The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1894-02-08
CONDEMNED TO DEATH.
The Sad End of Tar Who Deserted from
an English Man-of-War.


an English Man-of-War.
A short time ago Britislr,sa was
shot by the Mexican military author
tiles in the City OF Mexico under cir
cumstances of peculiar interest Al
though the facts in the case are known
to but few, the way the fellow behaved
himself and the manner in which he
met his death will never be forgotten
by the officers in charge of the prison.
Not little sympathy was felt for him
alone in that remote country and
without ghost of chance to save his
life.
A party of Englishmen and Ameri-
cans who had chanced to meet in Mex
leo, were visiting the Mexican military
prison when their attention was first
called to the princi pal figure of this
story. The officer. in charge of the
prison, having shown the visitors
through the buildings, concluded his
reception by sounding a bugle call in
the prison yard, in response to which
signal all of the prisoners filed into the
lnclosure. The visitors observed that
the prisoners were required to form a
hollow square, in the center of which
stood six or eight men who had appar-
emily been singled out and who were
not of the ordinary type of prison in-
mates. Inquiry of the officer in charge
revealed the fact that the men in the
middle of the square were those of the
prisoners who had been sentenced to
death.
In this little group of condemned men
there stood one who, by reason of his
fine physique and blonde beard, con-
trasted strongly with his small, sallow
and dark-haired fellow-convicts. HIS
appearance indicated that he was an
Englishman. The officer in charge
said that he was e murderer and that
he was soon to be executed. He added
that the visitors might speak with the
convict if they pleased, an offer which
they promptly accepted
The prisoner had been gazing at
them earnestly, and when they ap-
preached he manifested a great deal of
joy. He had been in prison several
months, and in that time he had seen
no one who spoke the English Ian
guage. He began his story at once by
saying that he expected to be shot any
day, and that his greatest regret was
that he could net die in England, or at
least among English-speaking people,
He had served seven years in the
British navy, he said, and was attached
to one of the ships of the Pacific squad
ron when the events leading up to his
arrest and conviction began. The ship
| had been lying for soma time in the
| harbor of Acapulco. on the west coast,
when he and several of his fellow
sailors deserted. Three of his compan-
ions were captured and returned to the
ship. The others-three men and a
| boy-made their way into the interior
as fast as they could. The country
| through which they passed was rough
! and barren and they came across very
| few villages. For a week they lived
on pulque and dried berries. One of
the men died of fatigue and hunger.
The boy and another man turned back,
| preferring arrest as deserters to death
| from starvation and exposure.
The two remaining sailors jOurneyed
on toward the interior, until they came
to small place in the province of Pu-
ebla called Santa Anna Here they
| found food, but, as they were without
money and unable to speak the Ian
guage, and suffering, as they We're,
from exposure and the enervating trop-
| ical climate, their position was not
materially improved.
There was at that time temporary
recruiting station at Santa Anna, and
there the two sailors learned that a
small body of recruits was soon to be
transported to the capital. This seemed
to be d means of affOrding them tenn
porary food and shelter, and according
ly the two sailors enlisted as common
soldiers. They expected to desert as
soon as desirable opportunity arrived
and find their way to the States as
rapidly as possible.
The officer in charge of the handful
of troops was young lieutenant who
had been recently commissioned. This
was his first command. He was proud
of his authority and exertel it in such
a way that the men grew to dislike
him intensely. Especially bitter il
their hatred for the young officer wers
the two English tars, whom he seldom
neglected when selecting his victims
for punishment and other forms o
humiliation. One day when they were
almost within rifle shot of the capital
the lieutenant, who was in a baG
1 humor and suffering from the effect
of the terrible heat, struck the large
of the two Englishmen, who is tht
convict of the story, with his sword
The sailor lost his temper, stepped ou
of ranks, and struck the lieutenant
blow with his fist. The officer fell t.
the ground and that night he died, tht
blow having broken an artery.-De
troit Free Press.
A Slander Refuted.
Papa"
She stood with flashing eyes. He
yoice was raised in indignant protest
my child" the father insisted, g
must repeat it. You and this youn
man you propose to marry, do no
know each other yet"