The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-05-20

The virginius left Kingston. Jamaica,
bound. according to advertisement, for
Port Limon. After putting to sea she
sprang leak. Proceeding to Jeremie. a
port of Hayti, for repairs, she subse-
quently touched at Port au-PIinca and
Caymites. On Oct. 81 she was sighted
by a Spanish cruiser. which proved TO
be the Tornado. and, after a chase, G p
tured of the Jamaica coast. The Amer
ican ship was boarded by two officers
and thirty men. Ceptain Fry handed
his papers to the former. who insolent-
iy crumpled them In their hands ana
proceeded at once to haul down the
American flag and hoist that of Spain
In its place. Within thirty minutes all
hands were bound and transferred TO
the Tornado which set out Tor santiago
de Cuba with the Virginius in tow.
,,n this passage every possible lnuls-
nity was offered to the American cap
tiyes. The American flag was spread
upon the deck and Spanish soldiers
danced and spat upon 1t. The virgin
ius was Quilted. Lockers were broken
open and the Spaniards made them-
selves drunk on the wines OF their cap
tives JIpon arriving at Santiago that
town was speedily en- fete. The streets
were aflame with lights. the Cubans
embraced each other in delirious JOY
Drunken revelers shouted before the
American Consulate: Wen soon nave
plenty Of American steak! II Fry ana
his men had been sent ashore that night
it Is said that they would surely have
been torn limb from limb.
Two courts were conStituted-one for
the trial OF the captives, the other for
the disposition Of the ship. Appeals for
\ A nrtn
Schmidt was bullied and insulted. On
November 4, when the procession of
captives was marched past the Consul
ate guard was placed at the door to
prevent the Consul from leaving to pro-
test against the proceeding. "Buriel,
the Butcher" superintended all. The
prisoners were arranged before self
styled Court of Marine and confronted
with documents, which they were or.
dered to sign, setting forth that the Vir-
glnius was a privateer and that they
were pirates. Those who refused to
sign were menaced with swords. A few
weakened and signed. The prisoners
We're sentenced after a farcical trial, to
death. and the execution was set for
November s.
1t was learned that the British war
ship Niobe was due at Santiago on No
Vember Z, and the day Of execution was
accordingly pushed forward to that
date. F'ifty-seven were publicly shot
before the Niobe arrived. among them
sixteen claiming British citizenship.
The fury of the populace displayed it.
sell IN the most revolving form. The
bodies of the dead We're thrown INTO n
trench. and horsemen galloped over
them as they lay fostering in the SUM-
some of the heads We're cut off and car
ried through the streets on spear heads.
II is said that the troops in execution
OF the sentence of their superiors, thrust
the muzzles of their guns into the pris-
ohers mouths and literally blew off
their heads.
FLIGHT OF THE BUTCHER,
Upon the arrival of the Noble Buriel
fled to Havana, mad with rage at hav.
ing been baffled of the full measure of
MS cruelty. The Juniata came upon
the scene. sent from this port i'm answer
10 the popular Indignation aroused by
the reports of the butchery. Two other
american men-of-war i'm the harbor of
santiago. three American. two British
ana one French. Their presence served
IN measure to curb the mad insolence
OF the Spanish loyalists on shore.
commander Braine, of the Juniata. as
soon as possible arranged a conference
lnce. He was received with cool polite
ness. The commander made formal de-
inand for the surrender into his charge
or the survivors" This was refused
Then ensued tiresome series of diplo-
matte negotiations, which lasted until
nearly the end of the year. Commander
Braine succeeded in exacting from the
governor a promise that no action
would be taken in respect to the surviv-
ing prisoners without due notification
10 MIN; that meantime the men would
be treated with the consideration due to
prisoners OF war. and that the wounded
would receive humane treatment,
Inis promise was broken. On Dec. a
commander Braine received informa-
ton that the prisoners had been re-
moved from the prison of Santiago and
We're on their way to the dreaded Castle
Moro, IN the harbor of Havana. The
acting governor for this act of perfidy
gave the same excuse that there was no
longer room in the Santiago prison,
The theater of negotiation was then re.
moved 20 Havana. Vice Consul A. N.
Young removed from Santiago to the
capital. and all the forces of diplomacy
were brought to bear upon the Spanish
officials to secure the liberation of the
survivors. While the negotiations la t.
cd war seemed imminent from day to
day. The American people clamored
for revenge, the SpaniarGs for the blood
of the surviving captors.
All the world knows that at length,
on Dec. is, the captives were set free
from Castle Moro, and taken aboard
the Juniata. Their cord tion was a suf-
ficient index to the treatment they had
received from their Spanish jailers
They were in rags. They were filthy
beyond belief. Many of them were mt
at once to the hospital. The surrender
of the survivors, reluctantly conceded
by the Spanish officials, reused the
loyal poulace to a frenzy. Buriel, es-
recially, is said to have paced up and
down like hyena robbed Of his prey.
The long and tedious delay. ending at
length in the partial requital by Spain
Cf the injury and insult to the United
States, forms a chapter by itself in the
diplomatic history Of both countries.