Milford beacon., 1854-04-07
THRILLING NARRATIVE,
PcPIsK INTOLERANCE In CUBA.


estant Americans, residing in Catholic
countries, are subjected, and one of the
arguments in behalf of a vigorous effort to
assert our religious rights against this
mammoth oppression. We copy the arti-
Gle from the "American and Foreign
Christian Union" which states the facts
of the narrative to be perfectly authentic:
"In the winter of -, the declining
health of my wife seemed to make it i'm
perative that / should take her to warm
climate, with the hope of her restoration.
The Island of Cuba was selected. We ar
rived there early in December; and after
many alterations of hope and fear in re-
gard to her life, she died on the Goth of
March. During our residence of some SIX
weeks in the town Of Matanzas, we became
acquainted with many American invalids
and their friends who accompanied them
for nearly every State in the Union was
there represented, and some States by ma
ny sufferers. During the winter, from De-
cember to March, and previous to my wife's
death, number of Americans died there,
and their friends were anxious to remove
the remains to their own homes. This it
was soon found could not be accomplished,
except at an enormous expense, entirely
beyond the means of most of the parties
interested. The reasons for these expen-
ses l will hereafter explain. The deceased
persons and their friends being Protestants,
and no religion being tolerated there, nor
allowed, under severe penalties, except the
Roman Catholic, the rites Of that Church
were neither asked nor offered at the fune-
rails. These and other reasons created
great antipathy against the idea of leaving
the dear remains of friends in that strange
land, and of burying them in such cir
cumstances, like dogs, without any relig-
ious ceremony at all. After witnessing
the first intermcnt, this antipathy grew
into perfect adherence. The chief rea-
son for this adherence I must now ex-
plain, and will do it by describing the
first funeral I attended.
| A gentleman from Kentucky having
died, his brother and myself made appli-
cation to the Church as directed, and after
being detained several hours by great
many Ito us) unmeaning forms and cere-
monies. We obtained permit, for which
$17 was paid, including So extra for the
privilege of burying in coffin. This cof-
fin was made of pine boards stained black
and to gain its admittance into the
ground, we were required to place crosses
on the breast and at the two ends, which
was done with simple white tape. On
proceeding to the ground, on the outer su-
burb of the town, we found an enclosure,
+ the area of which was about quarter of an
acre, with brick walls about Is to 20 feet
high. We entered the body, by going up
| a short activity, through the gate at the
top of the wall-this ascent was necessary
to reach the top of the mass, which filled
the entire enclosure to within some to
81 feet Of the top of the wall as / re-
member we could look over the wall, as we
stood on the mass of corruption. On en-
tering this terrible place, we were nearly
struck dumb with horror at the spectacle
it presented. The whole surface of the
! ground was literally strewn with the small
or bones of the human body, and so thick
ly, that not foot could be set down, nor
hardly finger placed on the ground, with
out placing it on some of the exposed bones
of poor humanity. In every direction hu-
man jaws, with their naked teeth, seemed
grinning in our faces from the midst of
Heshless ribs, arms, and spinal bones, &C.,
while in two corners of the yard lay piled
many cart-loads of sculls, thigh bones, AMI
other of the larger portions of the human
frame. These, we are told, were thrown
there to dry in the sun, and then to be
many recent fires on the ground, with their
charrcd and half-burned bones scattered
around. An old superanuated negro, sent
from the Church, had preceded us, to dig
the graves. This we found to be an awk-
ward irregular hole, about three feet deep,
out of which lie had thrown no less than
seven sculls, with most Of the other re-
mains of as many individuals Soihe of
these still had portion Of the skin and
hair upon their heads, also sinews and por-
tions Of partly decayed flesh still upon the
frame. The sides and bottom of the hole
were lined with other skeletons, the whole
emitting most disgusting and deadly efilu-
via, which forced us to finish our wretched
work with the most indecent haste. You
can judge what it would be to stand in such
a place, with the scorching tropical sun
bcaming down upon you, and the mass of
corruption under your feet. The coffin
was placed in the hole, which being too
short, would not admit its reaching near
TO the bottom it was stamped down as
low as we could getit, end the old negro
ordered to fill it in, which he did by taking
1.-THE skeleton remains in his hands, and
slowing tliem away with the greatest ''sang
i froid" imaginable. We could not wait for
him to finish, and left him. to cover the
coffin, the top of which was within fifteen
10 eighteen inches of the surface. Hard
ly particle of the original earth could be
observed. The whole stuff thrown from
the grave seemed mass of human matter,
with portions of decayed clothing, &c. Can
you now wonder that the question Of be-
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