Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1889-08-15
BRAvELY HE MET DEATH.
He Had Done n CowardlY Deed. Bu
Thera Was Courage In Him.

kt0 11du DOu0 IL SOH0IuAJ DoOuS Abus
There Was Courage In Him.
From the New Orleans Times Democrat
The steamship Hutchinson, from Havana,
brought, besides other passengers, q gen.
tleman who had witnessed the execution in
that city by the Spanish army Of con-
script soldier named Agullo. Agullo's Of
fence was the murder of his commanding
sergeant. Times Democrat reporter OBJ
tanned from the gentleman a description of
the military execution, which took place at
Fort Principe:
sI saw Agullo as he stood directing the
soldiers 10 aim at his head and heart on
the morning of his execution" said the
gentleman. cit was six O'Clock, ON tho ell
ovation of Principe. whose crest is crowned
| with that gray granite fortress, and from
which point the harbor view ia grand, that
Agullo, casting one heeting glance to wave
| Tapped Moro, fell, pierced by the three
| bullets in his head, upon the narrow para
pet of Fort Principe. One bullet Of the
l four destined for him sped wide of its
mark, wounding an officer to the rear and
near the fort.
"Agullo was a man of magnificent ply
saue, six feet tall, fine head, brilliant eyes
and face denoting gentle birth and re-
fined intelligence. His long. military step
las he marched to the point of his execu.
tion in the square formed by the corpse of
engineers, in which he was enlisted, of ar
| tillery, cavalry, volunteers and infantry
caused murmurs Of admiration to rise to the
lips of the Eve thousand spectators, curious
ly brought together to witness the stern SEN
tence of the military court
l GAS he stood. the central point of all eyes,
l dressed in his fatigue uniform, striped trou
sers and cap, directing his fellow soldiers to
| aim with surety, the sad contemplation of a
life which in other fields may have led to q
| successful career broke IN upon the spectator
Il Uifl, harahaat faal{up Thara ia faII1np
what grief-laden hearts beat with suffering
throbs in far away Spain, innocent victims
alike with their soldier sons compelled tc
serve the hated conscription in Cuba. But
| such Is often the case, and this poor Agullo
smarting under the overbearing seargent who
fed him his food in insult as to a dog, burn
ing under the adverse fate, became the assas
l sin and slew his victim when asleep.
"The prisoners hours before the execution
| were spent in calm deliberate consideration
| He had begged a friend to write to brother
and sister telling them of the close of hi
} | life, and altering his will by bequeathing
small house in Spain to his sister, which in
| previous document he left to his brother
and spent much time in religious exercise.
'At FIVE O'Clock in the morning larg
crowds began steadily to wend their way to
ward CASTILLO Principe, Senior Elias, chief o
police, and the colonel in command inspecte
| the square formed by the military on tn
northwest quarter of the esplanade, in tn
direction of the chorera
"The condemned soldier, accompanied b
/. | the Brothers of Charity, saluted each or
| locker with his farewell, and, defying death
| stood at the spot where post had bee
placed for him to lean on to await his doom
without one quiver OF nervousness. He wa
heard to remark: I was a coward. kille
, him while he was asleep. That was badl
/ done.' In the preparations going on aroun
: him he took active interest in the directio
J., of one thing and another, and then, calling
| sergeant from some distance, bade him goo
bye.
"When the soldier advanced to place til
8 bandage over his eyes he told them, putin
y his hands across his face: There is no NJ
:. | cessity of bandagtng my eyes, but If abs
y lutely necessary will bandage them mysel
Q He took his own handkerchief for this pu
=" pose and loosely tied it so that he could 81
q over the edges. This he was told would nj
do, and for the first time his fingers shoe
under the strain upon his feelings, and o,
+ of the chaplains stepped forward, secure
knotting the ends Of the bandsge, and frr
ly pressing down his cap to hold them in p
L. sition. The soldier kissed the croas as b
10 last glimpse of earth WAS taken, and saw II
= four soldiers had come closer to him, as
=, requested that death might be quick and &C
IL tain. They had previously been the milit
Ia rY distance. These four soldiers had be-
,e given cigar each and some money by Agu
~ 10. Disregarding the special plea of Agull
~ these four men, as they looked at the liv
10 countenance and eyes of feverish blaze VIII
a. the request was made to come closer 81
he closer, were visibly disturbed. Agullo cou
!, touch the muzzles of the pieces. Standi
L. close to the post placed to support the pr
n- oner, at the order 'kneep he quickly sank
ly his knees. Then the four shots irregular
he rang out, and the body leaning against t
-. post fell to the ground dead"