The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-08-28
BLANCO'S.ExECUTION.
Thrilling Scene at the Death of a Mur
derer at San Domingo.

Thrilling Scene at the Death of a Muir
l. derer at San Domingo.
Senior Blanco, man noted for his
desperate character, had in Daiabon
brutally and in most cowardly manner
murdsred an inoffensive person for
some fancied slight. The murderer,
escaped into the swamp at Ell Cupey,
but the Governor, with commendable
promptitude, exerted himself with great
vigor, and after a search of ten days
one of the searching parties sent out
by him ran across the fellow in a part
of the swamp inhabited only by alli-
gators, and, tying him up, brought him
back. He was tried for the murder
and sentenced to death. San Domingo,
more advanced than America, doesn't
use the rope to execute its criminals,
but shoots them, and part of the
public plaza is set apart for that I'M
pleasant ceremony. The criminal is
brought out and, placed with his back
to a low brick wall built for the purpose
of stopping bullets, receives his leaden
death.
At the appointed time Blanco-a
magnificent specimen of a man, tall,
powerful and with all the courage of
desperation-was taken from his place
of confinement in the little jail and pre-
pared to be marched out to his fate.
The heavy irons which manacled his
wrists and ankles were removed, and
he was allowed to make his last toilet.
This he did, tightening his collar a
little and touching up the set of his
wristbands, and then, with as firm a
step and an unfaltering an air as if he
had been going to receive the highest
honor, he stepped into his place be-
tween two armed soldiers, and waited
quietly until with measured steps the
rest of the rihed guard-twenty-hve in
number-closed in upon all sides of
him. Obeying the order to march
with as much military precision as
those who guarded him, the con-
demned murderer started to his death.
The march was straight through the
heart of the town, the streets. crowded
with people who were going to see
him die, and Blanco glanced at
them with palpable sheer disfiguring
his handsome mouth. His courageous
bearing impressed even those people,
accustomed as they are to scenes OF the
kind and with a wonderful fOrbearance.
| they did not throw stones at him or even
attempt to deride him. Arrived at the
plaza, where the Governor and his staff,
all in full uniform, and q crowd of
people were waiting for them, the
guard and their prisoner halted. They
stood at just the right distance from
the fatal spot upon which Blanco was
to stand, and which was already marked
| by the grisly-black coffin which was SO
soon to receive its burden. At move
ment from the Captain, Blanco stepped
firmly forward and in long strides
walked up to his position and, stopping,
turned around and faced his execu-
TONERS. There was pause, broken by
the clear voice of the murderer asking
for permission to give the word to fire
The request was so unusual that the
Captain was for moment nonplussed,
but at sign from the Governor he
simply bowed his assent, and Blanco,
apparently satisfied began calmly to
take off his coat. This being accom-
plished. he slowly opened his shirt
front and, barring his protruding breast,
braced himself to meet his death-blow.
There was a rattle of muskets as the
| file, at a sharp command of their Off
Ger, brought their pieces to ''aim, :"
and there was another deadly pause as
the men waited for the doomed to give
the word to fire. 1t was again broken
by Bianco's clear voice: "ShOot at the
breast of a man. Firew The blast
which rang out from those twenty-five
deadly weapons was deafening.
Through the cloud of smoke 1 saw
Blanco. For a second after the dis
charge he stood perfectly still, not q
CULVER distorting his placid features.
His arms hung loosely down at his
sides and his hands were tightly
clinched. Then, without any bending
of the knees, he fell forward on his
face. AS he did so his arms-the hands
unclinching as he fell-rose slowly
above his head and reaching the
ground, his fingers buried themselves
in the soft, grassy earth. For more
| than ten seconds did he remain in that
position, when, with the last convul-
sive energy of life, and by a movement
which no athlete could repeat, he
sprang straight upon his feet, his
hands tearing away little punches of
earth adhered to grass as he rose.
Glazing at his eXecutioners with look
| of hatred that shall never be ef1aced
from my memory of this scene he, with
quick movement, raised his two
hands and flung with wonderful power
the dirt straight at the heads of the
soldiers in front of him. Before the
earthly missiles had reached their des-
tination Blanco sank down upon and
across his coffin and was dead.-M z.
| Times.
Cultured Committee Men.
ANY one who has known what Ii is