The state herald., 1898-11-04
JAILs OF MANILA.
THEY REVEAL spAlN's INFAMY.
Innocent Islanders Imprisoned for Years
without Heariny-A Powerful Ar
sument Against the Restoration of the
/. 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. p. Moffett 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, already familiar with most of
the political cases, has been invaluable
In determining the merltoriOus 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 as Bilibid
and number of small stations. The
Preside prison he found was used
largely for the confinement of crimi-
nails aid Bilihid largely for political of
tenders, and that they Jointly con-
tained about 1900 men, women and
children. Under Spanish rule they
were in charge of a governor. COM
mandante, captain and lieutenant.
Moffett's first act was to demand n
list or roll of his prisoners. and It was
four days before the unwilling Spanish
officers complied 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
been tried by courts-martial or dis
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 rule,
showed the courts accusations and
sentences. He began first at Bilibid.
and for n starter took up the cases of
the twenty-eight 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 cases he examined belonged to
one political group. They were arrest
ed on the island of Negras OH July II,
1889, for resisting the arms Of Spain.
They were not tried, but upon the sim
pie order of the then captain general
were brought to the prison. There they
have been for nearly ten years, per-
haps forgotten, for no attention was
ever paid to their cases.
One of the women came TO the prison
with n babe in her arms, and that
child, now a sturdy boy of 10 years,
plays about the prison yard He was
never outside Of the gates until Cap
tain Moffett showed him the why. 1t
is improbable that these six weak
women could have ever offered any
very serious resistance TO the arms OF
Spain. and yet they have been buried
for the best years of their lives In
Spanish dungeon. One falters for Ian
guage TO correctly picture such injus-
tice. Another of the women was
bent old creature OF 60 years, who was
arrested in 1890 for resistance to the
armed forces of Spain. She was the
owner. of n tract of woodland In one
of the provinces, and the government.
without any knowledge upon her part,
sold the right to cut the standing tim
ber. She rightfully objected, and was
promptly arrested Her property, val
ued at $4,000, was confscated, and
she remained In jail to he forgotten.
The records of the prison show that
she was charged In July of this year,
Just eight years after her arrest. She
wns grateful for her freedom. but will
not live long to enjoy II.
On the first day that he worked ut
the prison Moirett released II women
and 81 men. ON the second day hc
released 10l men; on the third, lis.
and on the fourth 100. Hundreds OF
cases have been reserved for future
and deeper investigation. and hundreds
of cases have not been taken up 1t
nil.
The scenes In and about the prison
are In way the most remarkable
that have characterized this invasion.
Every prisoner who conceives 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.
markable. Some of them shout our.
others cry. and others remain silent
and seem dazed They ARE escorted 10
the gate. where thousands of anxious
natives walt 10 claim their liberated
friends aud relatives. there Moffctt nd.
dresses them. and the simple. straight
forward story of American Justice and
the rights accorded TO free men Is told
To them. Sandco converts II Into
Tngolog. and every sentence IL greeted
with cheer.