The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1855-04-21

THE GARRoTE.-Pinto, who was sentenced 10
BIO garroted IN Havana, sometime since, has
been executed. A correspondent Of tho New
York Eapress, describes the last scene In the
unfortunate life Of Pinto, as follows:
May God have mercy on his soul. This morn
Ing at O'Clock, Pinto was garroted.
IL there not enough Of horror and misery In
this fact alone, to make ones very soul turn
iainty feel so worn by contending feelings
ofplty, sympathy, disgust, and downright dread
that shrink from description Of the sickcn.
ing tragedy which this mornings sun has look.
cd upon.
Until yesterday morning no certain knowl
edge had been received ~ to the sentence OIL
this man who has so long been the centre Of
public intercst-in fact until an early hour
Pinto himself was not certain as TO his fate. Hc
listened with perfect equanimity to the lead.
Ing Of the fatal paper which badc him prepare
ere twenty -four hours had passed for that dread
change from life TO death, from time to ctcrni
ty. Calmly he followed his guard to the chapel
In the "Rcal Presldio," aud there he passed
many hours in prayer aud confession. Let II,
hope that those prayers were not unanswered
by the Ruler OF all things.
! nm no lover of the horrid narratives tina
are so often offered to the public Of the las
hours of u criminal. Let us then drop vel
over those last sacred hours, and let us leave
tho prisoner until we shall meet him on his las
walk to the scafold.
II is IL beautiful morning, and the bright SUI
looks down upon dense crowd Of $4,000 people
assembled In one compact mass in the larg'
area around the Punta.' Tho crowd IL yer,
slcct--vcry composed. In the midst Of th
mass Of human beings is large open space sur
rounding the scafold guarded by large bod,
Of soldiers. There Is u sudden nervous move
ment IN that human mass. What is tho cause
The Cathedral bell is striking sepen clock. A
the first stroke the procession OF death move
from the Punta towards the garrotc. How sol
cmn! The criminal is an old man he Is dress
ed in flowing robes of whitc--hs priests arc b,
his side, and whisper words of consolation il
his car. pointing to that future now 80 near
where alone there is to bc found mercy for him
| HIS step is slow but firm, and sad smile Is OF
his face rs his eye for moment rests on tina
mighty crowd. lie reaches the scaIold-h
mounts-~:ach step brings him nearer to hi
God! lie calmly seats himself in that chair q
death, the fatal collar is placed around his nccl
--hc leans forward one moment, Ills for on
word more TO his conicssor-perhaps II las
"adois to those dear ones he is t. see no NOR
he leans back, and Pinto is no more
May heaven have mercy upon him.
The Spanish garrotc is thus described: "Th
victim being placed on u stool, with post be
hind, to which is affixed an iron collar with
screw; this collar is made to clasp tho neck Q
the victim, and drawn tighter by means of tn
screw until life becomes extinct
The crime for which Don Pinto suffered wa
high treason. lie was supposed to be the lead
or Of the disailected on the Island, and to sym
pathise with the Gllbustcrs of the United States
A late correspondent Of the Cleveland Plain
dealer, says: ale was invited six weeks ago t
dine with the Governor, with whom he was OF
intimate terms The day after the dinner h
was arrested, sent TO prison, and after trial
In which the proofs against him, was informed
were most lamcntably deficient he was con
dcmncd TO the garrotc.
Tue WASHINGTON CLONE ON CuBA.-We copy
the following from the official organ, at Wash
ington. of April Sd.
There are no laws IN Cuba save such as
nomadic Governor, equally remorseless rs /,
life ar money. chooses to make for himself
There is no press there A rigid and armed
wall excludes its people from the world ant
the world from them. They seize mails there
Open letters, ana seize tnOSc To WnOm tnFy urt
addressed. There is no trinl by jury, or other
wise. A secret tribunal decides ON life ant
death, without calling II witness or arraigninl
the accused, except to torture him into confess
ion, or relying for evidence upon convicted
fclon. No civilized man or woman can go ou
of that island save IA its Governor wills-nt
civilized man or woman can enter save will
his permission. a brave soldier is tried in Sc
cret there. or not tried ut nll but doomed II
secret; he Is pinned in public view In All arm
chair. md his head twisted on, and the bells o
religion sing II sanctiIicd chime. They shoe
men in the back there. and order African sava
gcs to brutalizc themselves, and drag tho nobl,
and dead victims through the streets. They
shoot americans in the back thcrc--men VIII,
never knclt save to their God, and always iii,
with their face to tho enemy. They kill wo
men there. The armed md public spy walk
masked through the streets aud points out til,
victims Of his vengeance. Night after nigh
hordcs of Africans arc poured into that I" socic
ty " to threaten with universal assassination
the people of tho whole community. should thcN
revolt or should disgusted world revolt fol
them. Priests sing their hymns to the garrote
and pray for the slaveship That island lies IL
sight of Florida, In American waters, and thcr,
and such Is the status quo which an Anglo
French alliance would protect with British an,
French fleets.