about two weeks after our imprison-