The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-10-23

block of beton standing by the great
stones This block was a mold in the
shape of the immense stones, filed
with a kind of concrete; when the con-
crete was sufficiently hardened. the
wall was to be built with it. Here was
the height of torture! Here was the
most exquisitely painful death man
might devise! The dog of a slave
should be laid in similar mold; the
liquid plaster should be poured over
him; he should be built alive into the
wall; the renegade should be turned
into very stone! But as Arabs never
act hastily, the Pacha deliberated most
carefully whether this really could be
the most brutal death he could con-
ceive; and then, believing there was no
more effectual means of barbarity, he
called to Navarrese mason, who was
also Christian slave. Michel" he
said: you see this empty mold of
beton; for the present leave it; have a
mind to mike beton of that dog of
Oran who refuses to come back to the
faith of Islam" Poor Maitre Michel
had to obey, but he finished his days
work with a sad heart. AS soon as he
entered the "Bango" Gor he also was
a prisoner) he found out Geronimo and
told him Euldj Ais command. Geron-
imo heard the command in perfect
silence, and then very camly 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 fortunes 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 it
was not too late even now. The SEN
tence could still be recalled, and great
err earthly power than Geronimo had
ever had was yet within his rcachl
Every line in that martyrs face, as 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-
moncd 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 magniticence Then he was
dragged by 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: Dog! you refuse to re-
turn to the faith of Islam?" 81 am \
Christian, and as a Christian will die"
was the noble Arabs answer. "As you
will" replied the Pacha. Then here"
pointing to the beton, shall you be
buried alive" DO your will. Death
shall not make ne 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 a fervent Mohametan
he was, jumped on Geronimos 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 beton; the jeers
and oaths of his enemies must have
been ringing in his ears. the African
sun in it's 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 land above, we be-
lieve the gates of the kingdom of
heaven were thrown open, and Ge-
ronimo, bearing the palm in his hand,
was admitted into the noble army of
martyrs.
For three hundred years this story
was handed from one generation to an
other, till some people treated it as
romance; but thirty-eight years ago.
when alterations were being made, and
the wall had to be taken down, the
workmen came upon strange hollow
place and some human bones. The
governor remembering this story. di-
rected plaster of paris to be thrown
into the mold, and very soon the life
size 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, a poor mouth
closed with a patient, determined ex-
pression the hands are tied, the legs
are swollen; even the very broken ribs
are lying there. Three hundred years
of history holding it's peace; and lol
the very stones, as it were, cry out,