The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1869-04-29
RIOTS ~ HAVANA.
Ecc8jag Scenes al The Execution Of Leon an
NslliBd.

The Havana correspondent Of the New
ork World, in his letter OF the 9th; writes
: follows:
g The hour of II =. NJ. Of to-day (Friday) /
vas the time fixed for the garroting OF Leon 4
md Medina. Eight companies OF Infantry /
me of light artillery and one OF cavalry, /
furnished by the volunteer organizations OF /
Havana, a detachment OF policemen ana a /
platoon of mounted gendarmes, were the |
orccs detailed by the government 10 VII
ness the two-foId execution and preserve |
order. Besides, fully two thousand Yoluh-
-ccrs, many with their arms were present
Of their own yOlitiOn. and at least four thou-
sard citizens and two or three hundred wo-
men. the open ground OF the Punta, adJoin-
ING the prison. where executions nearly al
ways take place being literally covered with
people, as also the tops OF the nearest
houses. Among the citizens were huhdIeuS
of cigar makers, (Spaniards, Cubans, muIat-
toes. blacks and Chinese.) the most OF them
in unqUestionable sympathy with their I'M
fortunate companions, Leon and Medina.
\ few minutes after ii the two doomed
men were brought out from the prison 10
the place Of execution. As there. were but
one oarrstc and one executioner, but one OF
the men could be disposed of at time
con. a small but welcomed and rather
good-looking young man Of about = years
was the first to be garroted. lie came upon
the fatal platform unaidcd, smiling ana
walking with great firmness. His hands
were closely tied in front of him. lie was
followed by priest. the eNecutloner ana an
assistant. He spent few moments IN re-
ligious deVOtiOH>- and then arose anu au-
those nearest him. He said he
did not fear 10 die. He had violated the
laws of the land, injured the authorities, and
must suffer for II. He was ready TO GO So
lie hoped those he had wToa@cd would for
give him as lie fcrgayc ali those tnat had
wronged him. lie wished no one HARM
Viva Fspana." After this lie sat down in
the garr6ting chair, but in very short
while sprung up ana added: III / want
Spain to live, ] also want Cuba to do so. MY
best hopes are for her. l die martyr 10
her cause and Il victim of oppression. May
the insurgents succeed - And then waving
a white Handkerchief rs well as he could
with his tied hands. he shouted loudly
Viva Ia Indedeudcncia! Viva Cuba Llbre!
Viva Cespcdes
teers frantic. Many OF them yelled IKE
madmcn to Kill him right away, and, before
the cxrcutiouer could dispose of Leon, TWO
or three shots were fired at them. ms III
.,.ar-,R the noise and confusion then going
on. Many shouted rtrd from the croWd,and
others, with nearly all the volunteers pres
ent. yelled Hti,erO. and in a few SECONDS nun
dreds of the volunteers, both of those on
duty and those of of duty, attacked the
crowd firing wildly and promiscously, and
mt times used the bayonet. The confusion, of
course. became worse cOnfouuded, and gen
eral SUarc qai PeW cnSued Inc nlouhteu
gendarmcs made matters worse by charging
up and down the open ground and IN ad-
Joining streets, and by so doing more than
once came into collision with the rlotlng
volunteers. For nearly Il quarter of an hour
he disturbances continued, and ceased only
when the volunteers and troops were COM
Dlete masters of the open ground and of adj
Joining street. | have found it impossible
to learn cXactlX-h0w many persons were
killed and wounded. My researches give |
eleven OF the former and thirty-one of the |
latter, and these figures must be very near /
correct, if not entirely so. Among the |
killed is included a young Spanish woman,
antinierc OF the Sixth Battalion of Nolun- /
GERS. SpaniardS, Cubans, negroes, mulat- /
aes, Chinese, and one or two foreigners are |
numbered among the victims OF the Tlot.Duu /
10 Americans fortunately although many /
If them had assembled to witness the exc !
utions principally from the shipping in /
)ort. Only one volunteer in uniform was |
INJURED, but 1 hear there are others who /
we're in citizens dress included among both /
he killed and wounded. Several of the |
lead have ten or more bayOnet thrust marks /
bout them, besides the fatal holes of the /
bullets that ended the vital sparks in them. +
moving what brutality and inhumanity |
he volunteers displayed in their riotous /
Proceedings. | doubt very much from what /
saw and learn whether the rioters met /
With any opposition from any part of the |
.rOWd.- If they did. it must have amounted |
o very little. Two men, one Cuban and |
he other Spaniard, have. however, been /
arrested for counter rioting, sedition, and !
)ther crimes, and with the present arbitrari- |
less here, it may well happen that to-mor-
'oW and on some approaching day they will |
De brought up before court-martial of |
lreiudiced volunteer officers and convicted, |
md then shot.
The troops Immediately surrounding the |
garrotte and its platform remained at their
post, and took no part in the disturbances. /
During the riOting Leon was garrotted by !
he cXecutioner without Offering any resis- |
ance, and after his lifeless body had re- |
NAMED in the deadly chair about four or |
i've minutes it was removed, and then Medi- |
m was assisted to the platform, and hurried |
v GarrOted, the drums beating to prevent !
luything he might be inclined TO say from /
being heard. He, however, did not attempt I
% speak. lie apparently met death with |
great reluctance, and without the frmness,
serenity, and decision displayed by Leon. /
The executions were over before the riot, 1
20 that when the ral0r0Us volunteers and /
yendarmes had become the masters of the /
situation there was nothing more to keep
hem at the PaBta therefore, they dispersed
'arly and returned to their homes with
quietuess, their appetite for
,lood evi lently satisfied for a short while
~ the large repast they had just enjoyed.
p to the present writing g PM the riot
las in no manner been renewed and | fam
y it Will not be until something else of Il
cEsatiOnal character occurs TO give some
Ort of an excuse for the renewal.
Leon, must add, claimed repeatedly that
lie was an American citizen. and as such
demanded the intercession of the American
onsular authorities. Mr.. Hall, the Acting
american Consul General, investigated the |
lain, and found that Leon was born in
havana, but had resided in Key West. and
lade a declaration there last year of his
Intention to become am American citizen.
nut had shortly afterward left the place and
anne on here He therefore could not in
ruth be considered an American citizen;
everthelesS, Mr.. Hall thought it his duty
o do something for him. particularly as his
lmily resides in Key West, and members
4 it are naturalized American citizens. So
eVeral times he had long interviews with
'aptain- General Dulce. in which he reoues-
ed and urged that Leon be pardoncd or at
east have his sentence committed. Person
lily. General Dulce was 10th to refuse, but
ertain reasons of policy forced him 70 do
D. lie however tclegraphed Mr.. Halls
equest 70 General Serrano, in Madrid. and
Sked instructions how to act upon it, and
lr. Hall in turn telegraphed to Secretary
'ish in Washington. soliciting that the
american Minister to Spain be Instructed
D request of Gen. SeTrano the pardon of
con. No favorable replies having been
eceived from Madrid the poor fellow was
1T 10 his fate. Before execution he gave
ertain written instructions and requests to
lr. Hall about his goods and effects. and
is body. with messages to send to his FAM
V, all of which will be most faithfully and
attended to. Mr.. Halls conduct
, the man IS deserving of all praise, and
he failure Of his efforts for executive Glenn
hey Is source of real sorrow TO him. .
lough in no way due to any fault CT his.
The New Orleans Times asserts that '.Dr
!. NJ. Gwin. formerly Senator from Cali
'rnla- had more to do with breaking up the
hole scheme of French intervention in
Iexico than any other man living" Max |
milan, il is stated, snubbed Gwin, who was
Irotele of Napoleon; whereupon the Doc
n, after declaring the Mexican Emperor
''sap-head with more beard than brains.
nj filter 10 grind an organ. with a monkey