The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1891-07-03
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u ."nnS Ws,,tensnt of the. Blexid ,an Cav
~ lrv was the saddest that has eve r dark
ID ID the annals of the state. brief
';s,ory of the event which led Y p this
.orn;no,s execution is necessary to
,roper understanding Of the fase Last
December a company OF the I4irteenth
Cavalry was ordgeof TO DO
,pecial duty at Cadereyta, q lsu3ali town
IN the Gulf road. The company was in
command of a first lieutenantfud the de-
ooased A dispute arose bftweeu the
off;cers and Lieutenant EstuH Herron fear
;nn as his friends say, that hi life was in
apnoer As drew his pistol, bft did not
shoet at his superior. 1t is climed that
ho snanned the pistol, but it nissed fire.
FOR this ofrense he was placed under ar
rcst and tried by general c'urt-martiai
and sentenced to death.
There were cxteuuatDg circumstances
.ar,;t,ed and the cye was carried to
Tie !, oct E,dersl, COURTS. Pending
decision the fisssfscer of the company
was shot dead in :.thc portals at Mon
terey by one OF the soldiers, and the
soldier, while Nt the smoke was
curling from Ids weapon, was shot
down by the captain of the company.
! Whether these deaths affected the par
doning power Or not will never be
known, but the fading Of the court was
approved, and powerful personal appeals
by persons intimately associated with
President Diaz were unavaling. The
death warrant was signed and carried in
to execution. That the officer was ad-
mjced by the people and dear loved in
lis regiment was well known by the au-
thoritics, as the precautions taken by the
commaudant of the department were
ample proof.
The time of the shooting was kept a
profound secret until the night before the
execution. The cathedral clock chimed
four. There wns aJshap bugle call, a
hurrying of musterlg1eet, quick com
| mnnds and ranid cs5mtibns aud in few
moments the garrison feitinto line. The
gate in the rear pfT the barracks was
opened, and the Thirteenth Cavalry in
full marching order on foot. issued forth,
followed Ivy their baud with mufflcd in
strumcnts. The Fifth Cavalry followed,
and then the Fifth4 Infantry. They
formed II square, three sides of which
consisted of the representative regiments.
The fourth was the wall of the barracks.
The general commanding the department
and staff took up Il position in the centre.
When the troops halted the commanding
officer called, "Attention2" elk
bayonets' He then announced the SEN
tencc, and added:
elf any man moves in the ranks or
gives any exprcsslon) of sympathy with
the prisoner or farh with the sentence
he shall be commRtcd to prison from one
to five years, deRcnding'op pthc gravity of
the oifensc" ,.>.
aploWed to Js asaaA Ahe 1ar of the
church bell tolled tie knell for the dv-
ing. The early sun just gildcd the
mounta'n peaks that rise like giant senti-
nels around the historic city, and ones
thoughts went back to the dull gray
morning long ago, when an American
soldier knclt upon his coffin aud met a
bloody death almost on the same spot.
Great white wreaths circled the higher
hills. 1t is now 4:45. From out of the
cato issued company of the Thirteenth,
at its head prisoner, and by his side a
priest. With firm tread and proudly
lifted head he marched, never faltering
or halting, but with bright smile upon
his face, he looked the least concerned
OF the party. He halted at a small
marked elevation twenty feet from the
barracks wall. His company filed mast
and formed in front, four lines deep.
Two lines advanced, halted, aud one
stu. advanced. There were six men in
eash line. The ti4ng party thus con-
sisled OF s'A mgn Infthe front line within
ten feetot thrpris0ficf, ana tho second
line within fifteen feet. The other two
lines formed reserve. The death kneJI
tollcd and the clock struck 8. The off.
Ger advanced to bandage the eyes of the
prisoner, but the latter waived the Off.
Ger aside and said:
~ have looked too often in the face
of death to fear him now"
cit shall be rs you wish," said the
captain nc hc ;yvN ms place at the left
OF IN" firing party. Taking off his hat
the prisoner surveyed the assembled
troops, looked once at the sun timed :
hIllS, and said to the firing partv:
''Hh"ot straight for my heart, but do
not strike my face. Adcu," And
bringing his hands to the position of
attention" he awaited the end. There
was slight flash Of the captains sword
| he guns came TO, "Rcadym Another
lash. "Aimr' The blade drops. Six
sheets of ilamc dart toward the prisoner.
who sprnnu i"'., tl.c Hir with >.,vea noI
cts III his heart. The surgeon took
lis wrist. The captain gave Il quick
'omm1nd. u soldier stcppol from the
ankS, and placing his ri" TO the pris.
'ncr,S head, fired. In les, than tiftv
ccondS from the drop of tie sword
Lieutenant EStupcrron WAS dead. The
u%l"S sounded. The troops fled past
he body; i, was pnt into oniu and
A' GRIM tragedy was overland as
rave man as ever bucklcd or sword
al crossed to the "bivouae of the