Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1915-11-04
CASTLE HARBORS
MANY HORRORS
FORTRESS AT VERA CRUZ HAS
DISPOSED OF NU.lER-
Gus PERSONS.
Not a Few Prisoners Have Been
Pushed Into Dark Waters.


Pushed Into Dark Waters.
Grim, gaunt and forboding. rising
sheer from the blue inner harbor Of
San Juan de Ulua, name which Is
whispered in terror throughout Mex
leo. There are tales of its dungeons
and labyrinth of secret passages.
there are tales of quiet secluded
opening along the sea wall where, in
tho shadow of night, straining forms
have slipped over the sill to the
tongues of the leaping waves--sacks
which struggled and screamed in ter.
ror-and the black waters have been
cut by the lightning rush of triangu-
lar fins as the sharks claimed their
human prey; and more tales of firing
squads of break of day facing a
bullet polled wall; and still other
tales of men immured within the
prehensile walls in their youth-and
their names forgotten when the
burial squad carried the remains
from out the roeking dungeons.
There were prisoners of all ranks
and conditions in the castle. MeTi-
can officers, political prisoners, were
living in the easements with their
families. A Mexican colonel, alone
in his dignity, has been imprisoned
in state; he was lucky not 10 have
Eeen shot, for his crime had been
heinous-he had opposed the presi'
dent of Mexico.
The officer in charge directed that
the main cell gate be opened, and the
prison proper was entered. Under an
archway the light of day became
gloom, and within the first gate there
| lay another entrance, within the bars
of which an evil-looking prisoner re-
mained as trusty.
At the rear of this reception cham
| ber there rose the barred and cross
| barred grille of the great cellroom,
| at whose rounds there clung a hun
dred whitened hands, while half as
many palid faces pressed against the
| iron and peered wonderingly at the
strangers in khaki.
. A dusty, damp odor emerged from
the entrance and struck the visitors
| full in the face. Then, as the interi-
or was gained. the mustiness became
an odor, the odor a stencil and the
stencil overwhelmingly repulsiye -
nauseating. The only light came
from far above, through grilled open,
ings in the lofty, vaulted ceiling; and
the light struck only upon tiny spot
directly beneath, while the rest OF the
cavern was plunged in deep dark
ness, through which shadowy forms
seemed to stink.
At word from the trusty the shad'
ows sprang--or crept-into line IN 81
lence. and the Mexican keeper, as
ragged and filthy as the rest, paced
UT and down before the line with whip
coiled in hand 1t was not used while
the visitors We're present. for the ma
rires had very promptly discouraged
amy taste of it; but look at the COW
ertng forms of the prisoners limited al
its former lashings.
The Mexican commandant, when he
abandoned the castle, told what these
prisoners were; and according to his
statements a worse lot of thugs, cut
throats and murderers 1t would bt
, hard to find. In justice to his verac
ity, most of them looked the par
thoroughly.
From the main cell. which is prac
tically four long vaults connected b,
archways, some of the lesser cell'
we're entered, and then the dungeons
There Is small cell, reached by 5
ladder, neither high enough for
small man to stand erect in no
stretch out full length. 1t was vacan
at the time. but there was crust o
, bread in the corner.
j., The dungeons are long, low cells
with barred gate at one end and blanl
vail at the other Through the gloom
! straining eyes could dimly make ou
, drawing and writings on the walls
, Here and there roughly drawn eros
a told of a release from suffering-a re
. lease which came not by the hand o
, man.-Washington Star