The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-06-29
HORRORS Of TORTURE
Employed in Spain as in the
Inquisition Days.
SEVEN FORMS DESCRIBED
General PoIavieja Himsel
Makes the Revelation.

New York, June 27-The Journal says:
Stories Of SPANS system of t.. lures IN
her prisons have usually come from her
enemies and from other nat:ons.
Pit tere is a recital of cruelties more
br'I:a! than anything th9t has bsen
charged by the most prejudieec outsider
since the days of the Inqusit!on. 1t is the
statement, made with the approval OF
General Polovieja. ex-Captain-General of
| the Philippines, and now Spanish Minister
of war. 1t appeared in Reforma, his Off
cial organ. BY the publication Of these
astrocities still practieed in Spanish pris-
| ors. the War Minister hopes to awake his
nations moral sense and bring about re-
formation. The statement is a confession
| to the whole world of Spains deprayity
at the end Of this century.
Torture Of the most horrible kind, equal
| ling anything known in the Middle Ages.
is systematically practised on prisoners in
the ordinary Spanish prisons.
We now know this from the official
newspaper organ of General Polaveja,
formerly Captain-G General of the Philippine
Islands and now Minister Of War. There
| have been many statements on this sub
| Ject in European and American papers,
but they might have been ascribed in part
| to foreign prejudice or ignorance. They
are entirely surpassed in horror by the
revelations made in Spain by a patriotic
Spaniarl, and q member of the Govern
ment
General Polavieja is carrying on great
reform campaign against prison methods
In which ne makes the subject of torture
the leading feature. His organ is the
Reforma, which in long illustrated article
denounces, describes and depicts the
Whole system of torture. The Reforma be-
gins by, saying:
Three years ago there was a great
scandal throughout Europe on account OF
the torture of the anarchists in Mcntjuich
Fortress, in Barcelona. But that incident
is not done with. and is yet destined to
create great deal of trouble. Only yes
terday many newspapers were writing for
the Gundredth time on this subject. and
the things they said were blood-curdling
1t cannot be denied that the fortress OF
| Montjuch is no better than den of the
knquisitton. The anarchists who were
imprisoned there underwent incredible
physical fortunes. The subterranean cham
bers of the fortress are dyed with blood
only recently Francisco Cana, one Of
| the prisoners who had been tortured, went
to England where he exposed to the eyes
of civilization the barbarous manner in
which his mangled body had been treated.
nh ri nd
found unmistakabie scars of torture of the
most dreadful kind. In connection with
this the London newspapers commented
on our brutal methods of justice. Other
prisoners who had been released made
similar revelations in Paris.
What was the result? All Europe re-
| garded us with horror. Spain they said,
is still in the land of the Inquis!tion.'
That is perfectly true. One only need
study the history of our colonial policy in
| the East to convince himself that we are
true savages. The Philippines under the
| rule OF Father Aras were the scene OF
disgraceful and ceaseless butchery. Before
the war and during the war we enslaved
all the natives. We nogged them for
every trivial offence in the most merciesS
manner. We arrested them for nothing at
all, and threw them in the guard house Of
| the police at Manila. In the eubterranean
chambers of the convent there are hooks
and thumb screws and racks and ovens
and all the instruments of medieval tor
| ture. In spite Of modern humanity and
| civilization We used these Instruments
| just as they had been used In the time OF
the Inquistion. And now we wonder that
We were not loved in the colonies.
But here in Madrid today they fog men
who have been merely arrested. They not
only do this, but they fay them and cut
them to pieces.
I'VE live under e modern Inqusitfon.
Spain Is the antithesis of progress
After these remarks the Reforma goes
on to describe in detail the methods OF in
| fiicting torture in Spain. AS an illustra-
ton it mentions that several weeks ago a
| theft Of several sacks OF rags occurred on
the Northern Railroad OF Barcelona. The
police arrested a freight handler named
| Francisco DIVA, who goes under the nick
name of Belliriquis-all workman have
| nlcknameS in Spain. As he would not con-
| fess at once that ne had committed the
| theft, Sub-Officer Botas and Sergeant
| Sarrka logged him until he was ha.f dead.
| When he still refused TO admit his guilt
| they smashed one OF his fingers with a
| machine. The poor wretch tainted away.
When he came TO again he absolutely re-
| fused 70 confess in spite Of threats OF more
painful pun:shments, and so they finally
! let him go.
| This happened almost publicly. as SINH
| lar things do every day. In tbs case
the tortured man showed great courage.
! and could not be inundated b. any
| threats. He raised great outcry. and
today there is not a man in Barcelona
! with any idea OF personal liberty who IS
not sympathizing with MIN and willing
| to aid IN the fight against torture.
Su5-officer Be;as, who vas concerned
/ in this affair. was one OF the most bod
| thirsty tortuTers OF Montjuich Fortress.
The instruments OF torture regularly
tsed in Spanish prisons are the following:
FIRST DEGRElTHE BRASS HAND
| MANACLES
These are chains fled very fine. which
are bound around the wrists 50 that they
| cut into the flesh. The prisoner = oSn-
| PEELED 20 wear them all DAY iong As the
arms swell through the interruption Of the
circulation, the pain becomes more and
more severe Finally the meta. cuts into
the tie.sh until Il touches the bone. AZ a
supplement 70 this torture, 4 ~ usual 20