Star.
London, England, 1819-02-13 00:00:00

VALENCIA, JANUARY 92.

. _
On Saturday evening, the '2d Janualy, a Conspi.
racy, which was to have broken out 'at Sunday, the
day following, was interrupted, and entirely fro.
traded, by General Elio, the Commander of the Toaa
of Valencia. A Setjeant, in ahem the conTirates
had imprudently confided, has been the cause or the
ill success of the plot. The affair had been on hand
for some time; and it seems that the General had,
by moans of this spy, received a regular and continual
notice of all the steps taken and to be put in erect:.
tion by the consphators, and, without intempting
any of their proceedings, had been watching tam
'for some months past.
On the Saturday evening above mentioned, at
' past ten o'clock, the Serjeant went to inform the Ge-
neral that then was a favourable moment for takug
his menures, as all concerned were actually assem-
bled in a certain coffee-house. Elio immediately cent
for eight of his body guard, and with no other force
proceeded to the place of rendezvous. A s;go,
was that of clapping the hands, and of which the
General was already apprized, obtained the opening
of the street-door ; but on a second sign being de-
manded within, of which Elio was ignorant, the per-
son who opened resisted his proceeding farther than
the passage. This occasioned some noise, winch
alarmed the conspirators ; and one of the Chiefs, DO2
Joaquim Vidal (Colonel) •descended with a drawn
sabre to learn the cause: he immediately recognized
the General, who called out to him "Rendite,terror
" Surrender, dog!" and a smart attack ensuei. The
sabre of Vidal, however, proved bnt a weak defence
against the pointed sword of the ether, and he was
soon run through, from breast to shoulder, at two
different thrusts.

Those above not understanding the nature of the
tumult, a second came down to make inquiries; on
seeing two men fighting in the passage, he ran ap
stairs to procure an arm, but his companions, wl.o
had already proceeded as far as the head.of the stair-
case, taking their fellow conspirator for an enemy,
fired a pistol at him, the ball of which entered at the
crown of the head. and came out under the chin. He
instantly fell dead—his name was Sola. Elio now
ordered his guard to enter, and the whole band, con-
sisting of thirte:m, were taken prisoners without any
further resistance. An account of this event, and of
the General's measures, was drawn up, and at one
o'clock on the morning of Sunday, a Courier wa..dis-
patched express for Madrid, to carry the intelliience
to the King. Vidal was conveyed to the guard•roorn
in the Hospital, and the rest were put into one of the
town prisons. Every body here admires the intrepi-
dity of the General, and it cannot be denied that he
acted with that firmness and promptitude of deci-
sion, which have ever characterized all his proceed-
ings. Hut he is a man of whom one may say, th.it
good fortune never quits his elbow. It was a mere
stroke of hazard which raised him tq the elevated si-
tuation which he now li(dds; since he has been Com-
mander of the Kingdom of Valencia, he has had ti.:e
of the narrowest e!a:apes from death that have ever,
perhaps, happened to any man.
Once he was shot at in a general review by some
soldiers who had purposely loaded with ball ; and
again, when shooting game in a wood near his roan-
try seat, a ball from an unknown gun pierced his hat;
not long since a command, with the King's stamped
signature, was sent express from Madrid, to order
him to resign his post, and to have him. shot Ivithin
the space of 24 hours ; but the person who received
the order, choosing to act with precaution, a me:,ser.-
ger was dispatched to have the thing verified, aT3I
the whole proved a forgery. Last year a plan -VAS
tormentor attacking him as he came out limn Lte
Theatre ; but the play happening to finish
hour earlier than usual, the scheme failed ; ins::,rt,
the present is the filth escape he has had. I t:l,7er
to mention that Vidal, en recognizing the General rn
the passage, first drew out a pistol, which :lashed to
the pan and misted flue. It was nut till afterwards
that the combat ensued, in whit!, Vidal fel wetandefi
The messenger returned im about ten days with or-
ders from Ferdinand, empowering General Elie te
act in every respect as he might think proper.—
Twenty-four hours were allowed the prisoners to
make their defence, which is a mere matter of form,
for no defence is ever listened to ; and the day after,
all the thirteen were condemned to be hanged; but
the executioner, who is :t pour slitn fellow, with too
much feeling for his employment, gave noise he was
in consequence of having strangled a father, son'
son-in-lass, and two cousins, the rune week ; he ma.;
then asked if he could hang ones he aassvcred, Ye%
Vidal was tuned upon, sad the otil.:re scntenceLl to

and afterwards to be hanged up by the side
it fellow-conspirator. This ceremony took place
iteinesday, the 20th. between ten and twelve
The spot fixed on was the space outside the
i:140,1 walls, just beyond the Puerta Real. All the
of the garrison, both cavalry and infantry, ,
`r,lrawn up so as to form a large square, in the
Intel which were planted two immense gallowses.
.2few minutes after eleven Vidal was led out from
,„rivite gate of the fortress, over the little draw-
; he was dressed in a plain uniform; and so
,i.:iated by the fever occasioned by the wounds,
:ich he had twice torn open since his residence in
,hospital. that he was hardly known for the same
Surrounded and supp,ated by Monks and
11,0.5, he walked slowly towards a Small low plat-
a. where he mounted to be degraded previous to
• execution. Here he was incapable of holding
upright; and reclined entirely in the arms of
of the officers ; his coat and hat were taken off,
I ler having been trampled on by the hangman,
placed under the fatal tree to be burnt : a large
,cl.: robe. with a broad white collar, the costume
fill condemned criminals n Spain, was then thrown
her him, and a monk began to address him with ex.
icititions: among other things he told him, that
~,,,ugh he was a traitor to his country, he might
mac for pardon in, the presence of the Omnipotent
c:awr, Wore whom he was about to appear. This
oeies of reproach roused the indignation of the al-
ia,; inanimate Vidal : he started, raised his head
~;;fl .1 sort of convulsive effort, and looking the fat
Monk sternly in the face--.., Jamas Jams !" cried
Traidor de la patria, Jamas ! For haberlo
demaiiada Leal, par eso inner* !! !" Ills
..! then fell hack upon his shoulders, and he was
71 in a liteless state up the steps of the gallows.
;1; perhaps worth while to describe to you here, the
ittbarous manner of hanging in Spain. The execu-
rner places the head of the culprit between his own
t;.hs, and on the signal's being given, they both
!wing off together, the former sitting a oali f ()archon,
a the shoulders of the latter ; he then twists the body
rand and round with the utmost velocity, at the
vase time kicking violently with his heels on tire
-:east and longs of the criminal, and raising hirnsei
ip and down, (as one does in a hard trot), to increase
t:e weight of the hanging man; all this the Spaniards
:are us is to put the unhappy wretch the sooner out
;imisery ; I leave you and your feeling Readers to
Age of the real effect which must thus be produced
the miserable sufferer. The face is never covered,
the bodies are left hanging the whole day, with
the horrible distortion produced on the counte-
br so frightful a death. The moment the
ragman throws himself off with the criminal, all,
the spectators take off their hats and begin saying
Ire Maria. for the soul of the dying man, which
continue all the while that the executioner is twisting
Ed twirling, and swinging and jumping ; the Spa-
suds have the oddest way of praying it is possible
:conceive; they begin in a high loud tone, Saida
Aria, Madre .de Dtos, and gradually descend to a
ex buzz, scarcely audible; this, added to the lively
actions of the hangman, change entirely the effect
tf so awful a scene ; for when observed from a short
itrance, it appears literally as if the two men were
r.ltzing together, while the spectators are humming
:slim march.

Put to return to our subject, twelve small stools
sal been placed just under the citadel wall, to re-
vive the twelve other condemned men, who were
cralacted out, two by two, accompanied by Monks
o:ficers, and an escort of eight soldiers with
tided muskets Irliind each company : each crirni-
raj Ira then placed on the fatal stool, with his face!
rTarcls the wall, when the hangman tied a white
hnikerchiel over his eyes ; the eignt soldiers sca-
t:mei themselves at his back, and the Monks, except
:-.3nr three, left him, to go add fetch out two other
rimiaals, with another escort of eight soldiers. The
ceremony continued till the whole twelve were
lied on thrir reTec.ive stools. They were placed
s the folio wi n order: _ _ _

.it, on the farthest mtge. Felix Beltran Receiver of the SaltI
any to the right. Duties at the Groa.
sa, . . Diego Manuel Calatrava. Beltran's
head Clerk.
3do • •• Mancelino Rangel, segeant. •
I•ht - - Serafin Larose, ditto.
ith, - - Peregrin Pia, apothecary.
kb, . - Vincente Clemente. common soldier
7tll, - . Bias Ferriol, shoemaker.
Two small
Manuel Bendegear, proprietors in
Franciaco Segrera, the village of
liousda.

.
Sth,

I°4l, Louis Albino, a pea:ain.
- - Francisco Gay,
a we suip•caulkers
hth, . Louis Vivo,
When all was in readiness, and the Monks had
.abed their exhortations, arms were presented, the
given, and the whole volley of ninety-six fired
e ale same instant. 1 had the curiosity to approach
bodies, in order to examine the physiognemies ;
te the sight was too disgusting to be borne long
t:'13`111 for this purpose. Several were thrown on the
round by the shock ; some reclined to the left, others
the right, and others were doubled In-wariii ; all
'learned with gore, and the brains of most lay at the
et of the stools; in some the greater portion of tle
7..td was carried away, in others the upper part we:-
e divided as to hang by the scalp, and to open and
‘. e like the lid of a bor. The wall of the Citadel
bespattered in twelve different places as to pre-
'"t huge circles of blood and brains, which will be
vefliced by the hand of time. In short, I need
:1-.2;u you no longer with the picture of this horrid
!cc::.:cle. The mangled cadavers were immediately
teleeied over to the executioner, who hung them up
a line, on the two gallowses. One thing very wor-
,r of iemark in a Catholic country is, that only one
ti toe unfortunate men has chosen to communicate
Xidla confessor.
should observe, that the above mentioned are a
Tele small portion of the persons concerned in the
toz‘piracy : Beltran, Calatrava, and Rouge], excip
si they may all be considered as nacre ignorant at.'
seees. These latter were the only three really ini-
4ansi in the secrets of the plot, and who knew all the
.-arnes of all concerned. Fur this reason, the monks
i,'l;loyeti were extremely assiduous in their valor a-
"lts to them; but they manfully and ncbly held out
10 the end, though it is said they might have made
telenuaicarions which would have involved some of
principal families of thib city. This, it seems,
;era Elio is peefeetly aware of; for in a procla-
he published immediately after the execution,
or tLat he knov, e the above to tic duly a smell

part o( the revolters. and that the conspiratlon was
not confined alone to the kingdom of Valencia. He
finishes by urging the citizens to be faithful to their
Commander: Point out to me the traitors," says

he, " and I will 'exterminate them!"—Such

guage as this, held with our good friends the Lon-
doners, would startle them exceedingly; but you
may tell them, that here the military alone is the
supreme and domineering power, and that they may
thank the British Commons for the civil liberties they
possess. The General of each capital, Is the Lord
and Master of the whole Kingdom in which it is si•
tuated ; if a merry wag does but fish an old man's
wig off, or turn over an apple stall, it is the General
who snaps him up for the misdemeanor. For the
amusement of your fair readers, I will add. that
about a year ago, one of the Peers of the realm hav-
ing had a little tiff with his wife, the good lady went
and complained to the General, who immeJiately
sent his guard to fetch the husband; upon being
questioned, he told the General that his authority
did not extend to domestic affairs, tilym which Elio
very coogy popped him into the Citadel, from which
his Lordship only escaped by going on his knees, and
promising to be a good boy in future ; and as I am
informed, he very strictly keeps his word, by beating
his wife but once a week.

General Elio is certainly .a brave man, but his
courage is accompanied with a considerable portion
offan
.farannade. The very act of going himself
with only eight of his guard, at ten o'clock at night,
IQ attack the conspirators, when he might, without
any slur on his reputation, have dispatched an infe-
rior officer, was doubtless a strong proof of his per-
sonal intrepidity ; but this did not satisfy him ; on
the morning of the execution, when he knew there
was every expectation .4- A rescue, and that the main
object of the conspiracy was his own life, he rode
on horseback through the principal streets of Valen-
cia, accompanied by two or three office[ s ; they
made a considerable circuit, and arriving at a pro.
menade, which is only separated fr ori the place of
execution by the bed of a dr river, and from whence
the gibbets were clearly visible, he dismounted,
counted the hanging bodies, and tanning to his com-
panions, observed, Bueno Buell° ! till esfan dodos."
,'.Very good! very good! there they are all ;'' as ifhe
were apprehensive that some one might have escaped.
—He then rode off, playing a thousand pranks with
his horse, and joking with one of the young Officers,
whom he called the Caballero de la trisicf gura. 1)u-
-ring the whole of the day he was much merrier than
usual. It is said that his wife, alarmed by the rigo-
rous measures to which her husband continually re-
sorts, begged him to order into the town another re-
giment for the morning of the execution, and to re-
quest of his Majesty the command of some other
kingdom than this, where he is so universally detes-
ted ;to which he replied, Como Senora? Yo Muir'
poi- media de los Valencianas Que vie den rue se tjenio y
qua! ro soldados, y luego abhorcare a Coda la ciudad 1—
~ What, Madam! I fly for fear of the Valenciaas
give me but a serjeant and four soldiers, and hang
the whole city up by their necks f'
I am afraid my account begins to be too protracted,
I shall therefore subjoin but a few more particulars,
and then close the subject. In the pockets of the
wounded Vidal were found several very material pa-
pers, the principal of which was a long proclamation,
intended to be dispersed throughout Spain, imme-
diately on the opening of the revolt. Fortunately,
I suspect, for a very considerable portion of the yoath
of Valencia, no names were mentioned ; but this
paper, which was merely an address to the people,
containing a recapitulation of the King's conduct,
since the resignation (if so it, can be called) of Charles
IV. was drawn up in so masterly a style, as to leave
no doubt that some pro.cound head was engaged in
the affair. It also adverted to many millions, which
it stated Ferdinand as keeping deposited in the Bank
of England, as a resource for paying foreign arms,
in case of his being forced to fly his kingdom by a
general revolt. In short, the present political state of
Spain was so clearly developed, and the rights of all
citizens, together with the true principles of liberty.
laid down with an eloquence so philosophical, that
neither of the young men above mentioned could pos-
sibly have been the author of the paper.
It is supposed to have come from Madrid; and if
so, this conspiracy, trifling in its outward appear-
ance, must have been a much more complicated and
interwoven scheme than its exterior portends. 1 say,
trifling in its outward appearance; because those who
have been executed were all insignificant individuals,
and of no talent. Pla was of a respectable family,
but remarkable for nothing but his stature. Vidal
had raised himself from the ranks, and was therefore
a good officer, but of bad morals, and an extremely
bad domestic character. Beltran, a fine young man
of nineteen, was the son of Beltran de Lis, the famous
army contractor, who, from a mere baker, has raised
, himself to one of the first capitalists in Spain.
The Haciendas Reales, or Royal Fund, owes him
three millions ; and, on this account, the King gave
an order sometime back, that all his creditors should
wait ten years for payment; he is received at Court,
and has every facility of communicating. with the
King.„„ It is asserted, that he offered a receipt or dis-
charge in full of all the King's debt to him, on the
condition of his son's pardon; but this was refused.
His wife, and mother of the young man, arrived here
the day before the execution, and threw herself at the
General's feet: but she was told it was too late. Bel-
tran, the father, is supposed to have had a hand in
the false order which came from Madrid for the de-
struction of Elio; and-for this reason it is said the
execution was hastened, by way of revenge.
Calatrava was a tall,. noble-looking fellow ;—he
stalked out with a most majestic air, turning about
in all directions, and viewing the spectators with the
utmost composure, he placed himself in. the chair,
with as much insouciance as if he were seating him-
self to dinner. Rouge' also behaved in a very manly
way ; when a Monk was urging him to disclose at
the last moment, he answered, Get you gone, Fa-
ther Such a one ! Let me die in peace r Ferriol was
a poor coblcr in the house of rendezvous, who swept
out the yard on condition of having his stall gratis ;
it is strongly suspetted he knew little or nothing of
the conspiracy.
Albino was the only oneswho conszrited to receive*
Confessor ; but as he was possessed of no secrets, itor
thing could be learned from Wm. Thus 6uibbes my
account of this interesting event; everybody reckons
that the affair cannot rest here ; I ain myself nq
fricad to devastation at bloodshed, yet cannot but

be sorry to see so beav-iful a country in so deplorable
a situation ; the eyes of. the Spaniards have been
opened by the French war to the state of political and
religious tyranny under which they have sufficiently
groaned, and certain it is that neither can be of long
duration.

THEATRES.

Dnutty-LANr..—The ch.,rming new mlsical Farce
of High Notions V,15 re;:e;...ed with increaitcl success
last night; some very judicious curtailments having
been made. We find that the Farce itself, as well as
the Music, is from the pen of Mr. PARRY. • •
COVENT-GARDEN.—"Lice Begzars' Opera was per-
formed yesterday, and Mr. liuNT and Miss STE.
PnExs were again honoured with universal applause
as Macheath and /-lott,y. Between the Play and Pan-
tomime a new Farce was acted for the first time,
under the title of The Place Hunters.
The plot of this piece may be given in a few words. Fortin-
bras lloproodt having a with to serve his country is in the
habit of petitioning for every place that falls vacant, till at last
his person is so well known that the porters whenever he appears
are on the alert to repel him. lie finds his way to the hall of
one of them—is turned out—gets in again, and after repeated
failures contrives to ascend the grand staircase and make his way
to the room where the only petitioners who are to have a hear-
ing wale fur an audience. Here he posseSSC3 hims,lf of the peti-
tion of one, and the dress of another, and at length, through his
disguise, gains an audience and a favourable answer to the pe-
tition he presents. A Suulfinan:s Widow, whose interest has
been opposed to his, now makes an overture toward; a matri-
monial union, but as she cannot otter quid pro quo, he 1A:11i:es
th*Reimutt of her alliance. It however torus out, that the le-
tition be has presented, is that of one of the Clciks of the. taw,
a young Gentleman who had late) served in the afmv, :ma
Mrs. Oronoeko, the snuff-vender, Ls the protnisetof the Liam in
She Customs, which Fortinbras believes he had !wen so fortu-
nate as to obtain. He now pars his court to the Widow, but is
repulsed, and the piece concludes with this new di.comtiture.

From the above sketch, it will he seen this Farce
is composed of very slight materials; but these are
handled with so muck judgment and humour, that
the audience coniplained of nothing but its early and
too abrupt termination. The .haracter of Fortinbras
is well drawn, and his efforts to get forward in the
world are i i the highest degree amusing, from the
opening experiment on the credulity of his landlord,
from whom he borrows a one-pound note, and insists
on paying half-a-crown oft, of half a year's rent, to
.his making free with the cloak, hat, and.wig, of the
sleeping Mr. Mungoosel. This person is a brother
petitioner, who served under General Wolfe, at the
taLing 01 Quebec, and was afterwards entered in the
Temple. Ile is deaf, and the mistakes which he
.makes in consequence of this infirmity, added to his
whimsical garrulity, which from memory pasting,
too rapidly over the different scenes of his life, con-
founds Generals and Admirals with Lord Chancel-
lors and lawyers, Scc. furnishes a series of the most •
Iludicrous cross-readings. On these characters, which
are admirably played by 1.t40s and BLANCHARD,
the whole weight of the Farce rests, and it could not
fall on Performers more competent to do it justice.
It met with great success in its progress, and expe-
rienced but slight oppOsition at its close, and this, as
we have already said, seemed to be provoked by its
finishing too soon. Though a hasty and unfinished
production, it is frequently exactly what a Farce
ought to be, and can hardly fail to gratify those who
wish to be pleased.