Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1883-09-13
THE vIRGINIUs MASSACRE.
The Thrilling Experience of Captain
simon Grntx.

capped being shOt, recently gave
thrilling account of his narrow escape.
| He said:
ain the fall of 1871 we were ready for
another expedition, and | left New
York on the British steamer Atlas,
bound for Kingston. There were l30
of us. all citizens, having signed no
papers or made any agreement. At
Kingston we found the Virginius, the
old confederate blockade-runner
"The history of our chase and cap
ture by the Tornado is well known.
We were taken ashore at Santiago and
locked up in prison that day, the last
day in October On the 18th of Noycm.
Der the butcher, Burricll, began TO
shoot the prisoners. The batch shot
on the morning Of the ith were march.
ed into the prison chapel on the eve.
ming before, and separately asked
questions, and insultingly tauntcd with
their certain death while priests were
! saying mass for their souls They
were kept there nearly all night in
this mock trial and religious exercise.
| Ryan Narona, Ccspedcs and other Off.
GERS and prominent Cubans were in
the first lot. Ryan gave an assumed
name, but his long hair gave him
away. and he acknowledged his idcnti-
! ". Captain O'Callihan was one Of the
! Spanish officers engaged IN the butch
cry. lie was in the Confederate army,
and made an effort 10 save Ryan, but
Burricll would not listen toit At six
in the morning the squad was marched
ont and chained in pairs, two soldiers
! between every two prisoners and a file
Of soldiers on each hand They were
made 10 knccl upon bank Of dirt by
| the side of newly dug trench fac
ing the ditch. \ platoon Of soldiers
marched up. and when within few
| rods OF the knc"ling figures fired,
shooting them in the back, the bodies
| falling into the ditch. and the soldiers
/ wheeling and marching away. while
the bands were playing and flags fly
| ing. The trench was Immediately filled
up, and all the military and bands
marched over it TO lively airs. The
next morning another large squad was
shot in the same way On the 1th the
Nirginius crew was brought ashore and
shot, Captain Frye and Colonel Harris
were among that squad, which num-
bercd thirty-seyen The purscr was
not killed hy the first Gre, and he rose
up, turned around. aud yhoutcl
lyon cowardly. barharou- butchers.
have the deccncy to shoot your victims
dead
"a second yollcy was poured into
him, and his body rolled into the
| trench.
"The next batch was thirteen in
number. to BE- shot on the morning of
| the sth. | had been in two patches
which hal been shot. and had been re-
/ spitcd for short time each morning
on account Of there being wrong
number or some superstition. Prayers
for the repose Of my soul had already
| been said twice. and twice had re-
I maincd behind while the others were
. led out and slaughtered. \ terrible
tumult followed this last killing. The
I populacc by thousands had witnessed
| the whole awful series OF daily TRACE
| dies. and they now became furious.
/ Burricll had fed 90 his castle. All the
/ priests and decent people hockcd hither
and implored that no more blood bc
I spilled. The butcher surrounded him
self with the troops. and ordered the
executions to continue. Another
batch, numbering fifteen. WAS prcpar.
ed, and they were to be slaughtered on
the morning Of the 10Th. ON the night
Of the llth. while we were in the
/ chapel again. and the mass for our
soul was being repeated, an English
man-of-war came into the harbor. II
was just Mt midnight, and the shooting
was to take place at g +. NJ. The Eng
lish consul pushed to the beach and
sgnaled the commander on shore and
informed him what was going on.
Commander LomIn Immediately order
ed the guns loaded. and covered Bur
riells castle He then sent word To
| the butcher that IL another man was
shot he would open fire on the castle
and hang him. if captured. This put
an end 10 the shooting business. The
next day the American fleet arrived
and steps were taken to burn the