Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-24

two halls, or dormitories, one of which
can be seen in one Of the pictures here
reproduced.
There are four rows of human beings
lying, or rather packed, along the filthy
floor. Instead of pillows the men use
their trousers, when they have a pair,
and lie with their heads on their shoes,
or "huaraches." For beds they are
given what are known as "petates," or
cheap Mexican floor mats, the only bed
clothes known in Belem prison, whether
the night be cold or damp or otherwise.
Under these conditions, man against
man, some naked, others half clad, all
moist from respiration mingled with
the yenomous breath-vapors of the dor
mitories, there human beings are forced
to lie for hours, huddled, packed, piled
together, sometimes one upon another
until the dark hours of the night seem
to stretch out to eternity.
Unutterable Filth
There are no sewers-what more can
be suggested of the horrors that ensue
Five or six thousand human beings
piled together in these narrow dormi-
tories, and no sewers! Does it require
a vivid imagination to picture the awful
conditions existing in that hell of pun
ishment?
AS one of the pictures will show, the
Jail has no ceiling. Its roof Is OF wood
old. ,vermiculous, rough rafters which
afford a breeding place for millions of
tropic insects, Chagras fever germs,
mosquitoes. bedbugs, cockroaches and
vernin that make the long nights hor-
rible with their bite and sting.
Millions of bedbugs infest every crack
and crevice of the prison. During the
day these insects and Vermin stay up
in the woodwork and at night, like
diminutive vampire, crawl down into
the wriggling heap of helpless human
beings-whose blood they suck and poi
son-until the air is filled at times
with groans, feverish exclamations,
curses and cries for help.
Here there are vermin so thick that
some prisoners spend the tedious days
looking for and killing them. And
many thousands can they kill in day,
if they have good eyes.
The writer of this article spent many
weeks in that Gehenna hole for no
reason except that he was suspected of
having been 'implicated'' in a plot"
against Diaz. The name which I have
signed to this article obviously is as
sumed, for my life, as every Mexican
knows, would not be worth a penny If
I were known. 1 would meet the same
death as have hundreds of others who
have dared to protest against anything
which bears the seal and approval of
Diaz But~I am not an anarchist. l
appeal to all sensible people to agree
with me that because love my country
I should be allowed to have a voice in
its government.
Never let yourself fall into the COM
mon American opinion that Mexico is
a republic. 1t is the most despotic
government in existence outside of Rus
sia-a despotism in the hands of a
dictator who rules with an iron hand
as memorable as Nero's.
AS a Mexican, writing for an Ameri-
can newspaper under an assumed name,
1 dare to say this. If The Herald
should disclose my name it would
mean that l would die. / am not
ashamed of my name, for it is among
the oldest in Spain; I am of a proud
family whose ancestors helped to Gre
ate the history of Mexico. My grand
fathers are known to all Mexicans
and revered by thousands, yet l, who
love my country with that same zeal
and ardor, dare not to criticise 1t; dare
not to proclaim my interest in the poor,
miserable slaves of my native land
dare not protest against the system
which has made the "cholo" the cheap
est and most poverty-stricken 1aborer
on earth, not excepting the Chinese.
No, I cannot try by word or deed to
reform my countrymen or teach them
what is the true nature of republic;
instruct them in the great truth that
as subjects of republic they have a
voice in its government. i love them,