The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-04-25
CUBAN PATRIOTS SHOT
No Prisoners Are to be Taken on the
Battle Field.
THE VICTIMS DIE BRAvELY
Three Prisoners Shot ON Fridoy--Mob
C,amors for Biood-Patriots
Face the Guns without
Fiinching.

Havana, April 90. via Tampa. April
ai.--General Weyler Is satisfied that
nothing in the line of intervention or
recognition of belligerency may be
looked for from Washington, at least
for the present. and the public execu-
tions of prisoners of war which were
suspended for a time have been re-
sumed. Thei, 's supposed to be a gen.
eral understanding among commanders
Of Spanish columns that no prisoners
are to be taken In engagements In the
field. All Cuban patriots who fall into
the hands Of the troops through being
wounded or from other causes are liable
to be shot at once and counted with the
number killed In battle.
Some Of the Spanish commanders act
according to this understanding. but
others decline to slay unarmed or
wounded men and deliver their prisoner
to General Weyler in Havana. Many
of these sO-called prisoners of war never
carried gun or engaged In battle, but
We're taken from plantations or from
small towns and hamlets In the in
terror. where the Spaniards assume that
all n.en are rebels and are not far from
being right. The prisoners are brought
TO Havana bound and strongly guard
ed to prevent rescue before reaching
the city and mob violence afterward.
The lower class Of Spaniards gather
about each batch of prisoners and
clamor for their blood as they pass
through the streets to the ferry to
Cabana's fortress or MORO castle.
The ccnrt-martial before which these
prisoners are tried IL u perfunctory at
fair. composed OF five military men
who order the death penalty under
Weyler's decree that all insurgents are
A. 10 "a N haSa
Of death. The prisoners have no Cp-
portunity No make q defense and all
Cubans In the rebel armies know that
capture means death. Most OF those
brought In. II seems, have been wound
ed. cut OF from their columns or caught
without arms. When condemned to
death they are given twenty-fOur or
forty-eight hours to prepare for the
end. They are given what they want
To eat, and are placed In the chaDel at
Cabanas fortress with priests in con-
stan, attendance for the last twelve
hours.
PATRIOTS DIE BRAVELY.
Most of the Cuban patriots who have
paid the extreme penalty since Weyler
has been here have died bravely. saw
three Of them meet their fate last Fri
day morning. They were Jose Barcal-
lao and Estiva Hernandez (white) and
Gresoric BQrges (cOlored), During the
nigh before the execution BarcaJleO
made several feigned attempts to es-
cape from the chapel. hoping that the
guards would shoot him down. prefer.
ring that death to death in public. The
guards forced him back each time with
out firing at him.
! crossed the bay : w minutes after
O'clock on the morning set for the ex-
ecution. 1t took place promptly at
O'Clock. The three men. escorted by
hle OF soldiers. and supported by an
order OF lay brethren Of the Catholic
church. were taken from the chapel to
a space between the outer and the in
ner walls and at the eastern end of the
fortress. where a battalion Of Spanish
regulars formed three sides of square.
The fourth side was the main wall of
the fortress. In front Of that the pris-
oners. with arms tied behind their
backs, were led. Just outside the
square hundred people had gathered
to witness the execution Of the rebels.
Most OF them We're Spaniards. On the
walls OF the fortress two or three hun
dred soldiers were grouped where a
good view could be obtained. heard
no expressions of pity from spectators
for the men who knelt with the priests
anu peIIdTeu IOT tHe enQ. a young
lieutenant of the guard who was or
dered out to do the shooting, however,
asked to be excused. He was a Cuban
serving IN the Spanish army. Another
officer took his place. The men knelt
facing the wall and with their backs
toward the firing squad. They showed
no signs of flinching. A file of twelve
soldiers was drawn up about ten PAGES
away. Four men were ordered to aim
at each prisoner. There was an inter-
val Of silence when all was ready. The
officer raised his sword there was a
rattle of musketry and the men fell
forward on their faces. Hernandez
and Barcallao showed signs Of life A
| sergeant with his revolver gave Her.
nandez an extra shot. the '.tiro re
gracia." as 1t Is called. He was
Obliged to fire twice at Barcallao before
| 1t was all over. The lay brothers car
ried the hndies tn Havana nd buried
| them in the pauper burial ground.