The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-03-17
SHUT IN FILTHY CELL
AND LITERALLY STARVED
Two Americans Convicted of
Murder at Which They
Were Not Present
sneclal to pailx Leader.

Special to Daily Leader.
Enid, Okla, March Edward
Stuver. of Brookfield. Mo, is in this
city today on his way home from Old
Mexico, and for the first time since
his release told of the horrors of exc
istence in q Mexican dungeon. Stuver
gained his liberty through a demand
upon Mexico by the secretary of state.
In company with w. B. Speed of
Dallas. Texas. Stuver was confined TO
a prison TOR thirteen months aud thir-
teen days, having been sentenced for
a crime OF which he was wholly guilt
less, as the Mexican authorities es-
tablshed to their own satisfaction be-
fore he was released Bearing in his
face distinct traces of the agony he
had endured during the long months
OF confinement, Stuver told a tale of
cruel persecution.
In July 1906, Stuver then an engi.
neer on the Mexican Central railway
was arrested at the city Of Cardenas
on a charge of murder. In company
with j. A. BOdfiGh, "a conductor, of
Kansas City the engineer was stand
| Ing on the platform of the Cardenas
depot when they heard an uproar in
the restaurant which occupies "A part
OF the depot Looking in window
they saw a scramble tor the door on
the opposite side and a peon dying
on the floor That was all Stuver saw
or knew OF the killing.
Not Present at His Trial.
Before his train could pun out the
American engineer was placed under
arrest. charged with completely in the
killing of the native W. B. Speed
also an engineer, was In the restau
rant when the fatal row took place and
i he. too, was arrested That night the
| two Americans were locked in the
Cardenas Jail, and the next morning
some twenty natives, enraged over the
killing. swore that these two men had
slain the dead peon. The only trial
afforded was being called before a
Judge and Informed through an in
lterpreter that they had been sen
ltenced TO twelve years in prison
With the tropical sun blistering
their faces. Stuver ana Speed We're
marched over rocky roads. hills and
mountains and across swampy ravines
Ito Aliquines. On the route they We're
lguarded by a detachment Of twelve ma
tiyes armed with machettas, who kept
the points OF the weapons within a few
inches OF the bodies of the prisoners,
who were not allowed to look around
once during the days latiguing march.
The Horrors Of Their Cell.
And in the rear of this procession
which was led by Stuyer and Speed
was group of natives carrying the
casSet which contained the corpse OF
the slain Mexican again and again
the poems stopped to weep over theii
dead comade and to curse the Amer
leans
Arrived at Aliquines the prisoners
were lodged in dirt floored adobe
walled cell, six by nine feet with D
roof OF bamboo polo1 There they re
manned eight months and five days
One kept watch while the other slept
ana guarded the body of the sleeper
from tarantulas, eentipedes ana every
( form OF tropical insect ycilmin an,
pest that infested the cell.
After eight months here Stuyer an,
Speed were transferred TO the state
lpenitenuary at San Luis Potosi Z,
serve ont their sentences OF twelve
, years each
One day, while visiting this prison
, two Enid women, Mrs, James Sannie
and Mrs. A. Rogers. sisters and th.
wives OF American engineers in Mex