The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-22
A MODERN INQUISITION
,OUTRAGES PRACTICED UNDER CAN
OvAs UPON INNOCENT MEN.
Tale of Spanish Cruelty That Hardly
Seems to Belong to This Age
WeyIer the Instrument.

@DoAI AlHi correspondents WHO ndu run up
against him in railroad depots vouched for
his affable manners; ladies who had en-
jpyed distant acquaintance with his type
writer melted into tears at the remembrance
Of the lovely smoking coats he used to wear.
In short, the great advantage which a mans
reputation may often derive from his being
assassinated was again most strikingly
brought out. While the shocking character
of Canovas del Castillo's death might ac-
count for some reserve in the public com
ment on HIM, it nevertheless seemed strange
to those familiar with Spanish affairs now
to see him lauded as a scholar, gentleman
and statesman. They-that is those who
for years had been familiar with Spanish
literature, books, as well as newspapers
knew that to the truly enlightened Span
iards-there are such, only they are COM
paratively few in number and without po-
htical infiuence-Canovas had ever stood as
the incarnation of inflated dilettantism in
literature and vile trickery in politics. To
them it was beyond a doubt that, while no
one man may ever be wholly accountable
either for the fortune or the misfortune of
his nation, to the doors of Canovas should
be largely laid the blame for the worst
plumbers and crimes of modern official
Spain. including the outrageous treatment
of Cuba. book which has just come into
my hands. and which, as far as 1 know,
has heretofore escaped the attention of
Americans, confirms this view, nasmuch
as It illustrates some of the proceedings
which Canovas authorized and encouraged
in his interior policy. AS some of my read
ers may still recollect, two dynamite out
RACES took place in Barcelona respectively,
in 1893 and 1896. On the former occasion it
was in a thearer, on the second in the street,
while religious procession was marching
along, that dynamite bombs were thrown.
Both times many persons were killed and
mangled.
WEYLER MADE USEFUL.
No sensible man or woman would for a
moment dream of defending these crimes,
nor of reproaching the government for TAX
ing severe measures to punish their perpe-
traitors and prevent repetition. But it is
hard to fiEd words strong enough to de-
nounce sufficiently conduct that while re-
vealing little or no ability to ferret out
the truly guilty, jumps at the opportunity
of getting rid of political opponents by
forging proofs of their completely in
crimes which 1t would have been NOR
ally and physically impossible for them to
commit Now this is precisely what was
done by Canovas's government. Immediate
ly before the first bomb throwing in Bar
celona Weyler had been made military gov
ernor of Catalonia He at once declared a
state of siege; the civil courts were sus-
pended, all power being put into the hands
of court-martial. Thereupon Weyler's
police began to fill the prisons including
Montjuich. the fortress of Barcelona, with
suspected" and accused individuals The
principle upon which the investigations were
do xxroC 81,
privately or publicly, criticised the govern
ment was liable TO be thrown into prison,
and if he were in any way prominent he
was almost sure to be thus treated. AL
ready several Confessions" had been OBJ
tained-we shall presently see with what
means-when, two months after the bomb
throwing, the Anarchist. Santiago Salvador,
was arrested in Aragon. He confessed
voluntarily that he was the guilty one.
Unaided, he had thrown the two bombs from
the gallery down into the orchestra rows
of the theater. His motive was vengeance
for his comrade, the Anarchist Pauline
Pallas. who had been executed in the spring
of 1893. saying on the scaffold: 81 shall be
terribly avenged"
This confession, which exonerated all the
Experimentation five hundred-at BARGE
Iona. was very inconvenient to Weyler and
his friends. Their court-nartial had already
shot one and sentenced ten more to death,
while several had died as result Of their
sufferings in prison, or killed themselves to
avoid further torture. In order not to lose
all the results of its labors. the court-mar-
tial accused it's victims of completely in
Pauline Pallas's actions, shot six and put
four in the penitentiary for life.
OUTRAGES REPEATED.
rdl mo fba fr;o 5ad
Mantle outrage of 1896 again threw every
thing and everybody into excitement To
this day the name of the perpetrator of this
horror is unknown. There can, however, be
little doubt that it was the work of one man
and it is certain that the authorities never
received the faintest clew to his identity
But, truth to tell, that does not seem to
have troubled them much. They at once be-
gan playing at their old game of arresting
people by scores and manufacturing con-
1essions. These were the methods: In the
cellars of Montjuich all sorts of fortunes
were applied to the prisoners Flogging with
ropes on the bare calves. knees or Shout
ders was just general introduction. Then
the victims were tied to benches or up
against doors, and the nails were torn off
their hands and feet with tongs Redhot
iron was pressed against the breast and
other parts of the prisoner. The sea being
right at the door, some obstinate persons
were lowered into the water with hands and
feet tied, and kept there until they were
nearly choked to death. Or, again, a pc
culiar steel instrument was fastened on the
head of the accused; by turning a crank
the executioner made hooks penetrate into
the upper lip and pull it upwards. while the
under lip was drawn in the opposite direc-
ton. AT the same time the temples were
pressed hard with screws. One torture very
often used was of a character so diabolical
and al the same time so filthy that it can
not even be limited at here. All the time the
prisoners were fed with salt fish, with no
bread nor water.
While the tortures were being performed
an official stood near by reading aloud a
list of names of persons whom the court
wished to implicate in the dynamite throw
ing. The tortured man was told that as
soon as he would declare one or more of
these persons guilty his sufferings would
be ended. or. at any rate. relieved. The
wonder is that, after all. so few availed
themselves of the opportunity thus offered
them. A couple did, though, and the list
thus got up was made the foundation of
the whole subsequent trial. Aseheri, one
of the men who thus yielded TO the over
wheming torments. afterwards wrote let
ter in which he implored the pardon of
those he betrayed. He frankly avows that
he was unable to stand the terrible physical