The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1900-02-16

altarnated with prisons, dungeons and
magazines. II one were walking OIL the
avenue that was called the Magallenes
or Quad0, one could soc, III front Of the
walls In the old city, the small board
windows which admitted light to the
prison proper, aud no little care had
been paid to the wants and comforts Of
the prisoners inonr0erated within, that
tho creeping wipes that had been al
lowed to grow on the walls mad, IN
many instances, covered up these small
apnratures 40 that there was neither
light nor air. These prisons are To-
Gated or the level with the ground aud
were damp, filthy and filled with rats
aid vesmin, just the same as wo found
at Cavite. The air was foul aud
poisonous and 1t was only a question
Of a few days, or weeks at the most,
before death would come az a happy
release from the awful conditions Of q
Spanish prison. These weie the pris-
uns plopey, but down beneath were the
dungeons, aud here were located whit
subsequently, became known to the civ
AAIHGVs W0Alt NH tlS UAuGN AAOAGb VI A4ts
Mia. Undoubtedly you were enabled
to read, from the printings of some one
Of the many writer's at Manila, Of the
horrible auffoeation Of fifty mon In one
night In u Of these dungeons. How
great the horrors may have been OF
these prisons aud dungeons, dating
back to the very foundation Of the city
In 1890, no u can tell, for thousands
OF innocent men who were naught else
but political prisoners were thrown. into
these vile places, and II they were ever
brought out again into the sunlight of
day, 1t was that they might BIO con.
veyed to the bloody Luneta. just OH the
outside Of tho wall.
cone sees everyw here evidences Of
Spanish ornelties. Bloody marks were
plentiful and chains, which were used
to bind to the floor, are still seer IN the
walls. The prisons have been recently
used. bit the dungeons have not been
for the past three or four years. While
discussing this matter of iuquisitional
prisons, as they were called In old
Manila, we might speak Of the Preside,
q large square Enclosure where were to be
found not only the prison proper, but the
Jail for each district. This was sit
uatad in the Santa CRUZ district on the
Callea Hilibid. AT the time Of our en-
trance $500 prisoners-mostly natives
were found within these walls.
Here were evidences Of the rack and
the %guillotine and the garrote. Imme.
diately the city went under martial
law, an investigation Of the condition
Of these prisons WINS ordered, and 1t Ia
an actual fact that within the first ten
days after the investigation occurred at
least 90 Per cent of these men, who
Ind been confined without just process
of law and with NJ crime alleged
against them, were released and al
lowed to return to their homes. We
were enablad to see some Of the effects
Of this imprisonment. One day, while
with Lieutenant Motfett, three prison.
ers were brought In, two Of whom were
able to show arms that were useless;
there was nothing but skin and bone.
Inquiring the reason why the prisoners
had been subjected to such horrible
treatment, we were told that they we're
supposed to be In possession Of secrets
which II was desired the Spaniards
should be In possession of, and they had
been put to this torture In order to
make them confess. On another OF.
cRsion some three hundred prisoners
had been placed IN Ii Of the wings in
the prison proper, and because they
were suspicioned only of having acted
III connection with a regiment Of ma.
tives that had mysteriously Disappeared,
the oommandant had ordered a flo OF
soldiers to line up In front of this
wing and fire. OF the three hundred,
but seventy were discovered alive after
firing had ceased, Another fayorite
mode OF disposing of prisoners was by
tho garrote. The maohine was placed
In tho office Of the prison keeper, and IL
any prisoner was suspioioned so that
II wns desirable to he rid Of him, he
was simply brought into the office,
told to sit down In a chair with an up
right piece along his spinal column
and MI iron ring around his neck, with
n screw that worked very easy attached
to tho napeaot tho neck, and the brute
who stood behind him, turning this
screw. with one or two revolutions,
was enabled to take his lite from him.
The life Of the prisoners under Ameri.
oau control was pleasant, They were
allowed to work, They obtained the
oarribou horns and were enabled to
make almost anything in this way OF
oanes and pipes, oignr holders, gavels
and certain kind OF jewelry from these
native horns. while in another depart
ment they were enabled to make trunks.
lunch baskets, work baskets or what
aver n soldier or officer might dictate,
from the native bamboo, There was
still another department where they
made cots, and at the time of our de-
parture the government had lot n con
fnaat with tho nlisan Nh tIaritiag for MT