Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1873-12-18
BURRIEL'S BUTCHERY.
The First Connected Account of the Ex-
ecutions at SantiasO-A Sickening Mar
rative.

Morning Star was in port at Santiago
when the Virginius was brought there,
and during the week Of executions. The
second mate, Coffin, gives a graphic de-
scription OF the scenes of that memora-
BILE period, and incidents, many of which
are new. Mr.. Coffin is an intelligent
and respectfully young Amer
lean. His narrative is corroborated in
every detail by the other officers of the
Morning Star. He says that the Vir-
ginius was conveyed in by the Tornado
and another Spanish man-of-war on the
evening of the 1st ult. 1t is not true
that the inhabitants of Santiago were
wild with Joy. On the contrary, they
were excessively quiet, and no demon
stration whatever was made. Tue Amer
lean flag, which had been borne at the
masthead of the captured vessel, lay
conspicuously upon her quarter deck,
to be trampled upon by her captor
crew, and was not removed until the
next evening. On Sunday afternoon the
prisoners were landed by the Tornado's
boats. All, with the exception of Ryan,
Varona, Del Sol and Cespedes, had
their elbows pilioned behind and their
hands handouffed in front. This treat
ment of the four latter seemed to be a
sort of mock respect to their supposed
leadership. After they had all been
drawn up upon the wharf, they were
marched in the center of strong guard
to the prison. At 6:45 on Tuesday
morning, Ryan, Varona, Del Sol and
Cespedes were conducted to the slaugh-
ter-house, walk of about ten minutes.
Ryan wore blue shirt over his white
shirt, with silver star on the breast,
and trudged gaily along as if going to
his wedding. He smoked cigar the
entire route, and did not throw it away
until the moment came for the firing.
A priest advanced to his side and Of
ferea the consultations of religion, but
Ryan waved him off. Even the Spanish
officers were loud In their admiration of
the GOODNESS and Indifference with which
he met his death. The American Con-
sui having attempted a protest, Gen.
Burriel placed double row OF sentinels
around the consulate, thus keeping our
representative virtual prisoner until
after the conclusion of the butcheries.
At o'clock on Friday afternoon, Capt.
Fry and SO of his crew were shot. Mr..
Coffin witnessed their execution from
the wall of the slaughter-house.
The victims were ranged facing the
wall, and at q sufficient distance from it
to give them room to fall forward. Capt.
Fry having asked for glass of water,
one was handed him by Charles
Bell, the steward of the Morning
Star. Fry then walked from the end
of the line to the center, and calmly
awaited his fate. He was the only man
that dropped dead at the first yolley,
Notwithstanding the fact that the firing
party were but a distance of ten feet
away. Then ensued a horrible scene.
The Spanish butchers advanced to where
the wounded men lay writhing and
moaning in agony. and placing the
muZzles of their guns in some instances
into the mouths of their victims, pulled
the triggers, SCATTERING their heads into
fragments. Others of the dying men
grasped the weapons thrust at them
with despairing clutch, and shot after
shot was poured into their bodies before
death Quoted them. p. o. Sanderson,
the first mate of the Morning Star, who
was standing on the bridge of his vessel
when the first volley was fired, says that
for about ten minutes the firing re-
minded him of Fourth of July cele-
bration. All the bodies were tumbled
into carts and taken at once to the
cemetery. Mr.. Coffin says that this
batch of victims, at least, seemed to
have no notion of the fate that awaited
them. They walked along quite merrily,
singing, chatting, laughing and smok-
ing, as if on pleasure party. On the
following morning twelve Cubans were
led to the slaughter, and similar dis
gushing scenes were re-enacted. The
moment the preliminary order was given
the twelve turned their heads as if In
obedience to a preconcerted agreement,
and throwing their hands aloft, shouted
:" Vive Cuba ibre." This finished the
executions. That day the British war
vessel Niobe arrived. Her commander,
Lambton Lorraine, left Jamaica in such
haste that several of his crew who were
ashore on leave were left behind. He
hardly stopped to cast anchor at San
tiago before he fastened ashore, and
protested against the killing of any
more of the Virginius crew. Gen. Bur
riel answered him saucily in letter,
saying that any executions that had
been ordered would be proceeded with.
Commander Lorraine instantly returned
a reply to the effect that. in the absence
of an American man-of-war, he would
protect not only the interests of his own
country, but those of the United States,
and that if Gen. Burriel harmed the
hair of another prisoners head he would
lombard the city. 1t was generally
believed at Santiago that this action of
the British commander saved the lives
of the rest of the Vire inius crew. Com
mander Lorraine afterward obtained five
copies of the process of the court-mar-
tial cendemning them to death, two of
which he intended to transmit to our
Government and two others to his own.
Mr.. Coffin closed his narrative by the
assertion that he would have been shot
by the Spanish volunteers, but that
they believed him to be a British sub
ject, his vessel sailing under British
colors.
New Use for Steam.
Anropos of a project for keeping the