The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-02-24
ANARCHISTS GARROTED.
Four Suffer the Death Penalty
at Xeres, Spain.
The Horrible Scenes Which At
tended the Execution.

The four condemned Anarchists were gar
roted few mornings ago at Xeres. Spain,
In the plaza in front 0: che prison. A for
midable force Of troops was massed in the
plaza and kept the crowd at q distance from
the spot at which the execution took place.
The condemned men accepted the ministra-
tions Of the clergy.
The Anarchists were executed separately
and in successive partitions. It was at first
proposed to execute them together, but,
there being only one executioner avail
able, it was decided to execute them
separately. The platform upon which
the garrote was erected was surrounded
by a rough wooden railing, inside Of
which was q strong detachment Of
police and troops, who had no trouble In
keeping the people back. Upon the scafold
there were four wooden partitions, In each
Of which was placed chair, behind which
was a stake Attached to each stake there
was metallic collar, which Is put around
the criminals neck. Behind the collar is an
iron screw, which Is turned until its point
crushes into the spinal column, causing al.
most instant death. .., 49,.
The names Of the four Anarchists were
Busigni, Zarzuela, Lebrijano, and Lamela,
the first named having been the leader Of
the movement In refusing to leave his cell
for the scaffold until compelled to do so.
They presented q horribly frightened appear
ance as they were forced, trembling and
deadly pale, protesting and praying. blus-
tering and imploring mercy, into their re:
spective partitions, from which they could
see the populace, police and troops, but
could not witness the death agony Of their
companions. Zarzuela was nearly too drunk
to walk when he was forced toward the
stake. and kept shouting:
''More wine! More wine! lam innocentl
am innocentl Butwe will not act coward
ly! We die for the social cause~
Busigni shouted: 1--WE are innocentl Oh,
my motherI My motherp and struggled des-
gle that it required the combined strength
Of five men to force him into the seat, and
even then they had much difficulty in get
ting his neck into the garrote. Finally, the
executioner was two full minutes turning
the screw Of the iron collar powerfully
enough to break the neck of the unfortunate
Anarchist
This terrible scene worked the people into
state Of rage ard indignation terrible to
behold; men shouted and cursed at the an.
thorities, women wept and moaned as they
buried their heads In their aprons and dresses,
and several people, male and female, tainted
outright; but there was no attempt made to
attack the police or military, for the latter
have taught the Anarchists Of Xeres lesson
which they are not likely oforget for many
a day.
TIE other two condemned Anarchists,
Lebrijano and Lamela, died more quietly,
death, apparently. being instantaneous
after the first two or three turns OF
the screw. All the executed men wers
either cobblers or bootmakers. Out
Of sympathy for them, the people In
many Of the outlying towns and villages
closed their little stores or else refused to go
to work.
The out break, for taking part in which
the four men were garroted, occurred at
Xeres, sixteen miles from Cadiz, during the
evening Of January8. 8.