The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1899-04-02
CORRUPTION IN CUBA.
Bribery and Fraud Direct the Ad-
ministration Of Justice. y"
GEN. GOMEZ ON THE ASSEMBLY,

veteran ENpluln- MS
with the Omccr-- Expresses Desire
to 60 to Ills santo Domingo Home
Havana. April 3.-Today. as under the
Spopish regime. bribery and fraud direct
che Cuban rourts. This IS the firm con
virtiou Of the military administration
Governor General Brooke is taking the
matter up and intends to clean out the
corruption. TO revise the judicial pro
cedure To change the court personnel
and to abolish the barbarous practice OF
incommunicado. by which a judge may
imprison for life a person ignorant or
the accusation against him and OF the
names OF his accusers.
II is true that the statutes allow only |
three days detention incommunicado' |
but a Judge, under the practice that mas |
grown up. may make a new commitment /
at the expiration Of the third day. an
other at the expiration OF the sixth ani |
so on without limit.
More than this. the evidence In Grim
iual causes is taken by escribancs' or
clerks. who for a consideration write IN
the testimony things never uttered, thus
often making the best friends OF the
accused appear 10 condemn him Ap-
parentlv the whole criminal and civil
systems have been arranged so as to
make it easy to buy and sell justice
General Maxine Gomez, in q long let
ter directed 10 his wife In Sauto Do
mingo. reviews his differences with the
so-called military assembly. He begins
by describing the situation as it was
when Robert Z. Porter ms the special
representative of President hckinley'
| visited Cuba, after the assembly's repre-
! sentatives at Washington had obtained
| a promise OF S3uvU,OO0 from the presl-
| dent. The writer, proceeding, says;
This action on the part of the as
semblys commission | approved. 1t
was then that Mr. Porter appeared and
| asked me as commander-ln-chlet 10 ue-
eide 10 accept the $4,000 600, TO aid in its
distribution and in the disarming Of the
army and to proceed worthwith to Ha-
vapa to assist the United States mill
tary governor. General Brooke. I agreed
and on arriving at Havana | conferred
with General Brooke concerning the pay
ment and the disarmament. It was de-
cided that General Brooke should re-
ouest Washington 10 ship to Cuba the
100000 which had been obtained by
the representatives Of the assembly. /
saw to the adjustment of an the ques-
tions that led up to a termination Of the
ridiculous armed situation and began
to entertain hopes Of an early return
to Santo Domingo.
"The assembly then called upon me Il
visit its president, saying that the OBJ
iect was an unofficial exchange Of ideas
But they placed me upon the bench Of
the accused my crime being that | was
inclined to accept the S3,O0O,OOO which
the assembly itself, through its repre-
sentatives. had induced President Nc
Kinley to promise. matter as to which
had not been consulted 1t appeared
that | had broken off negotiations fo
$4,000, 900. To all this l replied that
had acted In the best faith, but tha
nothing had been lost, as l would with
draw the acceptance l had given. The,
then requested me to array myself OF
: their side in order to give strength I
their resolutions. I answered that
had always done so and would continu
to do so except in cases where the cours
of the assembly was opposed to my cor
science TO my sense of justice and to m
idea of the best interests Of Cuba.
Regarding the matters under consic
Grafton said had no hope of obtainin
more than the SO. ZOO, 900 from the Unite
States and disapproved asking for chal
ity, contending that the only method lei
was to raise a loan, for which the Assem-
bly, lacked adequate authorization. Fui
thermore, pointed out that the soldier
could not wait that already they weI
too great n burden on the people of Cubi
and that longer delay appeared to me
be cruel.
"The conference ended without accon
plishing anything. / saw | could NJ
make myself understood by the assen
bly,. and decided not to be mixed up
its doings, but to await developments.
few days later three men whom did NJ
know visited me and said that sewers
millionaires stood ready to facilitate
loan Of many millions, but that the ma
ter was possible only with my cooper
ton. ans 5ered that could not consi
er any proposition Of the kind, and L
garded it as strange that any one wou
be ready to lend money without a qua
antee. My visitors replied that the eli
council could arrange a guarantee. Ih'
a committee of the assembly approach'
M me, asking me TO support the assembly
efforts to obtain a loan. To this | 7
's piled that Cuba could not make loa
vs. as she lacked the necessary authorit
M. The next day the assembly deposed n
-, consider that | have acted honorabl
m. and my strongest desire is to retu
ys home"