Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-04-26
WHAT A BOZ DID.
How lie Brought Relief to the Santiago
Prisoners.

New York Times.
One Of the sights of Santiago is the
spot where some of the Virginius pri-
soners were shot. 1t is a siX-feet-high
wall in front of the slaughter-house.
The men were stood up in line with
their faces to the wall and their backs
to the soldiers and murdered. The
story they tell there of the rescue
of the remainder Of the prisoners
is an interesting one. Amcri-
cans and Englishmen in Santiago
tell the story; the natives don't
tell it for obvious reasons. The
Government, so the story goes, had in
terdicted the sending of any message
over the cable concerning the killing Of
these prisoners. But there was an
English boy in the telegraph-ofiice
learning the business, and he watched
his chance when the operator was out,
and. standing unconcernedly with his
back to the key, while the Office was
guarded by Spanish soldiers, he put his
hands behind him and managed to send
over TO Jamaica this startling message :
There is the devil to pay in Santa
90. They're butchering men of all ma
| TONS"
You must imagine how such a mes
sage was received in Jamaica; how the
operator read and reread it and won
dered if it was a hoax, and read it again
and then sent it up to the Governor.
The Governor perhaps had had expert
ence with the Spaniards before, for he
sent the message without delay to the
commander Of British gunbOat that
lay in Kingston harbor. and the COM
msnder had faith enough in it to put on
all steam and pointhi bow for Santiago.
For if men Of all nations were being
butchered there must be Englishmen
among them. Next morning the British
gunboat lay in Santiago harbor, and
how glad those poor prisoners must
have been to see her there, Americans
as well as English. The commander
sent messenger ashore to see what was
going on, but he came back without any
information. Rihe-shots were frequent
ly heard, and he sent one Of his princi-
pal officers to see the commandant OF
the Spanish troops to inquire whether
any British subjects were in trouble,
and the commandant sent him back an
impudent reply, saying that he had
just shot one batch Of prisoners and in
tended to shoot another lot within an
hour, and that it was none Of his bust
ness. Then the British commander
sent message ashore that the Spanish
general might possibly have thought UNI
civil. Ii was to the effect that if he
heard another shot fired until he had
assurance that no British subjects were
being murdered he would open fire on
the city. This did the business, and
the shooting stopped. The gunboai
staid long enough to see that the re-
naming prisoners had at least fair play,
and thus saved good many lives.
This is not my story, remember;
only give it as heard it. ! was not
there at the time. But it's neat little
story, and l couldn't help telling it
1t is pity, though, that the plucky
boy who telegrsphed backward men.
toned the Satanic gentleman in his dis.
patch. or he might have been immortal.
lied. There was one mitigating cir
cumstance about the butchering Of those
prisoners. Anybody who is taken Il
the desolate, woe begone part Of San.
tiago in which they were shot would
| naturally vant To die.