Washington sentinel., 1899-09-02
II 49,, SENTINEL
How Spain Tortured the Natives OF
the Philippines.
Morning Herald.

Morning. Herald.
Stories OF Spain's system Of tor
tures in her prisons have usually
come from her enemies and from
other nations. But here is a reci-
tai OF cruelties more brutal than
anything that has been charged by
the most prejudiced outsider since
the days Of the Inquisition. 1t is
the statement, made with the ap-
proval OF General Polaviejp, ex-
Captain. General OF the Philippines
and now Spanish Minister of War.
1t appeared in REfoyma, his official
organ. BY the publication OF these
atrocities still practi ;ed in Spanish
prisons, the War Minister hopes
to awaken his nations moral sense
andbring about reformation. The
statement is a confession to the
whole world OF Spain's depravity
at the end Of the nineteenth cen
tury. Torture Of the most hor-
rible kind, ,equalling anything ever
kno Wn IN the Middle Ages, is
Systematically practiced on
prisoners in the ordinary Spanish
prisons. The Minister begins by
saying:-"Three years ago there
was a great scandal throughout
Europe on account OF the torture
OF the anarchists in Montjulch
Fortress, in Barcelona. But that
incident IS not done with, and is
yet destined to create a great deal
OF trouble. II cannot be denied
that the fortre IS OF MonJuich is no
better than a den Of the Inquisltion.
The anarchists who were impris-
oned there underwent incredible
phVsica tortUres. The subterrl-
mean cha nbers OF the fortress are
dyed with blood. Only recently
Francisco Cana. one of the prison
eTs who had been tortured, went
to England, where he exposed to
the eyes OF civilization the barbar.
Gus manner IN which his mangled
body had been treated, What
was the result1 All Europe re.
garded US with horror. Spain
they said, rs still the land ol the
InquIsnon.' That is perfectly
true. One only need study the
history oil our colonial policy in
the Last to convince himself that
we are true savages. The Philip
pines under the rule oil Father
Arias were the scene oil disgrace
tul and ceaseless butcheTy. Be.
fore the war and during the war
we enslaved all the natives. We
hogged them for every trivial
Offense in the most merciless man
ner. We arrested them tor moth.
ing at all, and threw them in the
guard house of the police at
Manila In the subIerranean
chambers oil the convent there are
hooks and thumb screws and racks
and ovens and all the instruments
Of medlRval torture. In spite of
modern humanity and civilization
we used these instruments Just as
they had been used in the time OF
the lnquIsition. And how we
wonder that we were not loved in
the colonies. But here in Madrid
day they hog men who have
been merely arrested. They not
only do this, but they fay them
and cut them TO pieces
The Minister goes on to describe
In detail the methods Of inflicting
torture in Spain. The
first instruments OF torture regu-
larly used in Spanish prisons are
the brass hand manacles. These
are chains filed very fine, which are
bound around the wrists so that
they cut into the flesh. The pris-
oner is compelled to wear them all
day long. The pain becomes more
and more severs, and finally the
metal Cuts into the flesh until it
touches the bone. After the tor
tured man has been beaten with the
steel whip for several days and
fed on salt Goldfish, he is placed
with his arms bound before
a table on which is a big glass
pitcher full OF water. If he still
refusesto confess he passes n to the
nexr form of torture-the toenaiI
wedge. Little wedges Of wood or
else steel pins are forced under the
toenats OF the prisoner, IN order
that he may sing" as the Span
I,h prison officials with dreadful
hulhor Tender Confess. If he IS
Sull obstinate the cTusher IS INTRO
duced. This instrument resem
ol-s a large nut cracke- II con-
slsts Of two pieces of wood
joined at one end by a hinge,
and IS used to crush those parts OF
the prisoners body which are
most sensitive to pain. The exc
cutIoneT, as in other cases, always
Interrupts his " ork when the Uris-
oner has tainted This form OF
torture is very likely fatal; but, il
it is MT, there are other resources
in the Spanish prison. In the case
Of torture by FIRE, the apparatus
consists merely Of coal pan filed
with red hot coal, such as market |
women use in winter to warm their
feet. The prisoner is bound and |
forcIbly made TO sit down upon the
fire IL he shrIeks the gag is ap-
Piled. Even this does not ON |
plete the list Of instruments oil tor
ture, nd IS perhaps not the worst.
The seventh degree IS the head
crushing helmet. This is an intri-
cate device OF 20 lshed IRON
something like a helmet. At the
back is a wooden bar, with which