Evening star., 1961-05-21

G-2 and thrown into prison in the
aftermath Of the unsuccessful invo-
sion ottempt. Mr.. BerrelIez flew beck
to this country Friday night with the
first plonelood Of repotrioted Amer
icons.
Sure enough, the birds beak
tore into my finger. Blood
spurted and Correspondent
Phillips came through wonder
fully with very proper scream.
Notes Destroyed in WashrOOm
We both rushed to the wash
room and quickly destroyed
the notes. Then I became a
prisoner at G-2. I was asked
no questions, except my name
and address. I was told Moth
ing else but huddled into a
roomful of people, including
four priests, to await process
ing.
1t was 6:15 pm. Two hours
later we were herded into a
bus and rode in the worst pos
sible direction: straight to La
Cabana. But the bus turned
instead into MORO Castle
Prison. The sight that greeted
us was appalling.
In the light, cold rain we
could see thousands huddled in
the deep moats. Small fires
flickered here and there. 1t
seemed impossible that anyone
could find room to lie down.
But they were.
A fortunate break came when
we were driven away to CO
again. The reason: the prison
was jammed beyond its limits.
So, instead we were taken
into a house near CO head
quarters. This was to be my
home for the next 13 days. We
occupied the bottom floor, four
small rooms into which 1877
people we're jammed. One toilet,
no shower. No furniture.
Filth, Bad Food, Overcrowding
To get us in, it was necessary
to wake up everyone so we
could walk through. Some were
fortunate enough to find Sleep
ing space on a staircase. ]
slept that night with my head
on somebody's restless stomach
I couldn't see the gent to thank
him for letting me put my feet
over his legs.
AS far as could be learned
during my Imprisonment. there
were no acts of physical torture
committed by guards. This
seemed to be uppermost in the
minds Of all prisoners. recall
ing the stories of brutality dur
ing the regime Of deposed die
tator Fulgencio Batista.
But there was no need for it
The filth, the bad food, the
crowding, the lack Of sanitation
facilities, and the danger that
some inexperienced and nervous
militiaman would take matters
into his own hands were enough
torture.
Ones personal health be-
came a preoccupation. An cpl
demic Of influenza swept La
Cabana prison in the first week
Of May. 1t resulted in the death
of DR.. Enrique Guiralt. SIS, 6
widely known Havana lawyer
Some of the score or so o1
physicians imprisoned at Ii
Cabana had diagnosed his i'll.
ness as bronco-pneum9nia.
Protests Fail, Lawyer Dies
Protests to prison authoritie:
went unheeded until the slight.
ly-built lawyer succumbed or
May 8 at $50 pm. The death
had the effect of forcing au'
thorities to do something about
the epidemic. Aspirin and pen.
icillin became available. Before
: that, a tablet of hardly-avail-
able aspirin sold clandestinely
for Is cents.
The prison doctor ironically
turned out to be a former SER
geant in Batista's army. A
husky mulatto in his late 40s
he was reputed to have hele
the same job at La Cabana un'
der Batista. This time, how
ever, he was also an inmate
, convicted as a war criminal.
He was an impatient one
with so many sick people or
his hands. Once, during sici
call, the man in front Of me
complained of a chest cold. Tht
sergeant's prescription: Smoke
a strong cigar"
OverpOwering Stencil
. An even grimmer prospect
was in the works at La Cabans
when I was released. The i'll
famed "Chinchorros" or dun.
geons were reopened May II
and appeared in the process o,
preparation for future use.
, I was among a number o.
American newsmen permitted tt
) witness the closing of the dun
geons early in 1859 after Castro
came into power. Capt. Manolt
Fernandez, first rebel arm!
commandant Of La Cabana
sealed the dungeons with bricl
and concrete.
The underground cells rur
the length and width of the
lnrison natio in the shane of .
triangle, roughly 180 feet deer
and go feet at it's widest. it ha.
only two overhead air inlets
All the seepage from the ever.
damp patio winds up in the
dungeons. When a jackham.
mer crew finally reopened the
only door in full view Of silent
prisoners. an overpowerint
stencil sent workers. racing ur
LII.