Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-12-12
The Nirginius Executions.
Statement of an eye witness-Fifty saved
by the courage of British Captain.

bark Morning star, arrived ut new L ork
last week He was an eye witness to the
execution of the Virginius prisoners. He
says that the prisoners were all transfer
red from the ship to the Jail in irons ex
cept the first four who were executed the
next day. This was Sunday.
About o'clock, the next morning
(Monday), the fated four we're marched
to the "slaughter-house." Ryan was
dressed in blue flannel shirt and light
pantaloons, wore white felt hat looped
up at the side, and carried small silver
star on his left breast. He showed more
grit and courage than one would have
thought possible. A person would i'm
agine he was going to his wedding in
stead of to his death. The others, too,
acted like brave men, especially Cespedes-
the youngest of the three, whose courage
never for an instant quailed. On the
way to the execution ground, Ryan
spoke two or three times to the Spanish
officer who walked beside him, protesting
that his execution was without justifca
ton, as be had not had fair trial, or
any trial at all, in fact. A Catholic
clergyman offered his ministrstious to
Ryan, but he refused to speak to him and
moved away. On arriving at the slaugh-
ter house, Mr.. Coffin states that the Span
ish officers directed the condemned men
to kneel down with their faces to the
wall. Ryan and Cespedes protested
against this as an indignity, and asked to
be allowed to kneel with their faces
turned toward their executiorers. FL
nally, however, they submitted and as
sumed the required position. Then there
was pause for an instant, followed by a
flash and report, and the four were
writhing in the agonies of death. Their
sufferings did not last long and all were
dead within four minutes. The reports
circulated that Spanish officer thrust
his sword through Ryau's heart, and
that the heads we're chopped off the four
murdered men and carried in triumph
through the streets, Mr.. Coffin pronoun
ces altogether untrue. The moment life
was extinct, the four bodies we're placed
s in cart and taken to the cemetery
where they were thrown into rude hole
hastily dug, and some shovel. fulls of clay
thrown over the remains. Meanwhile
the house of Mr.. Smith, the American
consul, had been placed under guarC
: of Spanish soldiers, and Mr.. Smith was
: compelled to remain within doors, anC
e not allowed to hold communication by
letter or otherwise with any one outside
He was not even permitted to come out
on his veranda.
The massacre of Capt. Fry and the
crew, Mr.. Coffin describes as follows
"The execution took place in the after.
! noon. | talked with Capt. Fry on the
r way from the jail to the slaughter-house
r | asked him where was the Virginius
when she was captured. He said she
s was just Is miles south-southeast from
Fort Morant on the coast of Jamaica
!, and that when he saw they were sure tC
g be captured he sent for Varona and ask
$ ed him what he proposed to do, to fgh
IT or surrender, adding, 'It'sall one to me.
e Varona replied that he thought it best tt
3 surrender. There was slow match tt
the magazine, but he had got the mel
into their present position, and though
he ought to give them chance for the
lives. Accordingly, they had surrender
> ed. AT the place of execution" contin
y ued Mr.. Coffin, zone of my mates
'' Charles Bell, the steward of our vessel
gave poor Fry a glass of water. TIL
: Spaniards treated the captain well, an,
" meyer pinioned him from first to last
~ He, and indeed all the others, bore u
bravely, and never finched for an in
: stant. When the crew had knelt dow
:, the captain walked along the line am
babe good-by to all the men in turn
" white and black, for there were severa
negroes in the crew. As the men knel
they were distant from the wall that SUI
rounds the execution ground about tire
: feet, while about three PAGES behind ther
with leveled muskets, stood the detach
ment of marines detailed to execute th
o sentence. Just before the fatal volle
was fred, Capt. Fry took Off his hal
He seemed as if he was saying a prayer
= OF the whole 81, Capt. Fry was the onl
person who fell at the first fire. Hi
body WIS riddled with bullets, and h
died almost instantly. All the other
were but slightly wounded. The seen
> that followed was the most frightful
ever witnessed, and have been on ma
ny battlefield. After the first volley
: jumped upon the wall, and from Their
= could see everything that happened
The poor creatures who were wounde,
lay upon the ground rolling about fran
!, tically in their own blood, and utterin