Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-11-27
< :. -s1,,n,,sn sIauehtef House.

i /. * gentleman arrived in this city re-
Gently whose long residence on. the.
island of Cuba has made him very Ia
.niliar with it's Typographical aspect as
well as with the manners. and customs
of its inhabitants! For many months he
has resided at Santiago de Cuba, and on
more than one occasion he has witnessed
the vengeance of the Spaniards at that
place. His information concerning the
manner in which the. executions are con-
dueted is of peculiar interest at the pres
emit time. Tile city of Santiago is on the
southern side of q gentle sloping hill. a
narrow harbor is strongly guarded at Its
entrance. and after a zig-zag. course
.oI,ens into a cornmodious basin, where
the vessels may lie at anchor. On the
shore. the city is situated. From the
harbor the Gale del Theatre leads into
the center of the city. At a distance OF
several hundred yards from the harbor
is the prison where: the eaptlyes were
confined. 1t is a low, gloomy looking
structure. only two stories in height
: and is built of stone or granite. From
this place the prisoner often goes. forth
to execution. These executions always
take place in the slaughter-house,. about
three fonrths of mile distant. 1t was
there that the Nirginius victims ended
their lives. From the prison near the
center of the city the Gale del Theatre
makes a somewhat sudden curve. On
the morning of an execution, the bat
TALON of volunteers are summoned at an
early our from the barracks, and pro-
coed to the prison. The prisoners are led
forth bound, and the solemn procession
then takes up its death march. In the van
are the musicians, whose only Instru-
ments are two drums, which are beat
with a low. ominous. sound and meas
ured regularity. The street leads out of
the city toward the west, past the Hotel
Theatre, the office of the United States
consul, and further on the office OF the
British consul. Out into the suburbs
runs the broad, unshaded street, and on
an. eninence, which may be seen from
every portion of the city, stands the
building where the victims die 1t 10 a
low wbitewashed structure of forb1ddlng
aspect-an adobe house with a steep
roof, which projects far beyond its walls
on either side Around this building is
a trench, into which the waters from
the roof fall. 1t is about two feet deep.
On the other side of this building the
procession halts and forms a hollow
square with the prisoners in the center.
The side next to the slaughter house Is
OPENED, and the victims are led TO the
border of the trench. Here they are
bound hand and foot. though their eyes
are left uncovered. They are then re-
CURED to kneel along the trench with
their faces turned toward the wall. In
the midst of the hollow square stand the
colonel and the priest. The duties OF
the spiritual advisers being at length
completed, they retire with the colonel
and, at g signal from the latter, the
whole command fires. The unfortu-
nate victims fall forward into the
trench, some dead, others only slightly
wounded. The artillery force, who
have been stationed in the background,
now advance and drive their clumsy car
Iiages carelessly over the victims.
Several times is this part Of the cere-
mony repeated and it is by that time
SUPPOSED that all are dead. The wagons
are then heaped with eorpses, among
which is sometimes seena still quiTefing
body. A half mile away they are buried,
and the saidieTy dispePse To their bar
racks The slaughter-bouse is SCARED
and battered with bullets on its northern
sltie- HERE aFS. tnHutlafllg sIauSHtElSd
persons of all ages and both sexes. The
Spaniards show no mercy to gray-haiFed
patriarchs, to women or to children
Three years ago little girl four years
of age. was led forth TO her death. The
offense was a refusal to make known
her fathers hiding place The days of
execution are gala days in the city.
Hundreds of men, women and children
ponr forth from its streets and press
forward in the throng. As the victims
fall dying In the trenches these crowds
push rnatlly forward to view the bleed
ing bodies the military give way for a
moment, and not until that moment ar
rives are the appetites of the blOodthirsty
spectators stated. IN. Y. Tribune