Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-02-01
EXECETION OF SALNAI'E.

EXECUTION or iSALNAVE.
The capture of Salnave took place on the
10th inst, at Cuaba. All his followers were
captured with him. On the way to Port An
Prince, nine members of his Ministry were
shot down one by one in the presence of the
captured President. The savages could
scarcely be restrained from disposing of Sal
nave in the same way during the march, in
spite of positive orders to bring him in alive.
The force of cavalry and infantry, armed with
Spencer, Enfield. and Henry rifles, was some
thing over three thousand. and was command
ed by General Brecse Lockart and another
hero of the same stamp. Salnave was not
tied to his horse and had his limbs free. His
left arm was in sling in consequence of the
wounds he had received in the skirmish which
resulted in his capture. Despite the pain of
his wounds and the knowledge that he was
going to his death the pucky President bore
himself manfully A vast crowd lined the
streets through which the procession passed,
and had swelled to fully 5000 people when
opposite the United States Consulate in Grand
Rue. Consul Bassctt had previously taken
into his house the wife and children OF the
unfortunate President. and also number of
Others who were afraid to remain in their
own homes. These looked out upon the cor
tcge and saw Salnavc hustled along toward
the Tribune or Court House, and jeered at by
the excited blacks.
He was tried, and found guilty of high treas
on and various other crimes, and sentenced
to death.
The correspondent of the Herald gives an
account of what followed, from which we
copy.
When the result of the trial had been an
nouncod a rush was made to the place of exc
cution, and great crowd speedily filled the
approaches to the ruins of the palace, where
it was said the prisoner would be despatched
The revolutionists amused themselves, while
waiting for the dsHouement, in yelling, Z" Ftre
la constitutiour' and ~ Jas .Salnaret" and
there was so much crowding and violence that
the troops had enough to do to keep space
clear before the pillars When at length the
head of the column of soldiers guarding the
prisoner emerged into the square from the
tribunal shouts rent the air and the infatuated
blacks swayed backwards and forwards in the
violence of their anger. 1t was few minutes
before sunset. The rosy tints of the sun slant
ing from the sea threw golden radiance on
the ruins, and lightened the upturned faces of
the bloodthrsty crowd. A few soldiers stood
by the pillars and held ropes in their hands
with which to bind the prisoner to the stake
already driven into the ground for the pur
pose. There no time lost by the officers
having the execution in charge. Placed
against the stake with his back to the still
inns 4 hn
toward the sea, Salnave was speedily bound
by the arms and permitted to gaze for mo-
ment on the determined faces of the soldiery
and the maddened populace. Then detach-
ment of infantry, thirty strong, were drawn
up within twenty yards of the doomed man
and the order was given to load.
\ profound silence now fell upon the place
the blacks gaped open mouthed and with glis
tcning eyes as the soldiers rammed down the
charges in their pieces and came to the carry. |
1t was expected that Salnave would say some
thing before it was too late, but he uttered
never word, but faced the executiOners with |
untlinching eyes and determined mien. His |
lips moved once when the order was given to !
make ready, but it was evident that he did not |
intend TO speak. The soldiers brought up
their pieces slowly and not all together; many
of them were clearly more nervous than was
Salnave, and would doubtless have preferred
to be shooting at some other darkev. FINALLY
the word was given, the smoke cleared away
and the wretched prisoner was seen to be
pierced in several places, but still alive. He
had leaned over little on his left side, as if
to avoid the shot. but struggled to right him
self again. When it was seen that he was not
dead howl went up from the multitude, and
the officers cursed the bunglng soldiers in
unmeasured terms. The muskets were quick
lv loaded again The order to fire was given
by the officer in command, and a volume of
smoke flew in the faces of the spectators
When it had cleared away Salnave WAS no
more Riddled in every part of his body by
the bullets of the soldiers, his head dropped
on his breast, his shattered arm hung listlessly
by his side and the warm blood flowed from
his numerous wounds in copiOus streams.
The crowd immediately began to move
away, and then some soldiers came up with a
cart, drawn by two donkeys, and threw the
manged body into it. Half an hour later all
hat was mortal of the unfortunate Salnave
was thrown careessly into hole dug for its
reception, in an open space about three-quar-
ers of mile outside and north of the city of
Port au Prince
The court had assembled at three o'clock
P. NJ, and at twenty minutes past SIX Salnaye,
the ex-President of Hayti, was corpse.