The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-07-19

indeed loved that fairest of all fair
quarters of our globe. At that season
the sun is always hot in these ATTITUDES;
!nt il is often tempered by cool and
salubrious breeze from the Gulf. So it
was upon this day. Many umbrellas
w"r. raised in the vast throng of which
We are 30 speak to ward off the burn
ing RAYS of the sun; but the air was
soco"lcd by the sea breeze that crept up
the harbor. past frowning walls and
slollcl guns OF grim Moro Castle, and
through almost every quarter Of the
city that the great concourse did not
seem to feel the heat
The great square, surrounded by
white-wailcd buildings, and variegated
with great palm-trecs and tropical
plants, was a favOrte resort of almost
all classes of Havana after sunset, when
the fiery heats of the day were over.
But it was yet many hours to sunset.
Whoever came ont at this hour and
fingered about the Paseo must have
good reason for it-some other reason
beside mere idle lounging and chatting.
1t seemed as if every class in the
great city had contributed its quota
to swell this crowd. Swarthy Spanish
military officers, in snowy uniforms
and gold lace; ut least two regiments
If soldiers, with neat uniforms and ac-
couterments, and shining muskets and
bayonets; hidalgos of Spain. with their
families, carefully fenced away from the
throng: negroes and mulattoes of both
sexes. by the thousand; native Cubans,
dark and swarthy, and hardly to be
distinguished from the Spaniards. sail
ors by the hundreds from ships in the
harbor, representing every nation that
had canvas upon the high seas, and
not Il few Americans and Englishmen,
either permanent residents of the city,
or temporarily there. All these classes
made up such crowd us the PaseO had
never seen before. Indeed, the place
was crowded to repletion. The dusky
Senoritas who came in their great cum
hrous r0tdates, with a negro bestrding
the animal i'll the shafts. and who were
eager to see the spectacle, exclaimed
with dismay ut the throng, and ordered
their drivers to 60 up close to the build
;ngs. where they would be out of the
press. The hundreds of windows look
ing out upon the Paseo, barred and I'M
glazed, after the Spanish fashion, were
filled with eager faces and dark eyes;
and for hours Cuban women stood
there. intent to see the spectacle that
was shortly to take place.
Great preparations had evidently
been made for this event. A large
pinc-board platform, without flags,
drapery or decorations. had been erect
cit in the middle Of the Paseo. A few
rough wooden steps led up to it. Upon
the platform was a curious upright
machine, with lever behind it and
rude chair in front of it. Around the
platform, and close up to it, the SOL
diers were massed. Back of them, fill
ing all the space away to the walls of
the houses that inclosed the square,
was the great concourse of people.
All knew what was about to occur.
and the solemnity Uf the occasion hushed
the multitude to silence But here and
there throughout the crowd there was
low murmur of conversation, hardly
loud enough to be noticed from the
platform, which was soon filled with
the actors in the dreadful tragedy.
These murmured talks were of course
mainly in the Spanish language; and
the following, which was overheard
and translated to me by an American,
will serve as fair sample of the
whole:
"A bad mana vile hombre."
''Ah yes. maleditto! and our illus
trious and noble Captain-General
Concha does well to summarily exc
cute him. What sayest thou?"
'.Bueno! was born in Old CASTLE.
and hate the Americanos, who are
always plotting and conspiring to
wrcst our fair Cuba from us. But
what has become of this fellows COM
patriots?"
'What-dost not know? Hfty-two
of the cut-throats were taken Just out
side the walls and shot. Two hundred
more, at least, are in our dungeons;
and | hope the same may happen to
Them"
The other gave an emphatic gesture
of assent, and was just about to make
some reply. when procession of at
least two dozen persons passed be-
tween two long ranks of soldiers with
shouldered muskets, assembled the
steps, and filled the platform. There
were more than dozen guards; there
were several officers representing the
Captain-General, SO brilliant with their
gaudy uniforms that they looked like
pageant; there was a priest with
somber robes and look; and there was
one man in civilians dress, who in
stantly rivctcd upon himself the atten-
ton OF the thousands of spectators.
"Ah!-now you see him!''- one
OF tho Spaniards whom we just now
left whispering together. "Dost sec
him. senior? hate him and his tribe,
but, to give Satan his due, he is bold
looking fellow
''Who--thc man not in uniform?'
'sThc same. Sec his brown face; he
was borl, in Venezuela, they say. Ah
that is the trouble; how can one DC a
true son OF old Spain if he be not born
between the Bay of Biscay and the
Mediterranean"
but they say he is brave"
The other shrugged his shoulders.
Qaien sGbe? only know he is a