Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1870-06-01
GOlCOURlA,S LAST HOURS.


Interview with De Rodas Before the
Composing the COurt-Horrtble
Scenes at the Garrote-Thirty Thou
sand Spectators, Etc.
Havana MAY III Correspondence Of the New York
World.
When captured, Gen. Goicouria had been
on Guajaba key nearly five days, and most
of the time had had nothing more than
land crabs to eat, and had been without
water for nearly "a hours. He became Sc
parated from the companions who landed
upon the key with him two days before his
capture, they having gone to search for
water, and, probably, were afterward I'M
able to find their way back to him. When
the Spaniards landed their troops they
formed into skirmishers, and thoroughly
secured the key, which is about nine miles
long, and from one to three wide, has few
trees, broken rocks, and a thick under
growth.
Twice the skirmishers passed very near
to Gen. Goicouria without seeing him, so
well did he keep himself hid, and they
were preparing to give up the search, when
two sailors, who had fingered behind, no.
ticed the General, he having changed his
position, believing all dangers gone. The
two sailors Immediately rushed upon him,
when he, in despair at having been seen,
and knowing all hopes of life to be over,
attacked them with sticks-having lost his
pistol days previously and knocked one
of them down, asking to be killed, but was
in turn knocked down and secured. When
overpowered he at once gave his true name
and rank.
You know that Gen. Goicouria was
brought after his capture to Puerto Prin.
cipe, where he was confronted by Gen
Rodas. In this interview he stated that he
knew the Spaniards would take his life,
and that he was at deaths door, but he had
no regrets to express, and gloried in the 81
years support he had given to the Cuban
cause. He gave the names of those who
had landed from the open boat with him
upon the key, and added that they were
well armed, end if met would sell their lives
dearly; but he believed they had escaped tc
the mainland. In this he was probably cor
rect, for all the after searches of the Span.
iards upon the key have resulted IN finding
no one. Only a small dog, which one of the
party owned, has been met, and in pure
wantonness the Spaniards killed the poor
animal. Gen. Goicouria also told General
Rodas that he had intended leaving the isl.
and with Gen. Jordan, but was prevented
from so doing by President Cespedes, who
retained him on business, and even offered
him the position vacated by Gen. Jordan,
but he (Goicouria) declined, knowing that
his 10th year and their attendant infrmi.
ties untitled him for the position. Then
President Cespedes charged him with
an important commission to Mexico,
and it was while on his way to
discharge it that he was intercepted
by the Delamater gunboat Soldado, forced
on TO Guaiaba key, and then captured, his
create st error having been his failure to
destroy the documents he had in a valise,
and which, when found by the Spaniards,
placed them upon his track. Some of the
Spanish papers claim that he also told the
Captain General that the Cubans of New
York were being deceived by the insur-
gents; that, having seen the true state OF
things, he had become disgusted, and was
leaving for Mexico, there to live N peace.
I have good grounds for declaring there is
no truth in the claim-that nothing of the
kind was said.
On the way from Nuevitas to Havana,
Gen. Goicouria freely engaged in CONVEX
sation with many of the passengers of the
steamer he was on, warmly defending the
Cuban cause and hoping for its ultimate
triumph. AS for his personal fate he de-
clared himself Indifferent; that he had al
ready lived the three score and ten years
allotted by the psalmists as the term of
lifa He was landed in Havana in an IN
expected direction, and hurried to prison
through back streets, in order to save him
from the Insulting remarks of the
thousands of Spaniards who had as
sembled on the wharves and on
O'Reilly and Prado streets to see him. You
know that almost as soon as he had reach
ed the prison a durm-head court-martlal
was assembled to try him. Only the identi-
fcation of the person was required, and
then the question of punishment WAS taken
up. One of the most brutal members of the
court wanted him tied to the tail Of horse
and dragged through the streets until dead
and torn to pieces, while another brute ask
ed that he be tied to stake and then ston.
ed to death by the populace. Both of these
barbarous propositions were voted down,
and death by the garrote, the punishment
of criminals, resolved upon, the execution
to take place the next morning, Saturday,
at a. NJ, as it did.
Gen. Goicouria was not at all unnefved
when told the decision of the court, but
stated thet he would have preferred being
shot; but that he saw the Spaniards were
resolved to treat him with the same cruelty
they had shown to his friend Lopez and
Pinto, SO he would not complain, but would
meet death in any form presented, as q
brave man should. At 2 a. N. he was
placed in capiUa and furnished with priest,
and an hour later he was removed to Castle
Principe, distance ofnearIy two and half
miles. and was made to walk nearly
all the way, the Spaniards, no doubt,
reckoning upon breaking down the old
man, and so cause him to meet death in a
state OF physical prostration, but in this
they were egregiously mistaken. The Gen
erals strength and courage literally rose
with his increasing embarrassment. The
decision of the drum head court mar tial
was known throughout Havana within an
hour after it was rendered, and long before
daylight there were several thousand
persons assembled around Castle Principe,
and on the ground chosen for the execution
At a. N. two nieces of Gen. Goicouria,
the Senoritas de Mora, dressed in deep
mourning, went to the castle, and had a
short and last interview with him. Both
in going and returning from the castle
these ladies were hooted at and insulted bv
hundreds of Spanish wretches, and several
times the actual intervention of number
of Spanish officers, who were detailed to
accompany the senOrltas, was required
to save them from personal maltreat.
ment, so great was the Spanish rage
against their victim and his relatives.
At Il a. N. Gen. Goicouria was marched
from the castle to the place Of execution,
his hands tied in front Of him, and guarded
by 800 armed volunteers. He had about
800 yards to go, and walked the distance
with great composure, twice on the way
exchanging salutes with volunteer officers
he knew, smile each time playing over
his features. Arrived at the garrote, he
assembled the platform unaided and with
quick steps, and turing toward the people,
endeavored to address them, but, as told
you in my last, the music of two bands
and the roll fsome 40 drums were at once
successfully employed to drown his voice.
this he labored hard to
have himself heard opening his mouth
wide, gesticulating with his tied hands,
and with his long, white beard and hair,
rankin pants and vest and bottle-green
colored coat, presented an affecting spec