The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-04-05

verdD Of rranklia CONN. - Amsr3nA
80 witness Of The tragedy:
AFTER shsy had knelt down. ho oay9,
me captain walked alone the line and
oads each one gool-bye separately. No
enc wus sighted. not sven the co,orsd men
VINO oatIsA among the crew. The last
sounds they heard on earth, apart from
their death, were the kind words SPOKEN
BY Tie heroic Fry. When this act Of gen.
sleness was dons he kneit down with the
rest The men were formed IN . line about
three feet from the wan. Three PAGES
back Of them were the marines. with their
musken ~ the shoulder. Just before the
velley was fired. Capt Fly took on his
hat ana turned his face upward. ~ IL IN
peayer. Thsrs was one brief moment Of
pausss then came the fame. the smoke
and the roar. A. the cloudy curtain lifted.
thirty-six Of the ta.rty-seven men were
seen writhing IN the agonies Of = partial
death. Poor Fry lay stone dead. q bullet
IN his heart. his calm face upturned to-
ward the beautiful tropical sky
According to several sye-wisnesses, the
scene tia; ensued was hsdecus beyond de-
scription- The marines rushed up0n tho
wounded men ard began d.spatching them
with horrible brutality. Thrusting the mux-
xlss Of their muskets into the eyes and
ears Of the dying. these dends literally
blew their heads on. But a stiil greater
horror was AZ hand Presently same oav.
airy appeared, and IN order 70 accelerate
the determination of the victims. the horse
soldiers were ordered to ride their steeds
over the reekin9 mass OF dying men. This
was repeated several times until the last
breath OF NE had been crushed out Of the
sufferers. After this the troops with
drew. and the rabble were let loose on the
human ehambles, with the result that for
the rest OF the day .he streets were pa
raded by professions bearing the heads Of
the victims on long pixies. Thus ended the
bloody orgy OF November 4. ISIS.
It must not be supposed that this second
butchery had Quenched Gov. Burriers
thirst for blood. On the contrary, orders
were issued by him for the shooting Of fifty
more Of the prisoners-the majority being
boys ranging from Is to 20 Year, Of age
and O'Clock on the afternoon OF the sth
was the hour set for their execution. At
10 o'clock on the morning Of that day. how
ever, q gallant British man-of-war, H N.
8. Niobe. steamed into the harbor Of San
tiago. Al soon a. her commander. Sir
Lambton Lorraine. heard Of the govern
or'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 Virginius were British sub
jects. he must insist upon postponement
ernments had been communicated with.
Burriel demurred at first. but a second look
at the portfolios OF the Noble and her
decks cleared for action, caused him to
acquiesce In the demand, and the re-
mainder of the crew and passengers were
saved.
The subsequent action OF the United
States government. ending in SPANS apol-
ogy for this unheard-of outrage. and the
surrender Of the Virginius. together with
the survivors of the Inflated expedition,
are matters that do not come within tho
scope OF this article. One httle incident.
however emphasizes the absolute ceyillsh
cruelty manifested by the officials on this
occasion. The day before the survivors Of
the Virginius. l02 in number. were taken
from Nero Castle Havana. to be turned
over to the United Srates authorities they
were informed by their Jailers that their
walk on the morrow would be from the Gel
to the grave. To enhance their suffertng5
q priest entered the castle and began to
shrive them All night this inhuman tor
ture was INDUCED in. and when In the
ing walls they all thought 1t 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 i'm
aQined than described when the welcome
truth finally forced itself uDon them. This
episode was a tftttng climax to one of the
most hideous chapters IN the long story Of
Spanish oppression and cruelty.