, 1872-01-01

"nu Ae"ei eHO ocio"A' Lie priest III OuC0
preferred charges.
A grand review ofvolunteers had been
} held that day. The word had passed
through the ranks that the students had
desecrated the graves of the martyrs.
and from the ranks came the cry Death
to Traitors p By midnight I2, 0G0 vol
unteers We're Shouting for vengeance,
speedy and terrible. Gen. Crospo at
tempted to stave off the matter at first,
saying the Court-martial had already
been ordered in this case. and they (the
studentsl would be tried on the morrow.
"Now, now ~ was the bloody shout,
and the Captain General was obliged
to give in to the rulers of this unfortu-
nate land. The scenes in and around
the Plaza de Armas, in front of the
Palace, were terrifying. Excited and
half-drunken volunteers shouting, yell
ing, some standing on pillars harangu-
ing the crowd, others shouting and keep
ing up fearful excitement The Court
martial formed at the Jail by 2 o'clock
and commenced its session. It was
composed of six Captains of the regular
army, and one from each battalion of
volunteers elected by the men, the whole
presided over by Colonel The Court
martial was in session until two O'Clock
yesterday afternoon, but during its pro-
gress General Clayijo, at about o'clock
A. IL, attempted to leave the building,
but was forced back by the volunteers,
who compelled him to get out of his
carriage and re-enter the Jail, declaring
that none should leave until the session
was satisfactorily over, In the morn
ing the Captain General, Crespo, issued
a proclamation to the volunteers beg
ging them to await the sentence of the
Court martial, and Aattering them by
calling them the frmest support of order
and public tranquility. At about two
the council had terminated their office
and marched from the Jail to the Capt.
Generals palace, escorted by numbers
of volunteers. There the sentence was
read from the balcony to the crowd.
Eight to be shot, eleven to serve six
years in the chain-gang, nineteen to
| four years in the same, four to six
months Imprisonment and only two re-.
leased. The Captain General inmediS
ately approved the sentences and orders
We're gwen for the immediate execution
of death upon the first eight.
The execution took place between four
and five at the Punta, near which the
Jail is situated. Thousands were Assem-.
bled to witness this slaughter, and it
passed off quietly enough The boys
met their deaths bravely and calmly.
Full of life and hopes few days since.
then torn from their families and con-
demned to meet violent and pa ncul
death--none blanched. 1t is related
that at the Court-martial they behaved
with spirit and calmness. One of them
-Alonzo Alvarez de la Campa--endeav-
ored to take all the blame upon himself,
thinking, brave youth, to exculpate his
schoolfelltws from all punishment.
Many of the youngest naturally trem.
bled and paled, but the majority be-
hayed like men. The Chaplain of the
Cemetery, in his declaration at the
Court martial, said that the boys had
done nothing to merit such severe pro.
eeedings; that what they had done re-
sembled all Loyish freaks, and asked
their pardon; but his worthy magnanz
unity has since been rewarded by res
moval from his Office.
THE EXECUTION.
At four o'clock detachment of vol
unteers were seen to issue from the Jail,
closely followed by several priests, by
the students sentenced to death, and by
the Commander of the place, Colonel
Villalonga. Not sound was heard, the
young men thus cruelty sentenced to
meet an early and sudden death march
ing firmly forward, expressing their re-
gret to Colonel Villalonga at the act to
the priests that it was simply done in q
spirit of liveliness, and not with any
political bias, forgiving those who had
shouted for, and were now obtaining
their blood in such an unjust manner,
and hoping to meet their Maker. Theip
steps never faltered, and many q spec.
tator's heart bled to sec eight young
men, hardly out Of their teens, passing
by ON their way to another world. They
knelt down, muttering prayer, the fir,
ing party of the volunteers was drawn
up in order, the command to make ready
} was almost whispered, the Command
ing officer of the volunteers turning his
! head aside to hide his emotion. Then
came another short command to take
aim, Immediately followed by the fatal
word +" fire" when all were seen lying
on the ground, four motionless and four
in the last agonies, from which kindly
bullets relieved them. When the volley
was fred, cry of agony and pain was
heard. Many volunteers stated to your
correspondent that they never would
care to visit such scene again.
} but that the example had been necessa.
ry. If the Courts had not been infu.
l