Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-30

| Tie through all MS SuIer1ngS, shipped q
chair in to him which Mrs. Ruiz had
| brought.
Prisoners in adjacent cells testified that
| DR.. Ruiz was horribly treated. They would
| see officials go to his cell and hear sounds
OF blows and piteous cries. When his body
| was brought from the cell he had been
dead at least thirty hours. his whole right
hand was crushed and mashed. as if the
| componte or other similar torture had been
| used; the forearm of the right arm was all
marked with welts. and on the crown of
his head was wound about an inch and a
| half long and three-uuarters of an inch
across. which laid the bone bare Whether
| he was murdered or went mad, killing
himself in frenzy, is not known. The sole
| message he delivered to his friends was dis
J covered around the rim Of thc.-oack of the
| chair his wife had sent him. This was
| indented with the nails of the fingers and,
| addressing his wife and each of the five
! children by name. read:
| Goodbye my children of my life; I give
you my blessing. Be obedient to your
| mother. They will kill me- If 1 am taken
to Havana tell everything. Goodbye, Rita
| The clothes Mrs. Ruiz sent to the jail to
| dress her husband for burial she met
| man walking on the streets the next day
wearing.
DR.. Ruiz came to his death, Consul General
| Lee wrote:
whether bereft of reason he inflicted
| the blows which caused his DEATH or
| whether he died at the hands of others
| the truth will probably only be known
when the hearts of all are revealed-but his
| unjust confinement killed him.
Such Is the official history-the bleached,
bare bones of Mrs. Ruiz's sorrow.
Brought to This Country.
In due order of official procedure this
| case was the subject of much diplomatic
correspondence between the United States
and Spain, of congressional action and of
special message from President Cleve
land to the Senate. Public interest was
deeply aroused, and public sentiment.
widely expressed. was equally devoted to
sympathy with Mrs. Ruiz and Indignation
against the power responsible for her great
affection. The case became a potent inf1u-
ence to precipitate war with Spain. The
war being ended and amicable relations
between Spain and this country restored, 1t
present condition Of Mrs Ruiz. living
among Americans today. make it necessary
to revive our memory of all that pertains
to the oblfgation-no longer Spain. but the
United States holds to the widow and or
phans of the American citizen, DR.. Ricardo
Ruiz.
Fortune Due Her.
Under the terms Of our treaty with Spain
the United States assumed all the claims
for indemnity of Americans against Spain.
Secretary Sherman demanded Of Spain on
Mrs Ruiz behalf $4,000. have the word
partment that this claim now transferred
against the United States Is well
sured that Mrs. Ruiz ought to be able to
command not less than $50 600 on 1t any
day at any bank in Washington. 1t never
theless remains a fact that Mrs. Ruiz is
barely able to command bread and shelter
for herself and children, and but for the
kind Office of the Catholic Church, which
has provided a home and education for
three of her children, sorrow worse than
starvation and death would have befallen
this forsaken family. Senior Quesada has
told me that DR.. Ruiz was Free Mason,
but the charity of this famous fraternal
organization has missed this small circle
of unfortunates. Likewise. the Cuban Aid
Society, when Mrs Rufz's need was less,
rendered her some assistance, but this
society disbandng with the close of the
war, its work ceased. and Mrs. Ruiz has
been left to learn that the worlds charity
from every source moves on wave Of
sensattonalism In the trend of popular es-
TEEN. With the end of the war, Mrs. RuiZs
immortal sorrow became dead issue In
the world.
Business Investment.
When the dogs of war still in leash were
yelping at the sight of DIR. Ruiz's bones,
when the tragic woe of the mans wife and
blood-stained bereavement of his small
children were theme of eloquence and in
SEPARATION of pictorial art. Mrs. Ruiz and her
sorrow, from journalistic point of view
were worth great deal of money: The
torture Of her husbands body and of her
own heart made valuable copy" and a
really up-to-date newspaper was willing to
pay considerable for her tears. According
ly. New York paper. animated by that
American spirit of enterprise in journalism
conceived a splendid grand-stand and gal
lery spectacle to be produced by bringing
the widow and orphans of DR.. Ruiz to
Washington to make personal appeal to
President Mckinley for his interference on
their behalf with Spain.
No sooner thought than by the magic of
money 1t " as done. Under the influence of
promises appealing to a mothers reason,
Mrs. Ruiz and her family of five young
children were taken from their native land,
from among their own people. and under
convoy of special correspondents and spe-
cial artists ION the spot where her every
tear fell all along the way. they were
brought to this country. They appeared at
the White House and while special cor
respondents took notes and special artists
took pictures. Mrs. Ruiz, with her crying
children cinging to her skirts, met Presi-
dent Mckinley and besought his protection
This not only made a large quantity of
copy, but led to more copy and so long
as Mrs. Ruiz and her sorrow, in the natural
course of national affairs. continued a topic
OF absorbing public interest-that Is, so long
as she and her terrible necessities were
good for story" her creature wants
were looked after. To have dumped Mrs.
Ruiz on the town or into the sea at that
stage would have been as bad iourna ism
as 1t was inhuman. But as soon as Mrs
Ruiz ceased to yield copy" and reason
able expectation of it. the great newspaper
said to Mrs. Ruiz:
Now. we can't look after you forever
We have had all we want of you and we
Will give you 500 and send you back to
Cuba"
For Her Children's sake.
But" answered Mrs. Ruiz, you told |
me II I would come to this country I
should stay and educate my children here
1t would be SO good for my children, you |
said. and you would give me. plenty money,
and 1t would be so good for me here to get |
the claim for my husband they have MUIR |
dered."
"Oh. we want to do the fair thing by |
you. Wen send you back. but of course, II |
You won't go that settles it"
So that did settle f-almost year ago, |
Mrs. Ruiz has been left alone to struggle