The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-11-23
SPANS BARBARlTY IN CUBA
Shooting Of the Eight Medical Stu.
dents in 1871 to BE Com m memOrated.

New York, Nov. 22.-The Cuban pro-
fessional club, Oscar Primelles, will
commemorate on Friday the twenty
fifth anniversary Of the shooting Of
eight medical students by .tbe Spanish
volunteers in Havana. At 10 o'clock a.
IN. a requiem mass will be celebrated
at the church of st. Leo. Father Du-
cey will officiate and pronounce a fu-
neral Grafton. At 8 o'clock in the even
ing a meeting will be held at Chicken
ing hall. Speeches will be delivered by
DIR. Ricardo Castor, president of the
club; Manuel Sanguily, Charles A.
Dana, w. Bourke Cochran, Dr. Enrique
]. De Varona, and DR.. Enrique Barnet
After the speeches there will be a mu-
sical entertainment by Prof. T.. Pfaff.
Huber De Blanck, Mrs. Graham, Mrs.
SalaZar and Mr.. Agostini.
The shooting of the Havana medical
students was an atrOcious example of
Spanish barbarity in Cuba. On Nov.
22, 1871, the class went as usual to the
San DionisiO hospital, and learning
that the teacher was absent, decided
to spend their unexpected recess in the
adjoining cemetery. One of the boys,
Alfonso Alvarez de la Campo, IL years
old. gathered some flowers and others,
Anaclcto Bermudez. Angel Laborde,
Pascual Rodriguez Perez, and Jose de
cemetery wagon. They were repri-
manded by the priest in charge, upon
which they apologiZed and retired from
the place.
On the 25th the boys were SURPRISED
to see Don Dionisio Lopez Roberts
civil governor of Havana, appear at
the class room. In angry words he said
that he had come to find out who was
the author of the 'crime" and added:
"Ope of you has desecrated the tomb
of Don GOnZalo Castanon. If you do
responsible for the crime"
The students defended themselves as
best they could, but in vain. All were
taken to Jail, excepting Spaniard
who, the governor said could not have
done such an infamy.
Don GOnzalo Castanon was a Spanish
journalist. who, after having abused
the Cubans in most indecent way and
caused many to be put TO death. was
killed by Cuban in a duel at Key
West. His corpse was taken to Hav-
ana, and his memory was sacred among
the rabid Spaniards there. His tomb
had not been deseCrated. 1t was never
known how the story originated. With
out any investigation of it, the volun-
teers demanded the lives of the medical
students. and. although it would have
been easy to go to the cemetery and
see that the tOm5 was untouched. the
authorities submitted to the volunteers
| demands and the students were court
martialed." The Spanish CAPTAIN.
FREDERICK Il. CaDdevila. who acted as
counsel for the students. had the cour-
age to say before the council that in all
the affair he saw no other crime than
the prosecution itself.
The council then sentenced to death
eight of><he forty-three students: An
gel La borde, Carlos Verdugo, Carlos A.
de la Tore. Pascuai Rodriguez Perez
Alfonso Alvarez de Ia Gamma. E!adio
Gonzalez. Anacleto Bermudez, and Jose
de Marcos. ThirtytwO We're condemn
cd to hard labor. One of them is now
DR.. Ricardo Castor. president of the
club. Oscar Primelles. under whose
auspices the anniversary is commence
rated. The remaining student, Octavio
Smith, was acquitted. He was an
American citizen.
on Nov. q the eight young men were
shot. A brother of the Spanish minis-
ter Of colonies and president of the
chamber of deputies. Senior Lopez de
Ayala. asked and obtained as an honor
the command of the soldiers who per
formed the execution.