Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-11-10

The following dispatch from Gen. Burrin
commander of the Spanish troops at Santiago de
| Cuba, dated Santiago de Cuba, the 4th inst, to
| Captain General Jovelar contains all the infor
| nation thus far received of the shooting Of the
| Cuban leaders:
| cat six O'Clock this morning were shot in this
city, for being traitors TO their country, and for
being insurgent chiefs, the following persons
styling themselves patriot generals: Bernabs
| Varona, alias Benebeta, general of division;
| PEDRO Cespedes, commanding general OF the
| Cienfuegos, General Jesus del Sol, and Briga
dier General Washington Ryan. The eNecu-
| tons took place in the presence of an entire
corps of volunteers, the force of regular infan-
| try and sailors from the feet. An immense
best of order prevailed. The prisoners met
| their deaths with composure."
STILL MORE EXECUTIONS.
| dispatch from Havana says that five Gu
| bans were shot at Santiago DE- Cuba on the 5th
| instant. One was Santa Rosa, who was i'm
| prisoned in Havana last summer, and whose
| release was obtained through the intercession
| BALL GIVEN BY GEN. RYAN AT KINGSTON.
A dispatch from Kingston, Jamaica, dated
| the Soth ult,-the day previous to the capture
| of the Virginius,-says the vnginius, after
/ taking on board a large party of Cubans and
some war material which they had deposited In
| Limon bay on the sd inst. The customs officers
examined the baggage Of every passenger who
| went on board, in order to provide against any
irregularities or violation Of law. The evening
before the Virginius SAILED a grand ball was
given on board BY Gen. RYAN, who was the chief
OF the expedition.
| GEN. W. A. c. RYAN.
| The following is published in addition to the
| sketch of Gen. Ryan, which appeared in The
| STAR OF Saturday last. At the beginning Of
the Cuban struggle Ryan was fairly idolzed by
| the refugees in New York. In 1861 he made his
/ appearance in New York as a free lance to free
| Cuba. In company with Ignacio Alfaro and
known as the "Catharine whiting expedition, /"
| was organized. The project was that GOO men
| should meet up the sound, near Bridgeport
Accordingly, several tugs were chartered which
| took the passengers on board, and, TO balk the
| authorities, went up the Hudson long dis
| lance, while others went down to Staten
| Island, after which the various vessels steamed
| up the Sound. Ryan finally landed at Gard-
| ner's Island, where he kept up an encampment
| there for six weeks. Subsequently all the men
| were captured and placed on board the United
States receiving ship Vermont at the navy
| yard. Ryan was constituted prisoner, aud /,
| after Indictment, was detained at Ludlow street
| Jail, with GolcOuria and others, for alleged
| breach of the neutrality laws. On one occa-
| sion, while returning from the nited States
| court in Chambers street 10 his jail, he per
| suaded his keeper to accompany HIM up Broad
| way to transact some business, when, by a con-
| certed plan by Ryan's cOnfederates, the keeper
| was knocked down and carried bodily into the
casino and there gagged and detained. Ryan
| ON the 3Ist December, 1869, he left New York
on board the steam yacht Anna, on second
| expedition, under the command of Javier Cis-
neros, which safely landed its men and arms.
| Here Ryan distinguished himself as a COM
mander of cavalry. After stopping in the Ca
ing the grade OF brigadier general conferred
upon him by act of the Cuban Congress, he
| returned to this country on a special mission
for President Cespedes to organize another ex-
| petition from this country. On the sth of jan
| uary he went out in the steamer Hornet to Cuba
once more. Here Ryan showed the white fes-
Their for the first time by refusing TO land at
Punta Bravo. But the Cubans still had faith
| in him, and Ryan went out on the steamer
| Fannie in the summer of 1872. On the voyage
he swore there was a conspiracy to assassinate
him, and showed various cuts in his clothes
| which had been done by some one on board,
but for this he was laughed az. Ryan, however,
| refused to remain on shore, alleging lameness
| Subsequently the crew made their escape in
| the boats to Jamaica, Ryan accompanying
them. The following is from the official report
| of the commander Of the Fannie concerning
Ryan: "On the 22d of June, 1873, W. A. G.
| Ryan landed in one of the first boats, but when
the cargo was all ashore he obtained leave from
| General Peralta to return on board TO write
l letter, and refused to land again, though urged
by me repeatedly in the presence of the Off GERS
| and crew, to do so. This and other circum-
proved Ss he has SS
| tention of landing"
| The steamer Atlas, it will be remembered
| several weeks ago. Ryan came down to the
| steamer half an hour after the time appointed
for the vessels departure, in the hands of a
sheriff s officer, who held him for debt of 400
| The money was raised in trice by the enthu-
| siastic Cubans on the wharf, and Ryan was de-
| livered from custody amid great cheering.
Many grasped him cordially by the hand for the
sake Of the old love, and short time afterwards
he and his companions started on their fatal
| undertaking.
| was born in the city OF Puerto Principe, in the
| year 1s45. His family is one of the most re-
| spectacle in that island. His patriotic mother
| sent the young Yarona to the United States,
| where he was literally educated. After finish
| ing his eaucation he returned to his native
| Puerto Principe, and became confirmed OPP
| ponent OF Spanish rule. In 1866 Varona, or, as
1 he was sometimes called, Bembetta. came to
| the United States to put himself in communica-
| ton with Gen. Quesada, who was then endeay-
oriDg to eff ect an insurrectionary movement in
Cuba by an expedition from these shores. In
| 1867 he went to Nassau, y. p, on a dangerous
| and delicate mission for the Cuoans, accom-
| plisbing it with credit In 1868, about the time
| prisoned in Puerto Principe and sent to Hav-
| ana, where he was reported to the captain
| general as one OF the most terrible of men, and
dangerous to the government. After the young
| patriots ie'ease from mis- dungeon in Havana
| he made his way to the United States once
more, ard remained here until about four
sought bis native city to prepare the way for
| the anticipated revolution. Two wears ago he
escaped the vigilance of the Spanish and
Ieaehea ysmal s h whence h he came to New
| government. The object of his mission was to
collect the means necessary to equip formi-
4 uauic tNptuitlOu 10 CuDa. he nau worked zeal
ously, and at last was able, under the direction
| Of Gen. Quesada, to sail with men and arms in
| aid of his suffering compatrots in Cuba.
PEDRO CEsPRDEs.
Pedro Cespedes was brother of the president
of Cuba, and during the past few years g
| wealthy planter Of Kingston, Jamaica. Al
l though always disposed to seek redress for Gu
| ban wrongs by peaceful means, he, with his
| brother, promptly entered the field soon as
the lighting began, and was conspicuous for his
/ ardof and devotion to the patriot cause. He
| left Cuba because Of infrm health, and settled
| in Kingston, where his family, composed of sew
1 eral sons and daughters, now reside. After a
i long absence he was again on his way to Cuba,
more jealous than ever TO strike for freedom,
when he was captured and slain.
1 COL. JESUS DEL SOL
] was born of wealthy and honorable parents in
the partido of Cartagena, in the jurisdiction or
l Cienfuegos. Before the breaking out of the
revolution he occupied himself in rural pursuits
| on a magnificent cattle estate. ON the declare
| ton Of Independence ct Yara he was one of the
| first to rush TO the defence of his country. On
the 9Th OF October, when the district known as
the Cinco Villas threw eff the yoke OF Spain,
1 ne headed the movement an his partido of Car
l tsgena ut the head of zoo men, and since that
date his courage, his probty and his love of in
dependence have been worthy of all. praise
| During his active operations In the villas he
| pardoned numberiess prisoners who fell into his
i hands. and his In unsfained nv ia