The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1873-11-25
The Cuban Horror-HOw the Virginius
was Capfured.

The "Times" special from Havana, of
the 10th, gives the following account of the
capture of the VirgiEius: The Tornado,
which made the capture, was cruising on
the 3tst of October, about eighteen miles
from the Cuban coast. In the afternoon
she sighted steamer about six miles dis
tant, headed towards her. The Captain
at once ordered steam to be got up, and
soon saw that the steamer had altered her
course, and headed for the coast of Jamai-
ca, distant about one hundred miles.
The Spanish Captain at once suspected
from this that the steamer was the Virgin
ius. He ordered the engineer to get up all
the steam possible, even if they burst the
boilers, and drive the engines at their ut
most speed. The Tornado, under full
headway, showed such speed that it was
clear in a long chase she would overhaul
the stranger But as night was coming
the Spanish Captain feared he should lose
sight of the vessel The moon rising,
however, he was enabled by keeping all
hands on deck, at the masthead and in the
rigging, to keep a sharp lookout. The
steamer was kept in sight until the corvette
had neared sufficiently to bring her guns
to bear on her. The scene on the deck of
the Spaniard was one of intense excite
ment. The fugitive steamer, it was now
quite evident, for whatever reason, was
very anxious to escape. She was observed
to throw her cargo overheard, and empty
boxes and other material floated past the
Spaniard.
A shot was fred, but the stranger made
no reply and four others were fired in sue
cession. The last shot was fired at ten p.
NJ, and Immediately the steamer which
led the corvette chase of nearly eight
hours hove to. Two boats were launched
and manned and pulled along side They
met no resistance in boarding the steamer,
which they had discovered beyond doubt to
be the Virginius. They took possession of
her by hauling down the American flag,
which the Virginius had displayed through
out the chase, and hoisted the Spanish flag
instead. Captain Fry, of the Virginius, in
the usual manner, handed over the steam-s
er's papersfor examination by the officre in
command of the boarding party, and that
officer at once took charge of them, and
both vessels headed for Santiago de Cuba.
On the first Of November, at five o'clock
in the afternoon, they arrived at Santiago
de Cuba. Proceedings were Immediately
begun against the captives as pirates, and
Notwithstanding the protest Of the United
States Vice Consul at the port, were con-
demned, and on the morning of The fourth
Of November four were shot. A naval
court martial was then organized for the
trial Of Captain Fry and crew of the Vir-
ginius. They were, of course, condemned
after a most expeditions trial, and on the
seventh the Captain, first mate, second
mate, and thirty-four seamen were shot.
On the eighth, twelve of the so-called ex-
peditionists were shot, and on the tenth
fifty seven more were put to death. Latest
reports from Santiago de Cuba are that
only eighteen of the entire ships company,
consisting originally Of 1859, will be saved.
Some Of these are engineers, and it is as
sumed that they were not aware of the
nature of the voyage, and the others are
boys. Only -four, it is now stated, will es-
cape without some form of punishment, and
the remainder of those not shot will be
condemned to the chain gang.