Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-09-01
BRAyELY HE MET DEATH.
He Had Done q COwardly Deed, bu
Thera Was COuYaHe I'm Him,


There Was Courage In Hime
The steamship Hutchinson, from
Havana, brought, besides other passen-
gers, a gentleman who had Witnessed
the execution in that city by the Spanish
army of conscript soldier named
Agullo. Agullo's offense was the murder
of his commanding sergeant. A Times
Democrat reporter obtained from the
gentleman description of the military
execution, which took place at Fort
Principe:
~ saw Agullo as he stood directing
the soldiers to aim at his head and heart
on the morning of the execution" said
the gentleman. "It was O'Clock, on
the elevation of Principle, whose crest is
crowned with that gray granite fortress
and from which point the harbor view is
grand, that Agullo, casting one feeting
glance to wave-lapped Moro, fell pierced
by the three bullets in his head upon the
marrow pa, apet Of Fort Principe. One
IulleS of the four destined for him sped
wi6s of it's mark, wounding an officer to
the rear of him and near the fort.
"Agullo WAS q man of magnificent
physique, six feet tall, fine head, brilli-
ant eyes, and face denoting gentle birth
and refined intelligence. His long, mill
tary step, as he marched to the point of
his execution in the square formed by
the corps of engineers, in which he was
enlisted, of artillery, cavalry, volunteers
and infantry, caused murmurs of admira-
ton to rise to the lips of the 5000 spec
tators, curiously brought together to wit
ness the stern sentence of the military
court.
GAS he stood, the central point of all
eyes, dressed in the fatigue uniform,
striped trousers and cap, directing his
fellow-soldiers to aim with surety, the
sad contemplation of q life which in other
fields may have led to successful career,
broke ia upon the spectator with harshest
feeling. There is no telling what grief
laden hearts beat with suffering throbs
in far-away Spain, innocent victims alike
with their soldier sons compelled to serve
the hated conscription in Cuba. But such
10 often the case, and this poor Agullo,
smarting under the overbearing sergeant
who fed him his food III insult as to q
dog, burning under the adverse fate,
be0am me the assassin and slew his victim
whom asleep.
"The prisoners hours before the exc
cution were spent in calm, deliberate
consideration. He had begged friend
to write to brother and sister telling
them of the close Of his life, and altering
his will by bequeathing small house in
Spain to his sister, which in q previous
document he left to his brother, and
spent much time in religious exercises.
cat O'Clock in the morning large
crowds began steadily to wend their way
toward Custello Principe. Sencr Elias,
Chief OF Police, and the Colonel in COM
mand inspected the square formed by
the military on the northwest quarter Of
the esplanade, in the direction of the
chorera.
The condemned soldier, accompanied
by the Brothers of Charity, saluted each
onlooker with his farewell, and defying
death, stood at the spot where post
had been placed for him to lean on to
await his doom, without one CULVER of
nervousness. He was heard to remark /:
Il was coward. killed him while he
was asleep. That was badly DONE In
the preparations going on around him he
took active interest in the direction of
one thing and another. and then calling
q sergeant from some distance, bad him
good-by. em
"When the soldiers advanced to place
the bandsge over his eyes he told them,
putting his hands across his face
There is no necessity of bandsging my
eyes, but If absolutely necessary 1 will
bandage them myself He took his
own handkerchief for this purpose and
loosely tied it 80 that he could see over
the edges. This he was told would not
do, and for the first time his fingers
shook under the strain upon his feelings,
and one of the chaplsins stepped for
ward, securely knotting the ends of the
bandsge, and firmly pressing down his
cap to hold them in position. The
soldier kissed the cross as his last
glimpse of earth was taken, and saw
the four soldiers bad come closer to
him, as he requested that death might
be quick and certain. They had pre-
viously been the military distance.
These four soldiers had been given a
cigar each and some money by Agullo.
Disregarding the special plea Of Agullo,
these four men, as they looked at the
livid countenance and eyes of feverish
blaze when the request was made to
come closer and closer, were visibly dis
turbed. Agullo could touch the muzzles
of the pieces. Standing close to the post
placed to support the prisoner, at the
order 'kneel he quickly sank to his
knees. Then the four shots irregularly
rang out, and the body leaning against
the post fell to the ground dead.-[New
Orleans Times-D Democrat.
Denman Thompson's Loss.