Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-04-04
4 PORTO R|pAN Held.
Jorge Cruz Locked up by the New
York Authorities as an
Alien.
Case May Be Carried to Highest
Court to Determine His
Citizenship.
Cruz Came to This Country Under
Contract to Work-A Test
Case.

Contract to Work-A Test
Case.
New York, April 4.-Jorge Cruz, from
Porto Rico. seeking tosenter this port, Is
detained ali Ellis island under the alien
contract labor law, and his deportation
has been ordered by the immigration
Relieving himselfsto be entitled
to all the rights and privileges suaran-
teed by AMERICAN citizenship, Cruz
came here ambitious TO avail himself of
the opportunities denied him in his is
land home When Informed of the rul-
ing5of the officials who had detained him
his only remark Was: AT last 1 am
convinced that | am a man without
country
In cruz behalf former Judge Abram
sDittenhoefer has been retained and will
today apply 70 the United States cir
cult court for q writ of habeas corpus,
which will have the effect of testing
Cruz right 10 enter this port, even tho
he is under contract as a laborer.
Jorge Cruz is a native of Porto Rico
and is 26 years old. Like all other Porto
Ricans he believed, when the Spanish
flag was hauled down. that the flag of
sthe United States, which was hcisted,
stood for freedom and for the equality
sof men. With the new era in his ISLAND.
he expected a turn in his own affairs
Which would mean 10 him brighter
future. 1T has long been his ambition
to come TO New York. where he knew
opportunities existed and where he
could learn theslanguag the habits and
the customs of the race that is stronger
than his nwG.
Cruz, acquaintance was formed last
February by Charles NJ. Pepper, who
offered to bring him 10 New York The.
offer MAS quickly accepted. Cruz de-
smanGed few promises and made no con
Fditions other than that a contract should.
be signed in accordance with the old
Spanish custom. He would, he said.
come TO New York fnr six months ard
do al, y work II at the end OF that time
he became dissatisfied orShis employer
WAS Dissatisfied With him, he would re-
turn to his home.
Under these conditions the contract
WAS drawn. ard with MIR. Pepper. Cruz
left san Juan four days ago on the
steamship Caracas, bound for New
York Because of that contract Cruz
Twas halted by the immigration officials.
who, after due consideration of his case
anc, despite that Porto Rico is part of
1.-The United States. announced that he
was an alien. and consequently must be
l.deported.
A a 1t has been the contention of many
that when Porto Rico was acquired II
Immediately came under the provisions
Iof the eons titutiono the United States
4 and that between the island and the re-
imaint.erof the country absolute free
trade rl7every way should govern. This
Il being the case, t WAS not deemed prob
.fabiesthat any difficulty Mould arise from
4 the fact that cruz Was coming in under
contract.
I However. it appears that organized
Il labor. drawing a parallel between Porte
lsRico and the Philippines, fears that ar
open door Wi permit Il, heavy importa-
4 ton of cheap labor from tbs. east. This
A being the case. when it became known
4 that a Porto Rican under contract as I,
4 laborer3 WAS to arrive at this port on the
II Caracas. protest MAS made 10 Commits
$ l5sqner Thomas F'itchie. I. +. Derfing-
Ter. organizer Of the American Fedora
{ ton of Labor, and of the state working
e mems federation. went in person I.
8 IGommissioner Fitchie aud demandet
a that Cruz be detained.
On the complaint of Mr.. Derflinge
s Inquiry was made which led Supervis
u ing Inspector Robert NNatchorn to orda
the detention of Cruz. AT the office 0
Commissioner Fitchie, however, ther
was at first an inclination TO permi
Cruz to enter without further action.
Finally, however, a parallel case wa
discovered Which had occasioned refer
ence 20 I. Y. Powderly, commissions
4 general Of immigration. In Februar.
q 1899 Commissioner Powderiy replied |
part as follows:
Ill You are informed that aliens con
II ing from Porto Rico are in all respec
y on a footing With aliens from any 9th,
h country. and. the laws and regulation
"a should be enforced as regards the
" precisely in the same manner as
% other cities, including #an&examinatic
at your port as to their right to land.
n IT. ". POWDERLY,
commissioner General -
tAItel IliSliiE qStulIttt "A
~ tions Commissioner Eitchie and Il
n spector Wachorn decided to refer Il
~ case of Cruz to the board of special i
Euuirv, which. after mature deliberatio
ordered the deportation of the INN
grant.
Mr.. Dittenhoefer when communica
ed With at once announced his bell
a that Cruz was being Illegally detain
and declared his Willingness toundc
4 take to prevent his deportation. Fl
first step was to Interview the you
visitor from Porto Rico and to secu
his signature to an application for
writ of habeas corpus. The Applicant
for the writ was made in the Unit
a States court. In case the decision
y the board of inquiry is reversed the ii
migration authorities will be likely
take an appeal Should a decision
4, reached upholding the order to dept
40 Cruz. Mr.. Dittenhoefer has been
y. structed to at once appeal. This W
=. result h carrying the case to the
N preme court of the United States.
n. Upon the decision of the supre
90 court will depend, it is said, the sta
n, of the people of the Philippine islam