The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1898-06-30
In Which the Spaniards Would
Have Smothered Dewey's
Brave Men.
AN AlRLESS DUNGEON INTO WHICH
POLITICAL PRISONERS ARE
CROWDED.
Terrible Experience of the Only One Who
Ever Escaped the Prison.

fought ii Jau: Il Bay would have
been far worse than Has that OF the
SplLiah a.. = -utojD had they
fallen into tie L4.Is If the Spanish
for all plans Ia b en- made for their
destruction, ey~.4 Z. prisoners Of war,
in the most ter Ib'e prison hole that
could be co2c wed by race that
has spe / nt-:, ii devieiug the |
keene5t O. tortare.
They were 20 be thrust into the |
B ack Hoe Of Manila, which is deep |
under the walls of fortress Tapped
at its base by the salt sea, with ole
narrow barred wiadow, through
which air AMI light and sea water
come, broad heavy door that shuts
mercilessIy upon the prisoners and
one trap door above, through which
few stray beams of light may enter
aud over the grating of which PAGES
a Spanish sentry.
The entrance to the dungeon is
through long tunnel, thu outer
opening to which is covered with
beautiful tropical vines, aud the in-
ner closed by the iron door.
Dark, wet, airless, this terrible
subterranen vault has long baen the
place of incarceration and slow
death of those who rebelled against
the Spanish power, and there the
Spanish off GERS aud people of Ma
nilla were wont to go to witness in
heartlessness the agony of the
wretches who asked only for a Whit
of Gods pure air or a draught Of
water that was not salt, and then,
laughing in the sunshine, the people
would drive away from the smother
ing wrstches whom they had seen
through the trap door.
The story as told by one who with
1SS others, was confined there for
rebellion, has just been made public ::
BLACK HoLE's HONOR
Into this death hole they forced
through the small solid doors by
ones and twos, we, who bad been
captured, bloody and weary and sick,
and we at once crouched down on
the floor near the grating. There
was no room to lie down, but more
cana.
Finally body of Us pressed near
the narrow entrance so the Spaniards
could not crowd the last half dozen
in. They closed the door with a
bang and went laughing away.
"A few moments afterwards there
came rafting and clinkipg at the
grating in the ceiling. It was rails
ed and the body of man was flung
down headIong among US. Then
l came another and another, until The
, entire half dozen had been thrown
? through the trap door to the ston,
floor
I'VE painted like dogs and tor,
our clothes off in the effort to KEEP
from falling dead with the smother
ing heat.
r We must have been a source 0
great enjoyment to the Spanish off
GERS. All the afternoon they cam
n in couples and threes to gaze at u
It through the grating. They laughed
:, talked and asked US how we fell
e We swayei and crushed together i
" gasping silence.
s Han kai and his brother he'll
the center of the dungeon. Ha
8 Kai was giant in statue, with
d dash of Chinese in his blood. The
q were both desperate men.
4 AT o'clock in the afternoo
s there came squad of soldiery to th
'e to the door OF the dungeon. In til
d space Of few seconds Han Ksi
10 brother was taken away.
3 Two hours passed. Two mel
g crushed into the stagnant and airles
lie coraers had died.
IL FEET GAsHRD By KNIVES.
"At 6 o'clock there came anothe
rattle at the door, another deliciou
$, draught of air, and Han Kai's brotl
ig er was thrust in among us-eyeles
Sc His feet had been gashed on t.
Ut soles as baker gashes pie.