The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-12-09
A HERO DIES.
MAGNIFICENT COURAGE OF COLONEL
ANTONIO cOLoMA.

mA0NlflCeN COOhA0COf SoISNGI
ANTONIO coLoMA.
Faces His Executioper-His Cry ''Vlva Cu'
bs Libre"-Gaggsd to Hush His Voice.
Cowardly Act of Spanish Officer Ianly
Act OF Priest.
HAVANA, CUBA, Nov. 81, VIA KEY
WEST. Fla, Nov. 2S.-There was an
other frightful scene in Laurel Ditch,
in front of the Cuban fortress, late yes
terday afternoon just as the sun was
hiding its head, as if ashamed to lend
It's light to such a cruel deed. The vic
tim this time to Spain's heartless GUS
tom of dealing with prisoners of war
was Antonio Lopez Coloma. we'll
known as q Cuban soldier since the
very outbreak of the revolution.
Coloma was white man OF fine APP
pearance and of education. He was
rather under the medium height. He
was captured at Ybarra, in Matanzas
province, on February Oath, 1895, the
day of the outbreak, together with the
mulatto journalist, Juan Gualberto
Gomez. Coloma was one of the prin-
cipal witnesses in the trial of General
Sanguily, but nothing incriminating
against the latter could be ELECTED
from him.
The poor fellow had been locked up
all these long twenty:one moas,-
hoping against hope, which at times
passed into certainty that he would
not be executed. Yesterday afternoon,
after twenty.four hours in the chapel,
where prisoners of war about to be
killed are kept for either that period
or for twelve hours, according to the
method of their trial, Coloma was led
out to his death.
These dreadful scenes have already
been described in the Herald, but feel
ing yesterday was intensified by the
character of the man to be shot. Ger.
tain1y those who witnessed what oc.
CURED in Laurel ditch yesterday will
remember it while they live to the
shame of Spain. There were the same
great cliffs which constitute one side
of the ditch, black with the crowd
which had come to see Cuban patri--
OF die. Below was the ditch itself,
more than fifty yards in width, and
on the other side the stern rampafts
of the Cabana, with the gate leading
into the ditch, which is so narrow that
four men can hardly pass through
abreast.
At last the waiting crowd was
hushed into silence by the music Of
the band playing that peculiar air,
half dirge, half quick step, as it
marched through the gate directly
forward, and then turning sharply to
the left took upa position on the right
of where the prisoner was to be shot,
some fifty yards away. To the music
of the band then filed out, in files OF
four, 400 men with guns at their right
shoulder shift, who formed the usual
hollow square, with the band inside at
the lower end.
Then came the prisoner, with q
white priest at his side and four color
ed acolytes behind, bearing the accus-
toned lights and other symbols OF the
church. Coloma wore a wide white
collar and white cuffs. His face was
pale, but his bearing was full OF cour.
age, without swagger. In fact, a bra
yer, handsomer young patriot never
went to his death. His bearing and
appearance had its effect on the crowd,
which became still as death.
Once through the gate, Coloma gave
q quick look around. In an instant
his glance swept the cliffs above, and
then fell to encounter that array OF
Spanish soldiers, everywhere .plhless
faces, thousand against one. Two more
steps he took forward, then, raising
his head proudly, he shouted distinct
l. ly, "Viva Cuba Librep About to die
he deied them all.
As the words left his lips the officer
of the guard drew his sword, and with
uplifted blade sprang toward the man,
4 acled prisoner. But before the sword
could fall the priest, holding up the
cruciix, stepped between Coloma and
the coward, who drew back.
Undaunted. Coloma again cried out
ssViva Cuba Librel" This time he was
seized and gagged with white hand
kerchief tied over his mouth that ne
might utter those hateful words no
more. Then with a firm tread ne
marched in the hollow square to the
spot where he was to die. Here again
there was another scene.
Coloma, when told to kneel, mo-
toned that he would not, and, turn
ing about, faced the shooting squad,
intimating that he wanted to die that
way. Again the brave Spanish soldier
drew his sword, but the priest finally
persuaded Coloma to kneel down.
Then the shots rang out, Coloma fell
forward on his face, and another Cu-
ban hero lay dead, shot like dog IN
the Laurel ditch.
Editress Whips an Editor.