Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1874-01-07
A Spanish Slaughter-hOuse.

A gentleman in New York city, who
was formerly resident of Santiago de
Cuba, thus describes the slaughter
house there, and the manner of exc
cutting prisoners At a distance of
several hundred yards from the harbor
is the prison where the captives are
confined. 1t is low, gloomy looking
structure, only two stories in hight, and
is built of stone or granite. From this
place the prisoner often goes forth to
execution. These executions always
take place in the slaughter-house, about
three-fourths of a mile distant. 1t was
there the VirgInius' victims ended their
lives. On the morning of an execution,
the battalion of volunteers are sum-
moned at an early hour from the bar
racks, and proceed to the prison. The
prisoners are led forth, bound, and the
solemn procession then takes up its
death march. In the van are the musi-
clans, whose only instruments are the
drums, which are beat with low, omi-
nous sound and measured regularity
The slaughter house is a low white
washed structure Of forbidding aspect
an adobe house with a steep roof, which
projects far beyond its walls on either
side Around this building is trench,
into which the waters from the roof fall
1t is about two feet deep. On the
upper side of this building the process
sion halts and forms hollow square,
with the prisoners in the center. The
side next the slaughter-house is opened,
and the victims are led to the border
of the trench. Here they are bound
hand and foot, though their eyes are
left uncovered. They are often re-
quired to kneel along the trench with
faces turned toward the wall. In the
midst of the hollow square stand the
Colonel and the priests. The duties of
the spiritual advisers being at length
performed, they retire with the Colonel
and at a signal from the latter the
whole company fires. The unfortunate
victims fall forward into the trench,
some dead, some dying, others only
slightly wounded. The artillery force,
who have been stationed in the back
ground, now advance and drive their
clumsy carriages carelessly over the
victims. Several times Is this part of
the ceremony repeated and it is by that
time supposed that all are dead. The
dead wagons are then heaped with
corpses among which is sometimes seen
still quivering body. A half mile
away they are buried, and the soldiery
disperse to their barracks. The slaugh-
ter-house is scared and battered with
bullets on its northern side. Here are
inhumanly slaughtered persons of all
ages and both sexes. The Spaniards |
show no mercy to gray-haired patri- !
archs, to women, or to children. Three
years ago little girl 4 years of age
was led forth to her death. The offense I
was a refusal to make known her |
fathers hiding place. The days of ex-
ecution are gala days in the city. Hun |
dreds of men, women and children |
pour forth from its streets and press |,
forward in the throng. As the victims
fall dying in the trenches these crowds |
push madly forward to view the bleed
ing bodies, the military give way for a
moment, and not until that moment
arrives are the appetites of the blood
thirsty spectators sated.-NeIU York |
Tribune.