Wilmington daily gazette., 1873-12-06
rnE vIRalNTTs M ssACRn.l B
STORY OF THE ExEcUTIoNs BY AN EYE-wrr-
NEss

NESS.
The bark MOrningstar, wllicharriyed Thurs-
day morning, brings the first authentic partic :
lars OF the massacre Of the crew and passengers
q the NiEginius. The seeoad Suaale.s Erancis
Cofin, highly intelligent yOueg nIun, nfs an
eye-Rilne.. Of all Tie proeeOdinsE is0ni tie mo
ment the VlrgiDius entered the harbor Of San
tiago de Cuba, escorted by the Spanish ship-of-
war Tornado, until the last executions took
place From him, a reporter obtained the fol-.
lowing deeply interesting accounts cfthe trag-
elys-- awsA #W
General Ryan, ashofs while ifeSiots to the
llout ofgOing TO the plaee ofSxt0htion, obtained
permission TO writeeoms letters aud make his
will. Before being granted the permission, he
was compelled TO make an oath, that he would
not attempt 10 escape. About O'Clock on
Monday morning the iated four were marched
to the slaughter house." which is about ten
mlnutes' walk from the prison. He show ed -
said the male, more grit and courage than one
would thought possible. A person would ina.
glne he was going 70 his wedding insieaG.of to
his DEATH The others, too, acted like brave
men, especially Cespedes, the youngest of the
three. whose courage never for an instant quail
ed. On the way to the execution ground
General RYAN spoke two OFihiee Gmes 10 t;te
Spanish officer who walked beside him, proles-
ting that his execution was WithohtjuAifcalion.
as ne had not had iAir trial, or any trial at all
IN fact. III.
A Ca,holicclereyman offered his minis,rations
n Ryan, but he refused 70 speak "a. him and
moved away. On arriving at the slaughter
house Mr.. Coffin states that the Spanish OIL
GERS, directed the condemned men TO kneel down
with their faces 10 The wall. Ryan and Cespk-
des protested against this as an indignity. and
asked to be allowed to kneeI with their faces
turned towards their executioners. FINALLY.
however, they submitted and assumed the re
quired position. Then there was a pause for an
inslan', followed by fash aud report, and
the four were writhing in tho agonies of death
Their sufferings did not last long, and all were
dead within the space OF four minutts. The
reports circulated in this city that Spanish
officer thrust his sword through Rvan's hear.
and that The heads we're chopped off the four
murdered men and carried in triumph through
the streets, MIR. Cofhin proI lncCd altogether
untrue. Ihe moment life was extinct the four
bodies we're placed in cart and taken to the
cemetery, where they we're thrown into rude
hole hastily dug, and some shoVclsfuls Of cIay
thrown over the remains.
MeanWhiIe, the house Of Mr.. Smith. the
American Consul, had been placed under
guard of Spanish soldiers, and Mr.. Smith was
compelled TO remain within doors, and moi al
low ed to hold communication by letter or other
wise with any one outside. He was not even
permitted to come cut on his yeranda. of the
massacre OF Captain Fry and the crew Of the
Virt iniu', Mr.. Coffin gives the following graphic
descFiption:-
"At the place Of Execution one Of my mates,
Charles Bell, the steward Of our vessel, gaye
poor Fry glass Of water. The Spaniards irea-
ted the captain, we'll. ami never pinioned him
from 6rst TO last. He, and indeed and all the
others, bore up bravely, and never ilinched for
an instant When the crew had knelt dow
the captain walked along the line and bade
goodbye 10 ell the men in turn, white and black,
for there were several negroes in the crew. As
the men knslt they were distant from the wall
hat surrounds the execution ground about three
feet. While about three PAGES behind thsn, with
levelled muskels, stood the detachment Of ma
rinaa detailed 10 execute the sentence Just
beeDra the fatal VOlley Was liFed Captain Fry
took of his hat He aeemed % II he was saving
a PRAYER. OF The whole thiriy-seVen, Captain
Fry WA the only paRs0n who fell at the 6Fst
Gre. His body was Fiddled with bulleta, and
died almost instantly. All the others, were bat
slightly wounded. The scene that followed was
the most frightful / ever witnessed, and have
been on many baltle-6eld. After the first
volley jumped upon the Wasl, and from there
could see everything that happened. The poe
creatures who we're wounded lay upon the
ground rolling about franiieally in their blood.
and uttering shrieks Of pain and agony, and
loud appeals, for mercy. Their appeals for
mercy fell upon men deaf to compassion. The |
murdsrers rushed upon them like demon. and
thr1lsting their muskets into the mouths and
ears Of the unfortunate wFetohea, absolutely /
blew their heads or Some Of the poor erea-
lures frantically endeavOred 10 burst their bonds
and seize the muskels. hut, Of course, could not
succeed. / shall never forget the awful groans |
that resOunded from the place Of slaughter. |
Fully ten painuhs, hat lOoke,l As ifit might |
have been an hour, elapsed fom the time the |
frst vOlIey Waa discharged until the laai 0fthe !
unfortunate men was dead. After first Volley |
fired the reports Of the guns subsequently, dis |
charged cOntinced TO sound like the cracking Of
fire works on the Fourth Of July In this city. |
Il il a positive fact that, With the exception OF
Captain Fry the head vas blown OF every man |
Of The thirty-six. The marines seemed to ex-
alt In their work Of blood. l felt ashamed 10
day Of being an American. AiteV sil the par
" we're dead, as in the cares Of Ryan aud his |
companions, the bodies we're thFoRA into cart
and carried out TO the cemetery. As many rs a
dozen bodies were thrown into the same