The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-22

Half a mile separated the Jail from
the place, and the wretched procession
had to march thither on foot, preceded
by a corps of drummers with muffied
drums which they beat in a low, meas
ured cadence, unspeakably melancholy.
The theatrical element enters so largely
into the composition of the Latin races
that even their atrocities are enacted
with a due regard to scenic effect. Ar
rived at the place of doom, the process
sion halted and formed a hollow square
with the victims in the midst. The line
of marines against the slaughter house
wall next opened. and the prisoners
were placed kneeling on the edge of the
trench, bound but not blindfolded, their
faces turned toward the wall. What fol-
lowed is best told in the words of
Franklin Coffin, an American eye wit
ness of the tragedy:
After they had knelt down." he says,
1.-The captain walked along the line and
babe each one goodbye separately. No
one was sighted, not even the colored
men who sailed among the crew. The
last sounds they heard on earth, apart
from the roar of the muskets that
belched forth their death, were the kind
words spoken by the heroic Fry. When
this act of gentleness was done he knelt
down with the rest. The men were
formed in a line about three feet from
were the marines, with their muskets
at the shoulder. Just before the volley
was fired Captain Fry took off his hat
and turned his face upward as If in
prayer. There was one brief moment
of pause; then came the flame. the
smoke and the roar. AS the cloudy
curtain lifted, SO of the 81 men were
seen writing in the agonies of a par
tial death. Poor Fry lay stone dead,
a bullet in his heart, his calm face up
turned towards the beautiful tropical
sky"
According to several eye witnesses,
the scene that ensued was hideous be-
yond description. The marines rushed
upon the wounded men and began dis
patching them with horrible brutality.
Thrusting the muzZles of their mus
kets into the eyes and ears of the dy-
ing. these fiends literally blew their
heads off.
But a still greater horror was at
hand Presently some cavalry APP
peared. and in order to accelerate the
determination of the victims the horse
soldiers were ordered to ride their
steeds over the reeking mass of dying
men. This was repeated several times
until the last breath of life had been
crushed out of the sufferers. After this
the troops withdrew and the rabble
were let loose on the human shambles,
day the streets were paraded by pro-
cessions bearing the heads of the vic
Tins on long pixies. Thus ended the
bloody orgy of Nov. 4, 1878.
1t must not be supposed that this
second butchery had quenched Cover
nor Burriel's thirst for blood. On the
contrary, orders were issued by him for
the shooting OF so more of the prisoners
the majority being boys ranging from
is to 20 years of age-and O'Clock on
the afternoon of the 5th was the hour
set for their execution. At 10 O'Clock
on the morning of that day, however.
gallant British man-of-war, II. NJ. S.
Niobe, steamed into the harbor of San
tiago. AS soon as her commander, Sir
Lambton Lorraine, head of the COVER
nor's intentions, he quietly trained his
guns on the town and sent word ashore
that in view of the probability that
some of the crew of the NirginiuS were
British subjects, he must insist upon a
postponement of the execution until the
respective governments had been COM
municated with. Burriel demurred at
first, but a second look at the portfolios
of the Niobe and her decks cleared for
action, caused him to acquiesce to the
demand and the remainder of the crew
and passengers were saved.
The subsequent action of the United
States government, ended in SPANS
apology Tor tnlS unnedTu OF
and the surrender of the Virginius. to-
gether with the survivors of the ILL
fated expedition. are matters that do
not come within the scope of this ar
ticle. One little incident, however, 1
cannot pass over in silence since II en-
phasizes the absolutely devilish cruelty
manifested by the officials on this occa-
sion. The day before the survivors of
the Virginius. 102 in number were
taken from MORO Castle, Havana, to be
turned over to the United States au-
thorities. they were informed by their
jailors that their walk on the morrow
would be from the cell to the grave.
To enhance their sufferings priest en-
tered the castle and began to shrive
them. All night this inhuman torture
was INDUCED in: and when in the morn
ing light streamed in over the frown-
ing walls. they all thought IL the dawn
of their last day on earth. Sadly they
fell into line and marched out into the
town. All this while the United States
vessel Juniata was lying in the harbor
awaiting them; and their feelings can
be better imagined than described when
the welcome truth finally forced itself
upon them. This episode was a fit
ting climax to one of the most hideous
chapters in the long story of Spanish
oppression and cruelty.
49, .l,Gf