The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1850-06-15
From EEatanzaS.
MATANzAs, May 81, 1885

Eds. Pic.-I arrived here to-day. and am
surprised to find that the prisoners who were
brought down from Cardenas were shot on
the morning. Of the 25th, without having I'M
de rgone any trial whatever. 1t seems they
arrived here on the evening Of the oath, and
were put in the lort. About 10 o'clock that
night an express from Havana brought a
communication to the Governor of MatanZas
from the Captain General, in which was the
following pithy sentence: In all your com
muncations to this Captain Generalcy, his
Excellency has found no mention OF the
shooting of the prisoners" Orders were i'm
mediately given. and at II 2. NJ. four of them
were put III the condemned cell and informed
OF their fate. They begged for pens and pa
per, that they might write to their friends,
but this was denied them. At A. NJ. they
were taken out back OF the tort aud shot
Two died Immediately, but the others lived
until the third voliey. The other prisoner
was res ted in consequence of having at
tended on d wounded sergeant during the
night of the 10Th. 1t is said his sentence
will be ten years labor on the public works.
On what grounds this judicial murder is jus
tilted it is difficult to conceive. They cannot
have been rightly considered as taken in fla
granite deiictu, for they certainly deserted
from the expedition early on the morning. Of
the 18th, and, throwing away their arms and
blouses, applied to the American Consul TO
protect them. They asserted they had been
/ first deceived. and then forced to take arms
that they were in reality bound to Chagres,
and produced their passports. The Consul
/ told them ne had no power TO protect them,
I and gave them some advice which they neg
lected to profit by. They refused to away
on the steamer, remaining all night at Car.
denas, and the next forenoon were made pris-
oI itar a
one an old man. Oae Of them fine Young
fellow. said his name was George Warner
son Of AlansOn Warner, of Evansville, Ia
He begged hard to be allowed to write to his
father. which was refused. He then re-
quested the interpreter to tell the Consul who
he was, add request him TO inform his father
of the undmely fate of his son. Another 81
the victims was - Kelly naturalized cit
izen, some time resident in Cincinnati. The
} names Of the others could not learn. ex-
cept that enc was Scotchman, and called
McGregor, and the others were an English
man and an Irishman. Which one was res
pted | do not know
Previous to my leaving Cardenas militia
tary commission was installed there, with
ample powers to arrest, try and shoot.
was said tnat barber had already been con
demned TO death. His demonstrating Col
Pickett
The Americans here feel themselves to b,
very insecure in person. They are jostle,
against and insulted daily. The peopi.
: plume themselves upon having~soundly whip
: ped the heroes OF Palo Alto, and only wisl
, the Yankee Presjnent had lead them. that III
might know and fear the Spanish arme. No
a Spaniard in Cuba, with the sole exception
Of those in Cardenas, but believes that fiji,
7 men drove four hundred :. flibusteros be
: fore them i"to the sea, and the T.ongbov
stories that daily appear in the Dag'io de 4
Marina are eagerly devoured.
Yours, PEREGRINE.