Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-12-10
5Mistellanu.
A spanish Slaughter-HUuse.

Gentleman has arrived in this city VIII ose
,,,, residence on the Island of Cuba has
made him very familiar with its Topographic
.sI 3spect as well as with the manners aud
.o..9ms of its inhabitants For manv
m,nths he has resided at Santiago de Cuba
sni on more than one occasion he has wit
messed the vengeance Of the Spaniards at
that place. His information concerning the
manner in which the executions are conduct
81 is of peculiar interest at the present time
The city of Santiago is on the southern side
# a rsntly slOping hill. A narrow harbor
;.strJngly guarded at Is entrance, and after
gzls course opens into a c0mm0dious
blsIn, where the vessels may lie at anchor
On the shore the city is situated. f ON
the harbJr the calle del Theatre leads into
the center OF the city. At distance of sew
eral hundred yards from the harbor is the
nrlsJn where the captlves are confined 1t
: low, gloomy looking structure, only two
stories in hight and is built OF stone or gran
ite From this place the prisoner often goes
firth to execution. Thee executions al
ways take place in the slaughter houses
about three-iOurths of mile distant 1t
was there that the Virginius' victims ended
their lives. From the prison near the center
Of the city the caile del Theatre makes a
.0mewhat sudden curve. On the morning
lf an execution the battalion of volunteers
are summoned at an early hour from the
barracks, aud proceed to the prison. The
prisoners are led forth, bound, and the SOL
emn procession then takes up its death
march La the van are the musicians, whose
onlv instruments are two drums, which are
beat with low, omInous sound and by meas
ured regularity. The streets lead out OF the
citv ward 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 uDs the broad, un-
sbadowed street, and on an emlnence which
may he seen from every portion of the city,
stands the building where the victims die.
Around this building is a trench, into which
the waters fall. 1t is about two feet deep
On the upper side of this building tie pro
ctssion halts and forms hollow square, witt
the prisoners in the centre. The side mex
the zlaughter-Louse is opened, and the vic
TINS are led to the border @. the trench
Here they are bound han and foot, thOugt
their ewes are left uncovered. Then they are
required to knee along the trench with lace
turned toward tie wall. Ia the midst of tht
hollow square stand the colonel and tn,
Priests.
The duties Of the spiritual advisers beln2
at length performed, they retire with th
colonel. and at a signal from the latter th
whole company fires. The unfortunate VIC
tins all forward INTO the trench, some dead
some diving, others only slightly wounded
The artillery force, who have been statlone
10 the back ground, now advance and driv
tn. IT clumsy carriages carelessly over tn
victims. Several times Is this part of tn
ceremony repeated, aud 1t Is by that tim
supposed that all are dead. The dead wag
ons are then heaped with corpses, anon
which is sometimes seen still qulVerIn
body. 4 half mile away they are buried
ana the soldlery disperse to their barracks.
The slaughter house Is SCARED and ba
tered with bullets on Its northern side
Here are inhumanly slaug ghtered persons
all ages, and OF both sexes. No mercy
shown to the White-halred patriarch, to VIC
men, or to children. Three years ago,
little girl four years old, was led forth to he
death Her offence was a refusal to max
known her fathers hiding place. The day
Of execution are z ia days IN the city. Mer
women and children pour forth from tn
cItv, and crowd forward in thr0nglng masses
As he victims lall dying iu the tleneht
dug to receive them, these horrible crowd
push madly forward to gOat over the nut
lated bleeding bodies. The military gI'
way ut the front, and then, with ravenou
eyes and demonlac howls they safe the
aypetltes tor bloody scenes.-Nelo FOr
I-,H1f,3e