“Yesterday we visited a poor man, sick and suffering. He had been dragged from the lodging house, where he was sleeping, at two o’clock in the morning, hand-cuffed and taken to prison. He was then dragged out into the country, where he was buffeted and beaten cruelly, and, refinement of cruelty, a scissors was produced, and his hair, beard, mustache, and eyebrows were cut off. This occurred in the environs of the town of Santa Marta, at which time and place this ignoble deed, was perpetrated by the inspector and eight policemen ONLY. They kicked and beat him all the way to the highway, refusing to let him return for his books or clothes, threatening to shoot him if he dared show himself in the place again. Covered with bruises, he had to drag himself ten miles to the nearest station, whence he returned home, too ill to proceed with his journey.
“The name of him who was treated thus, is Felix Vacas. The inspector is one Valladolid. The names of the eight policemen we do not know, we are sorry to say.
“What had Felix done? Was this horrible punishment for some great crime? He showed us, besides his back crossed a great many times by welts from the lash, and stained with blood, some documents, perfectly accredited, according to which the legal authorities had consented to the exercise of his profession. He seems to have devoted himself to the selling of books, and to the holding of public meetings for the preaching of the gospel.
“The outrage is so brutal that we know of no precedent. We are sincerely opposed to the religion of this mistreated preacher, nevertheless we feel obliged to protest against this lack of charity, and this incalculable outrage, which nothing can justify.
“We assure you, Sir Governor of the Province, energetic measures are necessary! We already know you have abused your authority over the victim of this outrage. We are not ignorant of the fact that you must have countenanced this deed, or otherwise it could not have been committed and that the opportune information, confirmed by the doctor’s certificate, of the imprint of the kicks on the flesh of this human being, has come to the knowledge of His Honor, the Judge of the Province. But independent of this judicial action, do you not hold in your hands a means less dilatory, of imposing on such misdemeanors, an exemplary punishment?”