The New York herald., 1873-12-05
THE MASSACRED "S7."
Statement or Another Eye-Witness--
..Drink Our HeaIths i'm New York;

Statement or Another Eye-Witness-
sDrink Our HeaIths i'm New York;
The Newfoundland brig Azaea, commanded by
Captain Prior and consigned 10 Robert Currie 4
Co.. arrived at this port yesterday nom Santiago
de Cuba, A HERALD rep rter learning that the
Azaea was at Santiago during the yrginius
massacre visited the vessel last evening to
obtain, II possible, some further particulars
to that great tragedy. Captain Prior was ashore
when the reporter reached the vessel but the
mate, George Coysh, was aboard. and in reply
TO question, replied that he had, with
several others or the ships company, wit
messed the execution OF Captain Fry and the 80
members OF his crew. Upon request Mr.. Coysh
gave the following particulars 81
ave arrived at Santiago on the 5th OF November,
the day after the first iour Ryan and others) were
shot There Is but one wharf at SANTIAGO
as IL Is small port and all the yes
sells unload there Our vessel was lying alongside
the pier taking out cargo. on the morning OF the
7th when the boats OF the Tornado, which was
lying In the narb0r began 10 come ashore, land
ing prisoners In small detachments OF i've or six
at time As each boat landed her men they
were all collected together on the wharf to wait
until the last OF them had arrived, and they were
guarded by marines and men-ofwar sailors from
the Spanish ship. AS we were working close by
OF them. but we could only talk to them now and
then When the Spanish officers saw US
TALKING TO THE PRISONERS
they made us stand back: but whenever they
turned their backs we went on talking TO the poor
fellows. AS soon as they were all landed the
marines formed guard around them aud marched
them up to the prison. They were taken inside
and locked up"
"Did they know at that time what was to be
done with them?" asked the reporter
''Not one OF them" replied the mate "They
thought they was going TO be let go home Why.
a good many OF them brought their bundles OF
clothes and small traps with them thinking
they'd be allowed 10 leave and get out Of the coun-
try. We heard from Spaniards who were working
on the dock, about one O'Clock, that they were TO
he shot ut four, and little alter four O'Clock,
sure enough. they were brought out and
shot. | don't remember whether they had
handouts on or not, but their arms were tied be-
hind them. Several of us Knocked or work and
went up 10 the prison and saw them come out.
There was a large number OF soldiers on foot,
marines and morse police or dragons, and a tre.
mendous crowd OF people. The prisoners were
brought j., out and formed formed, in "a, q column, and
the the column % they marched - toward the
Judge it was about a quarter or q third Of mile
from the jail. on the way the prisoners all seemed
us. .it's all over with us now, boys; 9ut hope
youI drink to our health when you get back to
New Yorkl' When the column goL 10 the slaugh-
ter house the prisoners were orlned in a line
FACING THE WALL,
which is IL or Is feet high and stood only three
four leet IRON the masonry. The soldiers then
formed three sides OF hollow square about them
and kept back the people, and inside the line OF
soldiers was the firing party There were probably
as from here TO the stem OF the brig about 80 feeu
from the prisoners. Then the prisoners were made
wall and their backs TO the soldiers. Then the
troops fired one volley and all the prisoners fell,
minutes, about as long as 1t would take to load
their guns again, there was good deal OF scatter.
Ing hrlng going on ! found they were finishing
the soldiers marched away, ana lei. the
OF mule carts we're driven up, such as they used
carry dirt IN. Then gang oil native prisoners,
men VINO work IN the CHAIN gang, were brought on,
throw them into the CARTS They tumbled five or
SIX corpses, perhaps more, into eaca art, Just as
they might happen to iall, and carted them or just
outside OF the town, where they were
BURIED In HOLE.
"When you were talking to the prisoners on the
dock did any of them tell you their names ~
"rhey talked to US about goo. many things
us their names but they ad they We're eV to
be killed then lremember one, Walter r. Price,
who told US he was lroal Exeter, England,
sDid you see the execution OF the II who were
shot on the next day, November Sfn
mo; that was done early in the morning and we
didn't know anything about 1t until several hours
after. understand it was done about i've O'clock
and that the reason why they hurried that job was
because they had news from the signal station out
side the harbor that an English war steamer was
coming along the coast. The steamer, the
Niobe, got in few hours afterward, and
If it hadn't been for her arrival there
was o lot OF the remaining prisoners
who had been condemned that morning who
would have been shot that afternoon. After she
got In they didn't shoot any more. When we left
Santiago there were three British war steamers
there and one American, the Wyomingn
Mr.. COysh and some men OF his crew. who also
witnessed the executions, are most vehement in
their denunciations OF the frightlui barbarity OF
the Spaniards, and in their way think too that
they want good .'warmng.n