On one occasion when I heard a Dominican
lawyer lament that a friend of his had thus been incarcerated for
several months without a hearing, I inquired why he did not apply to a
court and invoke the constitutional provision. The reply was, "The
judge who signed an order to set the prisoner free would probably join
him in jail before many hours had passed."
Such ignoring of the written law was a relic of the days when the will
of the military was the only law respected. Reminders of the old state
of affairs continued to crop out, though the people and government
were rapidly adopting other customs. An instance occurred in Sanchez
during the presidency of Morales. A younger brother of the president
was customs collector at that port and was accused by public rumor of
irregularities in office. A customs employee having been discharged
for spreading the rumor, called on the collector and invited him to a
meeting outside; and the two adjourned to the bush, where shots were
exchanged and young Morales was wounded in the leg. The aggressor was
immediately seized by the general commanding the military forces in
Sanchez and carried to the town cemetery, a grave was dug, and the
general prepared to have him summarily shot.
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