Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-26

Cruz writes. Do you know what "The
Purgatory'' is? 1t is little cell away
down at the foot of a narrow dark
passageway. When you go down there
you may well leave hope behind.
1t is only five feet square. There is
no window in it-not II ray of light
penetrates its interior after the guard
closes the door. Even his footsteps
echo but dimly if he leaves the door,
the walls are so thick. After that there
| is silence-silence Do you know the
silence of a dungeon? God grant that
you do not and may never know. IL
| grows on you as the hours go by. and
as the hours lengthen into days and the
| days into weeks and the weeks INTO
months it is maddening.
Sometimes you wonder that you do
not go mad; sometimes you think you
are going mad. Sometimes you become
stupid and dull and sink almost into
| oblivion; sometimes supernaturally
alert, your unoccupied mind is acutely
active. You plan and plan and plan,
| but never to any effective end. You
| count the chances of escape always;
sometimes in the silent darkness your
mind surmounts all obstacles and free
dom seems only just beyond your grasp.
Then you fall from the heights OF nope
to the depths of blank despair. Only
n sullen guard comes to break the mo-
>
lethargy. He dare not express SYM
pathy for you even If he feels it, for
everywhere in Mexico are members of
the secret police Even the walls have
eyes and ears--the dark, black walls of
San Juan de Ulua.
Nor is the darkness and the silence
alone that make "The Purgatory" wor-
thy of its name 1t is cold and damp,
full of death and disease. Always the
walls are covered with sweat as
though they were impregnated with the
fear that sometimes chills the heart of
the man whom they cut off from Gods
sunlight and the outer world.
Water seeps, seeps, forever; through
the very stones it seems to come. There
is no furniture except the pallet IN tne
corner, a rusty basin and a nondescrlpt
article or two that you are never quite
able to classify even by the dim light
the guard brings with him. Perhaps
they are afraid you will dig your way
out of the stone-bound walls II any tool,
however crude, is left for your hands.
Perhaps it is only another element OF
your punishment, for even Monte
Cristo could not burrow his way out of
this new world Chateau diff.
No. it is not the darkness and ST.
lence alone, nor yet the damp, chill,
disease laden atmosphere that sears
the soul of the unfortunate prisoner.
The place is peopled with ghosts-to
a mind like that of Juan Sarabia's
when 1t wears delirium the ghosts
must be real.l They are ghosts of 9TH
er occupants of this horrible place
Phantoms of the fancy. to be sure, but
none the less haunting for that. Some
of them are dressed in the garb of an
other age. Some are priests, some are
Indians, some are white-faced Euro
peans some Americans.
For San Juan de Ulua knows the Sc
crets of the Inquisition. 1t was once
monastery and then it was 1.-THE Pur-
gatory" was built. Since that distant
day no man knows how many pris-
oners 1t has sheltered nor how many
have died within it's walls and been
dragged out to give place to the next
conner. Few ever leave it alive; even
strong men cannot live there longer
than six months, Juan Sarabia's friend
writes and experience tells
So what may we expect as a result
there? Death-death just as certain
as though he had been shot down
after his farcical trial in Chihuahua
a slow, tortuous death. Every day his
secret friends nj Vera Cruz expect to
hear the news; every day his friends
in the United States expect that the
news will be conveyed to them. He
for "The Purgatory" does not quickly
give up it's secrets, nor does San Juan
de Ulua.
When Juan Sarabia dies-as he most
certainly will before many more weeks
unless he be released from "The Pur-
gatory"-the news will not be officially
nublished to the world; of that you
NAV be sure. His friends may be told
that he has been removed to another
prison, they may be told that he has
been taken from ''The Purgatory'' and
is allowed the privilege" of one of the
other cells only less foul and deathly
than "The Purgatory."
But it is more likely that for long
period no news will come from him
as in the cases of so many others
and then some day casual inquirer
will be met with Juan Sarabia? An,
did you not know? He Is dead-has
been dead and buried many days: He
was never WELL you know.-had the
consumption-and finally died, in spite
OF all that could be done for him. We
tried to find his friends, but no one
knew where any of them were, so he
was buried. Where? Quien sabe."
Thus. perhaps, will end the career