Evening star., 1933-07-17
BY RUTHERFORD FULLERTON

BY RUTHERFORD FULLERTON.
BY Radio to The Star.
MUNICIPAL PRISON, PALMA, Ma
torca, July 17.-AS spokesman for the
five Americans who are spending their
forty-flrst day in a Spanish prison I
cannot say that I know either the
magnitude or the falsity of the ac-
counts of our imprisonment already
published in America. The affair was
such as occurs daily in the United
States and is settled there by trip to
night court, followed by an admonition
or fine
My part in the tragi-comedy was an
innocuous one. I am an elderly gentle
man, and as proof of my venerable
status I will tell you that 1 was lance
corporal in Troop D of the 1st Ohio
Volunteer Cavalry in 1898.
The first scene of our adventure here
was in the ping-pong room of the
Hotel Mediterranean. There were four
at play when a flaming" youth re-
turned from a neighboring cafe. The
hotel doorman refused to let him in,
but the youth insisted, and the door
man, rufhed, sought assistance from the
barracks of the guardia civil across the
street.
Officer Draws Sword.
The part played by Mrs Lockwood
the innocent woman member of our
party now in custody, was to persuade
the youth to calm down. She then re-
monstrated with the Guardia Civil, who
planted blow on the nose-p piece of her
charges eyeglasses, breaking them and
bowling him over Mrs. Lockwood's
husband, enraged by the incident,
rushed to his wifes defense, whereupon
the towering officer, in full regimentals.
drew his sword and struck Mrs. Lock-
wood blow on the hip. The Guardia
Civil then found himself with a blood
fecked bruise over one eye.
Mead, the third member of the party,
remained longest in the ping pong room
while my part throughout was that Of
an ardent pacifist. We were taken as
a group to the prison by a patrol No.
body protested because nobody dreamed
We should not be released Immediately,
either Internationally or on bail That
is the enactment of drama true to life.
The play necessitates the introduction
of type of law-enforcement officer un-
heard of in the United States-I refer
to the Sacrosanct Guardia Civil, a law
unto themselves and the touch-me- -nots
OF the Spanish armed forces.
Our fellow prisoners refer to the
Guardia with awe and to us as braves"
for having stood up to them. 1t was
unlucky that their barracks were so
close to our hotel and that We were ig-
norant of their standing. Such an oc-
currence as ours would have been
barely mentioned in America in the
newspapers as a slight disagreement
with authority owing to natural exuber-
arce. And yet here am I, harmless
man on the forty-first day of my i'm
prisonment, getting publicity abroad.
Unable to Demand Bail.
Since June all five of us have been
held IN custody in a prison filled with
have been preferred against us and SO
long as these charges are delayed our
attorney Is unable to demand our re-
lease on bail
Our witnesses are mostly hotel
guests, and some of them have left un-
announced, for fear of detention as
material witnesses. Mrs. Lockwood is
confined in the womens quarters and
her fellow inmate is demented Span
ish woman. Day and night were made
hideous last week by this inmate who
was suffering from a violent toothache.
The dentist extracted tooth from his
half-crazed patients jaw in Mrs. Lock-
woods presence.
Mrs. lockwood Is allowed to talk
through the bars with her husband for
Is minutes daily. The men are better
off having each others companionship
and common interests. We play hand
ball and form a harmony quartet, keep
ing up our spirits with the song,
Eleven More Months and Ten More
Days. I'll Be Out of the Calaboose." I
wonder how close the song Is to the
grim facts.
Ambassador Bowers in Madrid dis
patched American Consul General
Dawson last week to report on the
facts of our arrest. Mr.. Dawson spent
a long time inquiring into the incident
but left without divulging his final con-
clusions We hope to have word from
Ambassador Bowers and We also hope
that representations will be made to
the Spanish Ambassador in Washing
ton. I trust everything will be done
to secure our release.
Copyright, 1893. by North American News
paper Alliance, 1nc.)