Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-10-29
WEEKLY REFLECTOR ABILENE KANSAS OCTOBER 49, 1891


the most brutal death he could con-
ceive; and then, believing there was no
more cffectual means of barbarity, he
called to a Navarrese mason. who was
also Christian slave Michel" he
said: you see this empty mold Of
beton; for the present leave il; have a
mind to mike betOn of that dog OF
Oran who refuses to como back 10 the
faith of Islam" Poor Maitre Michel
had to obey, but he finished his days
work with a sad heart As soon rs he
entered the "Bango" TOR he also was
prisoner) he found out Geronimo and
told him Euldj Ais command Geron-
limo heard the command in perfect
silence, and then very candy he
answered: Gods holy will be done.
Let not those miserable men think
they will brighten me out OF the faith
of Christ by the idea of this cruel
death May my blessed Saviour only
pardon me my sins, and preserve me
my soul"'
The whole of that night this brave
young Arab spent in prayer and pre-
paration for the death tortures which
he knew were awaiting him. Must not
the memories Of his high military honor
and fame, the kindness of Juan Caro-,
the love of his fair young wife, have
flashed through his overstrung mind
like some beautiful, glittering dream?
Was nothing left? Nothing real? Moth
ing but death-death so CHASTITY in its
fearful savagery that the very life be-
yond seemed hidden away? Ali 1t
was not too late even now. The SEN
tence could still be recalled, and great
er earthly power than Geronimo had
ever had was yet within his reachl
Every line in that martyrs face, rs he
stood before his plaster cast, told US
what his cry must have been then; told
US silently how his cry for strength
was answered Between two and three
o'clock the next morning a guard sum-
moned him to the Pacha's presence.
There he stood, a suffering. patient
prisoner in chains before great null
titude of Turks and Arabs in all their
gorgeous magnifcence. Then he was
dragged by 4 hooting crowd, striking
him and beating him, to the gate Bah
el-Oued, where he again stood before
the Pacha in the midst of his pompous
retinue. Euldj Ali then addressed him
slowly and clearly; he pointed out
every detail of the fearful death; he
showed him the block of beton, and
every torture of such death was care
fully explained Then he ended his
speech with: "Dogl you refuse to re-
turn to the faith OF Islam?" 81 am .
Christian, and as Christian will die"
was the noble Arabs answer. "AsJ you
will" replied the Pacha- Then here"
pointing to the beton, shall you be
buried alive" do your will Death
shall not make me abandon my faith"
were Geronimo's last words The
Pacha raised his hand, some soldiers
stepped forward. they removed the
chain from the prisoners leg, they
bound his hands behind his back, they
crossed his legs and tied them; then
they took him up and laid him with his
face downward into the mold The
plaster was poured over him, and
Tamango, a renegade Spaniard, want
ing to show what n fervent Mohametan
he was, jumped on Geronimo's body
and broke his ribs. This act pleased
Euldj Ali so much that others followed |
his example. For twenty-four hours
Geronimo lay bleeding, suffering, dy-
ing in that block of bcton; the jeers
been ringing in his cars. the African |
sun in its intense power must have |
poured upon his aching head; but brave, |
faithful and unmurmuring, this noble |
Arab lay there till the weary day and |
night were over, and another morning |
broke upon that beautiful Algerian |
land. But in the I'D above, we be- |
lieve the gates of the kingdom OF |
heaven were thrown open, and &c.
ronimo, bearing the palm in his hand.
was admitted into the noble army of
For three hundred years this story
was handed from one generation to an
other, till some people treated it as a
but thirty-eight years ago,
when alterations were being made, and
he wall had to be taken down, the
workmen came upon a strange hollow
place and some human bones The
governor, remembering this story, di-
.ected plaster of paris to be thrown
nto the mold, and very soon the life
'ize figure of Geronimo appear ed, pro-
claiming the truth of the martyrdom
The cast is now kept in the museum at
Algiers; it shows slight figure, face
With the veins all raised, poor mouth
.losed with patient, determined ex-
PRESTON; the hands are tied, the legs
ire swollen; even the very broken ribs
ire lying there. Three hundred years
# history holding its peace; and loi
he very stones, as it were, cry out
md the noble Arabs martyrdom is
brought to light.-Londo Spectator.