The Opelousas courier., 1883-09-22
THE TIRGINIUs MASSACRE.
Ihe Thrilling Experience of Capsai
Simon Gratz.

~
Ano AhraiAinE Experience of CAPTAIN
Simon Gratz.
Captain Simon Gratz, n of the few
men on board the Virginius who es-
capped being shot, recently gave a
thrilling account of his narrow escape.
He said:
Sin the fall of 1871 we were ready for
another expedition, and l left New
York on the British steamer Atlas.
bound foi Kingston. There were 100
OF u.s. 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 ap-
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 Novem-
Der the butcher, Burriell, began to
shoot the prisoners. The batch shot.
on the morning of the 4th were march,
ed into the prison chapel on the eve
ming before, and separately asked
questions, and insultingly tainted 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 Varona, Cespedes 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 identi-
ty. Captain O'Callihan was one of the
Spanish officers engaged in the butch
cry. He was in the Confederate army,
and made an effort to save Ryan, but
Burriell would not listen to it. AT six
in the morning the squad was marched
out and chained in pairs, two soldiers
between every two prisoners and a file
of soldiers ON each hand. They were
made to kneel upon a bank Of dirt by
the side of a newly dug trench fac
ing the ditch. A platoon of soldiers
marched up, and when within a few
rods of the kneeling figures fired,
shooting them in the back, the llodies
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 7th the
Virginius crew was brought ashore and
shot. Captain Frye and Colonel Harris
were among that squad, which num-
bered thirty-seyen. The purser was
not killed by the first lire, and he rose
up, turned around, and shouted:
"sYou cowardly, barbarous butchers,
have the decency to shoot your victims
dead
"A second volley was poured into
him, and his body rolled into the
trench.
ssThe next batch was thirteen in
number, to be shot or the morning OF
the 9Th. / had been in two patches
which had been shot, and had been re-
spited for a short time each morning
on account of there being a wrong
number or some superstition. Prayers
for the repose of my soul had already
been said twice, and twice had / re
NAMED behind while the others were
led out and slaughtered. A terrible
tumult followed this last killing. The
populace by thousands had witnessed
the whole awful series of daily TRACE
dies, and they now became furious
Burriell had fed to his castle. Altht
priests and decent people focked mthel
and implored that no more blood o.
spilled. The butcher surrounded MN
self with the troops, and ordered TIN
executions to continue. Another
batch. numbering fifteen, was prepar
ed, and they were to be slaughtered OF
Il - -
the morning of the 18th. Onthe nigh
of the 18th, while we were in tn
chapel again, and the mass for ou
soul was being repeated, an Englisl
man-of-war came into the harbor. !
was just at midnight, and the shooting
was to take place at z. N. The Eng
lish consul pushed to the beach AM
sionaled the commander on shore an
informed him what was going OF
Commander Loman Immediately order
cd the guns loaded, and covered Bui
rielps castle. He then sent word .
the butcher that if another man wa
shot he would open fire on the castl
and hang him, if captured. This pu
III end to the shooting business. Th
next day the american feet arriye'
J and steps were taken to burn %
whole town il the prisoners were Nc
released. Governor BurrieIl the