The evening times., 1899-06-19
Insular Boards Report On the
Spanish System.
Outlages on Citizens in the Name
Of Justice.
Hundreds LanSuish In Confinement
for Months without Tr;nI-COr-
ruptiOn Among the Officials.

| now in the hands OF the printer and vii
be given out in a few days. The report
of the Commission will advise the estab-
lishment of courts modelled after the Amer
lean system. 1t says in part:
with an eye single to the just admin
istration OF the laws. We would not ad-
wise any measures Of economy which would
deny to the humblest citizen OF Porto Rico
full measure of protection and COM
plete guarantee of justice under the laws:
! but the number OF persons so employed
and the amounts SO paid are so exorbitant
compared to the duties performed. and so
out of all proportion to such necessary ex-
penses of courts in the United States, that
We must advise against the continuance OF
such an extravagant expenditure of the
public funds.
Courts should be provided for Porto
Rico with liberal allowances. but SO con-
stituted in numbers Of employees and ex-
penditures as to be reasonable and just
and SO organized that business may be
despatched promptly, and that substantial
justice may be meted out to all alike.
III the courts themselves are only to be
used as an instrument Of oppression in
stead of being the safeguards and defen1-
ers of the rights and liberties of the peo-
pie. then they do not only fail in thar
great purpose. but become the means OF
oppression and the instruments of injus-
| tice.
That such a system should give way TO
the new order of things in Porto Rico, and
| that the courts to be provided for the peo-
pie should be modelled after the American
court system, is our judgment in the mat
ter"
The terrible condition of the Porto Ri
can prisoners is made the subject of a
lengthy report:
The text of the report is as follows:
This Commission made a most thorough
and searching inspection and enquiry into
the prisons OF the island. and found there
in fearful condition prevailing. There
were at the time of our visit and inspec-
tion confined within these prisons from
l,500 10 1000 prisoners not tried.
The judges of the supreme court in
their evidence before the commission es-
timated the number of prisoners confined
within the prisons awaiting trial to be
2.0o0, and those without the prisons await
ing call for trial to be 2.OC0 more, making
u srand total of 1900 prisoners, and those
accused of crimes awaiting the slow pro-
cess of the courts in the matter OF justice.
Many Of these prisoners had been con-
fined in these prison walls for many
moaths and even years awaiting trial for
the most trivial offences, in one of these
prisons we found man who had been
confined for twenty-five months charged
with stealing d pan of beans: in another.
one confined for twenty months charged
with stealing a 2-cent loaf of bread; and
in another. prisoner who was still await
ing trial after eighteen months confne-
ment charged with stealing chicken; and
still another, who was impatiently await
ing the slow process of Spanish law after
a confinement of twenty months charged
with stealing half bunch OF bananas of
an actual cash value of cents.
''As if these cases were not sufficient to
demand immediate and instant relief, we
found 4 man who had been confined in one
Of the prisons twenty-five months without
charges of gny kind, and neither the man
nor the prison officials knew with what he
WIS charged or why he was confined. In
another prison. the official report of which
we now have on file, prisoner was found
in confinement who had been there for
six years and eight months awaiting trial.
and he was then and had long been de-
mandng that he might have an opportuni-
ty to be heard in his own defence. These
are but 4 few of the many hundreds of
cases which came TO our knowledge. not
only from personal inspection. bur from
the official reports made to us by the pris-
on officials.
$50 that We may not appear to be ex-
aggerating the condition of these prisons.
we take the liberty of giving herewith a
copy of the report of Major A. c. Sharpe.
the Judge Advocate of the Governor Cen
erals staff, and assistant secretary of JUS
tice of the island. concerning certain pris-
oners in the prison at Mayaguez. which is
founded upon the report of Mr.. Gabriel An
ciaux, the inspector CT prisons which. in
general terms, will give a fair idea of all
the prisons upon the island. and which
was confirmed by personal inspection of
this prison by the Commission:
Headquarters Department of Porto Rico
Office of the Judge advocate.
San Juan, Porto Rico. March ~. ls'o
The Adiutant General. Department of Porto
Sir-I have the honor To submit the following
statement Of civil prisoners, with recommended
tions to each:
LoiIo Lasalle-Age 30: married five children
In jail at Mayagutz. charged with theft of
bag Of coffee. Has beca in confinement nineteen
mcnths October Is. ls3') This man has never
been tried. Even if guilty. lie has been pun
i,hed enough recommend his release.
Pedro Paya Mrando-Age, p; bachelor. In
Jail at Mayaguez, charged with theft OF Il bag
of coffee. He has been in confinement eighteen
month, October Is. lsJsJ This man was never
iiied. ENen II guilty. nc has been punished
enough. | recommend his release.
Casiento NalUntine-I.ad OF Il or Is years.
Iharged with theft Of an empty bag. Has been
in corfnt meBt five months without hear
ing. recommend his release.
Louis Dieudonnc-ACe. % Arrested December
2G ISIS. charged with theft of three pairs of
socks. II guilty, this man has been sufficiently
punished. and if innocent, his long confinement
s outrage.
Ramon Rivera and Juan Sanchez-Held in. sol.
ar. mfr ,,.atn tbp,tpI, NOT
tet tried nor had hearing. Case should he re-
,orted on. Solitary confinement is not permitted
.Ncept a punishment.
Maximo Cruz Y HerTera-Ase. 2s. Has been in |
all nearly year april. 1888. charged with |
heft of one fowl. Tried January G. ls.is and |
en,enced to one year ard day. | recon- |
mend he he Immediately released if the theft Of |
me fowl is his only offence.
Caudido Garcia Colcelsion-Age, 81: negro. Ar. |
ested December, 1897. for theft of pieces of cloth
rom tailor shop. Has had examination since |
'trcSted, fifteen months ago. Should be prompt |
Y released
Julio Ramon Vegas-Agc. 81 Arrested Dacem-
'cr %. lSJ1. for having used in cock fight a |
'ocS not belonging to him, whc. he had |
oaned The owner sl.5o. the cock unhappiy be-
ng killed in the fight. As this case has now
,een pending for fifteen months, the man
houd be released at once.
F'idcas Rodriguez-Age. 20. Was sentenced in
iarch, ls9s, to eight months, imprisonment for
heit. His term expired four mont. .hs ago vet
&c is still in Jail. No ether charges exist against
i'm.
This is hut partial list of a single Jail
SlayagucZ) If this condition prevails all over |
lie island, it undoubtedly does. the only pos
lille remedy appears to be in the institution of |
usticcs or police courts in every town and vii
age. This ! have already recommended in |
Drmer communication. Yours respectfully,
A. {. SHARPE
i1ior and Assistant Adiu.ant General, L. S
Volunteers. Acting Judge Advocate |
o the ins,ilar Commission. for their information.
"In the Jail at Ponce were 2I2 men con-