Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1912-08-01
TERRORS At
VERA CRUZ To
Be ENDED
Madero Government Devising
Means to Transfer Prisoners
to Some More Habitable
Place Meets With Difficult.
ties.
nv EvsnIna H,rala A. ?. les.sa wlr.l

W. 1NNNNN - AaNNANA WIN
Mexico city. July 3t.-san Juan 40
Ulua, at Vera cruz, which Tor two
centuries ana hair under Spanish
and Mexican rule. has been mill
taty prison, WIN soon have no more
torrors Tor the criminal. provided tho
National Assembly consents to the
necessary laws for It's abolition now
under consideration.
President Madeyo during an In
spection of the prison while hc was
ptesidrnt.clcct promised the prison
ets that he would see that they were
transferred to some more habitnhio
place. but the move has met with dif.
ficuitirs. The only federal prison
available for the transfer was the
castle OF perote. IN tnc state Of Vera
cruz, near the divide on the gulf
slope which was found To he too
small and. until after many altera-
lions were authorized, could not be
used
\ plan 90 transfer the prisoners 20
the Islands or the Three Marias. off
the Pacific coast. opposite san Bias.
Topic, was also met by the undcslra-
buity of minRling the more hardened
~ liNN'INtiiN NAhN WV NNfNAAAHH NNhfA NAAf.N
and women. Cor whom the ISLAND col
oul Is now reserved.
QuntEna Roo the other Mexican
penal colony, has been condemned
on account ot the unsanitary condl-
tiuns there, and h already fun n
the necessary appropriation n voted
houses of correction win he built In
various parts a.: the republic for the
reception OF those now sent 10 tho
Marias, which win allow the men and
women to be- segregated This viii
make possible the tran fer OF tho
~ isoncrs In san Juan de Uiua.
The old fort Of San Juan. tho
MORO Castle 81 Mexico. has always
held Tor the political offender and
the cyii docr all the horrors ever In
spircd by the Bustilr or the Tower ~
London. Il ~ built on an island IN
the bay az Vera cruz, about milo
from the shore. ana comparatively
few of the thousands who have enter
) ed its gates have come forth alive.
Many Of the cells are partially under
water when the tide IN full, and the
interior ones are veritablc dungeons
without light or ventilation. In these
| ln Spanish times the Culprits were
confined, the water reaching TO their
waists
t'ndor Mexican rules these lower
cells are said 60 have been Abandoned
ub pluces of confiuwpent hut con-
domination ~ O. few months I'M
/ pr.suumrut iu tho least unsanitHry
portions of the Er,weomc fort, over
run with ycrmin ana rocking In inc
mth of centuries. meant lingering
| drnth. aud many Of M"Xi'o's political
lprisou,rs have dropped from sight
within los wallis.
! m. cornerstone of the castle was
| LAID hy the Spnn.nrds In 1898 Is
| foundations alone are said 10 have
| cost more than ii.UO0,0U0 gold. and
| the aggregate sum spent on the castle
uy the SpJnlardH over 100000 400
gold The fact that tho castle is stlll
ln use liz evidence Of the efficiency with
which the work uf constructor was
done Escape from the place IL I'M
| possible. not only on account OF the
guard which is maintained, but he
cause OF the sharks which infcst tho
| Writer'S OF the harbor.
san Juan was the last stronghold ~
the spaniards in Mexico when the
Mcxicnns triumphed in the war or
Independence In 1894. Their last act
before evacuation was 90 turn the
guns Of the fort on the city OF Vera
/ cruz mbjccting II 20 bombardment
that all but destroyed H.
Americas, English and foreign resi-
dents of the capital generally. who
He'd boz panicky haste following tho
state departments warning 10 Am
orleans Eve months ago. have been
gradually returning during the last
| "a. J..