The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1874-01-01


never pinioned him from first to last.
lie, and indeed all the others, bore up
bravely, aud never hinched for Sd in
slant. When the crew had knelt down
the Captain walked along the line, and
babe good bye to all the men in turn,
white and black, for there were several
negroes in the crew. As the men knelt
they were distant from the wall that sur
rounds the execution ground about three
feet, while about three PAGES behind them,
with evelled muskets, stood the detach
ment of marines detailed to execute the
sentence. Just before the fatal voley
was fred Capt. Fry took off his hat. He
seemed as if he was saying prayer. OF
the whole thirty seven, Capt. Fry was the
only person who fell at the first fire. His
body was riddled with bullets, and he
died almost instantly. All the others
were but slightly wounded. The scene that
followed was the most frightful l ever
witnessed, aud | have been on many
battle field. After the first volley |
jumped upon the wall, and from there l
could see everything that happened. The
poor creatures who were wounded lay up
on the ground, rolling about frantically
in their own blood, aud uttering shrieks
of pain and agony. and loud appeals for
mercy. Their appeals for mercy fell up
on men deaf to compassion. The mur.
dercrs rushed upon them like demons,
aud, thrusting their muskets into the
mouths aud ears Of the unfortunate
wretches, absolutely blew their heads off,
Some of the poor creatures irantically en-
deavored to burst the bonds and seize the
inuskets, but of course could not succeed
| shall never forget the awful groaus anl
shrieks that resounded from the Place OF
slaughter. Full ten minutes, that looked
as if it might have been an hour, elapsed
from the time the first volley was dis
charged until the last of the unfortunate
men was dead. | heard men say who
were on ships in the harbor that after the
frst volley was fired the reports of the
guns subsequently discharged continued
to sound like the cracking of fire works
on the Fourth of July in New York. 1t
is a positive fact that, with the exception
of Capt. Fly, the head was blown off
every man in the thirty six. The marines
seemed to exult in their work of blood
felt ashamed that day of being au
American. After all the party were dead,
as 10 the cases of Ryan and his compan
ions, the bod les were thrown into cart
and carried off to the cemetery. As many
as dozen bodies were thrown into the
same hole.
On the 7th of November the remainder
of the passengers were to be executed
fifty in all but on that day an English
man of-war, the Niobe, arrived in port.
The Captain, on coming into the harbor,
did not salute the Spanish forts. He was
in his boat before the anchor touched the
bottom, and on landing proceeded straight
to the Governors house, and peremptorily
demanded that the executions should
cease. The Governor at first declared
that he had no right to interfere, but the
Captain said that n the absence of an
American man of war lie would take the
responsibility Of protecting American
citizens, aud guarding the honor of the
American flag. 1t is said he give the
Governor General his choice between
yielding to his demands or having the
city BON barded, and the Governor accord
ingly gave way. Only for the arrival of
the Niobe there can be no doubt but that
the fifty would have been shot that after.
noon. All the Americans in port were
loud in praise Of the manner iu which
the Captain Of the Nobe acted. | ascer.
tanned few days after his arrival that he
came in answer to a telegraphic message
from the American Consul, sent after the
massacre of Capt Fry and his crew, ask
ing to have an American man of-war dis
patched to Santiago de Cuba. There
happened to be no American man Of Ear
at Kingston at the time, but the comman
der of the Niobe Immediately got up
stream, and even though he had not his
full complement of men. many of them
being on shore, without delay started for
Santiago de Cuba One OF his first acts
was TO compel the Spaniards to remove
the American flag from the place on the
deck of the Tornado, where it had been
thrown about and tramplsd upon for days,
more like rag than flag. lie also
compelled the Governor of Santiago to
furnish him with five copies of the of
fetal proceedings in regard to the trials
-one for himself, one for his Commodore,
one for the American Government, Que
for the British, and the remaining one
for the American Commodore" When
concluding his story, Nr. Coffin assured
the reporter that the Spanish authorities
somehow seems to have no respect for the
American Government and do not hes
tate on the slightest pretcxt to insult the
American Gag.
One exceedingly warm day in June, a
peighbor net the old man. and rcmarke ed
that it was very hot. "Yes," said Joe,
elf it wasn't for one thing, | should say
We were going to have thaw." "What