The Great Round World and What Is Going On In It, Vol. 1, No. 19, March 18, 1897 | Page 2

find an excuse for arresting or punishing them.
Dr. Ruiz, though he seems to have attended to his own business, and
obeyed the law in every way, interfering with no one, has been an
object of suspicion to Fondeviella for some time past, and when, on
January 16th, a train was thrown off the rails by insurgents, a few miles
from Guanabacoa, Dr. Ruiz was accused of having taken part in the
outrage.

He was arrested and thrown into jail.
When the reason for his arrest was known, some well-known citizens
of Guanabacoa came forward, and said that they knew Dr. Ruiz was
innocent. It seems that on that very night there was a birthday party at
the house of Dr. Ruiz's father-in-law.
The doctor was present, but, feeling tired, he left the party at ten o'clock
and went to his own house. Two of his friends went with him, and sat
chatting with him until after twelve o'clock.
The train was thrown off the rails at ten-thirty, so that it was quite
impossible that Dr. Ruiz could have had any hand in the work.
The authorities refused to listen to these statements made by Dr. Ruiz's
friends, and kept him shut up in a dark and filthy cell for fourteen days.
At the end of this time word came to Consul-General Lee that Dr. Ruiz
had died in prison.
As he was a very strong and healthy man, the American Consul at once
suspected that he had not died a natural death.
On investigation it was found that the poor fellow had died from the
effects of a blow on the head.
No one knows, and probably no one ever will know, how he was killed,
but there are dark rumors that he was murdered in his cell by
Fondeviella's orders.
When the Americans were going to see the cell in which poor Dr. Ruiz
had died, they were obliged to pass along a corridor lined with other
cells, in which more prisoners were confined.
As they walked along this passage, several of the poor captives came to
their doors, and whispered that Ruiz had been ill-treated, and they
thought murdered. They declared that they had heard sounds of blows
coming from his cell, and that the jail had rung with the poor doctor's
cries for help.

This may not be true, because Cubans shut up in jails by Spaniards are
not likely to feel very friendly toward them, and these stories may have
been invented with the hope of angering the Americans into making
war on Spain.
But whether these stories be true or false, it is very well known that the
Spaniards do not treat their prisoners kindly, and there is good ground
for suspicion in this case.
Our Consul was so disturbed by the news that was brought to him, and
by the sights that he saw in the jail, that he sent word to the government
in Washington, asking that warships be sent to Havana to protect the
American prisoners who are in Cuban jails.
There have been, and still are, a number of our citizens under arrest in
Cuba, and the case of Mrs. Rodriguez, about whom you read in
Number 16 of THE GREAT ROUND WORLD, followed so closely by
the death of Dr. Ruiz, has made General Lee feel that the Americans in
Cuba need some better protection than they have at present.
The government however, has refused him the help he asked for, and it
is reported that the Consul-General has sent in his resignation,
preferring to give up his office rather than remain in Cuba without the
power to help his countrymen.
This news has created the greatest excitement. The government denies
that it is true, and declares that General Lee has neither asked for
warships nor sent in his resignation. But signed telegrams come from
Havana, stating that the whole matter is quite true, and that the General
cabled his resignation, so that there might be no delay in its reaching
our government.
Both Houses of Congress are demanding to be told the whole truth
about the matter. Senators, who, as a rule, are very loyal to the
government, are asking for explanations, and insisting that all the
papers and letters in Mr. Olney's hands that relate to the subject shall be
given to the Senate.

Havana is also highly excited. The report that General Lee had asked
for warships set the Spaniards afire. They threatened, and raged, and
became so angry and indignant that the Marquis de Ahumada, the
governor of Havana, was afraid that riots would break out.
He therefore sent for the colonels of the various volunteer troops in the
city, and assured them that the reports were altogether false, and that
Mr. Cleveland and Mr. Olney were the