The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1874-01-15
The Sufferings Of the .Virginius Pris.
OnerS.

New YORK, December q.
A reporter of the Tribune, who boarded
the Juniata, obtained full particulars
from variety of sources concerning the
treatment received by the prisoners at the
hands of their Spanish captors. All these
reports agree in one particular, namely
that the treatment received was uniformly
harsh and in some cases barbarOus. A
fact which has not generally been known,
by statements Of prisoners now comes to
light, which Is, that they were robbed by
the crew of the Tornado, and nearly all
who owned anything were robbed of
money, jewclry, watches, and other valua-
bles. The prisoners were taken to the
Jail of Santiago soon after their arrival in
port. Here they were crowded together
like cattle; here their sufferings began.
They were not confined to separate cells
indeed, there was no opportunity for
such confinement in the contracted quar-
tiers of the Santiago jail-but the entire
party of nearly two hundred were driven
into small room, hardly fifty feet wide
by ten feet long. Here they were
obliged to live as best they could,
though the air, of course, was al
most deadly, and there was little or no
opportunity for exercise. The prisoners
were supplied with provisions which,
though sufficient as regards quantity,
were poor in quality, and hardly fitted to
sustain life. The provisions consisted
wholly of rice and water. One night the
prisoners were stealthily taken from the
Jail and marched with the greatest haste
to a point seven miles below the city, in
the vicinity of Moro. The road lay
through rough tract of country, and the
journey was most wearisOme, while some
of the prisoners were so sick as to be al
most unable to stand. The sufferings of
some of the number were intense, and no
pity was in the breasts of the Spaniards.
At this point on the coast they were
placed on board the steamer Bazean,
which at once set sail for Havana. At
Manzeilla it was met by the mail steamer
coming in the opposite direction. On the
steamer was General Burriel, who at once
ordered the Bazean to return to Santiago.
She turned about, but soon run aground,
and the passengers were transferred to
another vessel. There they suffered horrors
heretofore unknown. They we're crowded
in the hold of the vessel, where scarcely q
ray of sunlight could struggle in, and the
air was poison. The darkness was almost
continuous. The food they ate was
wretched in quality and insufficient in
quantity, and the water they drank was
what remained in the buckets after the
dumb animals were satisfied. These ami
mails consisted mainly of horses and
mules. They were kept on the deck above
the Virginius' prisoners, and we're thus a
constant source Of annoyance to the help
less people confined below. 1t was in the
midst of all this filth and suffering that
the prisoners were not allowed to wash
for ten days, and their arms were pinioned
behind them the larger portion of the
voyage. They were occasionally beaten
on the slightest provocation, and some
times on no provocation at all. These
punishments, however, seem not to have
been of nature SO serious as to produce
any lasting effects.