The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-22
Copyright

before dusk the captain and his men
many OF them youths under age-had
learned that their last moments were at
hand. Thirty-seVen of them, including
Capt. Fry, were told of for execution
the next day. The scene of this horrible
tragedy was the same as that of the first
the city slaughter house, an adobe struc-
ture with a steep tiled roof, encircled
by shallow trench half filled with stag
nant water.
Half a mile separated the jail from the
place, and the wretched procession had to
march thither on foot. preceded by corps
OF drummers with mufled drums which
they beat in a low measured cadence, un-
speakably melancholy. The theatrical
element enters so largely into the compo-
sltlon or the Latin races that even their
atrocities are enacted with a due regard
70 scenic effect. Arrived at the place of
doom, the procession halted and formed a
holioW 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
followed is best told in the words of
FRANKLIN Coffin. an American eyewitness
After they had knelt down." he says,
the captain walked along the line and
Daue each one good by 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
thelr death, were the kind words spoken
by the heroic Fry. When this act of gem
tleness was done he knet down with the
rest. The men were formed in a. line
about three feet from the wall. Three
PAGES back of them were the marines, with
their muskets at the shoulder. Just be-
fore the volley was fired, Capt Fry took
OH his hat and turned his face upward, a
if in prayer. There was one brief moment
OF pause; then came the flame, the smoke,
ana the roar. As the cloudy curtain lifted,
tnirty-siX of the thirty-Seven men were
seen writing i'm the agonies of partial
death. Poor Frye lay stone dead, bullet
in his heart, his calm face upturned to-
ward the beautiful tropical sky
According to several eye-witnesses, the
scene that ensued was hideous beyond
description. The marines rushed upon
the wounded men, and began diSpatching
them with horrible brutality. Thrusting
the muzzles of their muskets into the eyes
and ears Of the dying, these fiends liter
ally blew their heads Off
But d still greater horror was at hand.
Presently some cavalry appeared, and in
order TO accelerate the determination OF
the victims, the horse-soldiers were Cr-
dered to ride their steeds over the reek-
ing mass of dying men, This was re-
peated several times, until the last breath
Of life had been crushed out of the sur
terers. After this the troops withdrew,
and the rabble were let loose on the hui
man shambles, with the result that for
the rest of the day the streets were pa
raded by professions bearing the heads
OF the victims on long pixies. Thus end
ed the bloody orgy of Nov. 4, 1873.
1t must not be supposed that this Sec
ono Dutchery had quenched Gov. Bur-
rleIs thirst for blood. On the contrary
orders were issued by him for the shoot
ing of fifty more of the prisoners-the ma
| Jorlty being boys ranging from 16 to 20
| years OF age-and o'clock on the after
noon OF the 9th was the hour set for their
execution, At 10 O'Clock on the mornins
| OF that day, however, a gallant British
man-of-war,, II. NJ: S. Noble, steamed
| her commander Sir Lambton LORRAINE
heard OF the governors intentions. he
quetY trained his guns on the town,
anu sent word ashore that in view of the
probability that some of the crew of the
Nlrglnlus were British subjects, he musr
t USE upon postponement of the execu-
Ition until the respective governments
mad been communicated with Burriel de-
INJURED at nrst; but a second look at the
port holes of the Noble and her dacI-s
cleared for action, caused him 10 aco11,9
esce TO the demand, and the remainder Of
tn 5et, crew and passengers were saved.
Inc subsequent action of the limited
States government, ending i'm Sna &c
apology for this unheard-of outrage and
the, surrender of the Virginius, together
tlon, are matters that do not come WITH
IN the scope of this article One LITTLE
lncldent. however, cannot pass over in
Sllence since IT emphasizes the absolute
! ly deyilish cruelty manifested nv the of-
Meals on this occasion. The day before
the survivors of the "Virginius" one
hundred and two in number were talTan
| from Moro castle, Havana to he Turned
over to the United States AUTHORITIES
they We're Informed by their jailors that
tt..Nii y. =. vi the morrow would be from
ens cen TO the grave. To enhance their
suferings a priest entered the castle and
began to shrive them. All night this
lhhuman torture was INDUCED in; and
! Wnen IN the morning light streamed i'm
| over the frowning walls they all Thought
II the dawn of their last day on earth
Sadiy they fell into line and marched out
into the town. All this while the United
states vessel Juniata was lying i'm the har-
Dor awaiting them; and their feelings can
pe better imagined than described when
the welcome truth finally forced itself
upon tnem This episode was a fitting
climax to one of the most hideous chan,
tiers IN the long story of Spanish oppres-
sion and cruelty v C;riha eyadpee %