The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-04-01
CH0KED TO DEATH
HORRIBLE TORTURE OF GARROTED
CUBAN PRISONERS.

Executioner Turns the Job Over to His As
sistant, Who BungIes the Job Fear
fully That the Result Is Slow Strangu-
lation to the Victim and Sickening Hor-
ror to the Observation-Disclosures
Repeated -Four Times and Each Time
With Variations of the HorrId, Squeez-
Ing, Grinding Butchery.
Havana, March 31--A startling exhi-
bition Of bungling in the execution by
the garrOte, of five Cuban prisoners
took place today. The men, classed as
''murderers, yiolators and incendiaries'
belonging to Cayajabo, were recently
sentenced to be garroted, and at Z
o'clock this morning a strong force Of
infantry was drawn up in the form Of
a square around the pole where the
garrote had been erected. The instru-
ment of execution. a chair with a post
behind it, an iron collar and screws be-
hind it, which when turned strangles
or breaks the necks of the victims, was
set up by the famous executioner Val
entine Ruiz who for some reason not
fully explained, acted upon this occa-
sion as the assistant 10 his own assist
ant, instead as the principal execu-
toner.
At the hour the troops were drawn up,
the five prisoners We're still in their
dungeons, receiving the ministrauons
OF the priests. One man confessed him
n ha IF ?
against him and asserted that his COM
paniOns were innocent. The latter
stoUtly maintained their innocence to
the last. prayed that their deaths might
be avenged upon those who had falsIy
sent them to the scaffOid, and then the
whole party was escorted inside the
square formed by the soldiers.
HORRIBLE, CHOKING CRIES.
The man selected to be the first vic
tim of the strangling machine quietly
and coolly mounted the steps leading
to the death chair, took his seat in an
unconcerned manner, and actually
seemed to smile as the cap was placed
over his head after the iron collar had
been adjusted. The man acting as ex-
ecutioner then twisted the lever or
screw handle controlling the garrote,
but he was evidently terribly nervous
and this rendered him so weak that
his hands slipped repeatedly from the
lever. There were horrible, smother
Ing, choking cries from the scaffold.
and it was only after a long period of
agony for the condemned, and almost
torture Tor the spectators that the Gu
ban was announced dead.
The executioners, priests. soldiers and
prison officials present turned their
heads away in horror and became dead
ly pale as stified sounds came from the
sufferer
SECOND ONE IS WORSE.
But this was only a beginning of the
terrible performance. The second vic
tim was brought 10 the front and led
up the steps to the scaffold by the priest
and assistant executioner. Upon reach
Ing the platform the unfortunate man
made an effort to say something to the
people surrounding him, but the execu-
toner's hand was placed over his mouth
and he was hastily bundled into the
deadly chair, and in another moment
the iron collar was around his neck,
the cap was over his face and the first
turns of the lever had been given.
III the actual eXecutioner was nervous
upon the occasion of the first killing,
he was ten times more so upon this oc-
casion. He fumbled and fumed, alter
nately turning to a death-like Wilderness
and flushing crimson with excitement.
The result was more slow, fearful stran-
gulation and another horrible expert
ence by the spectators
CHIEF TRIES HIS HAND.
BY this time the prison officials, the
priests and officers of the troops had
endured so much that they openly de-
N AA al
called upon him TO get down from the
scaffold and let another man take his
place Thereupon the acting executioner
teverishly called upon the executioner-
in-chief, Valentine Ruiz, who from long
experience is looked upon as being ex-
pert in his line, to come and help him
out of his difficulties.
Ruiz, however, was almost as nervous
and excited as his assistant. and fun
bled badly as he handled the third Gu
ban. But Ruiz succeeded in accom-
plishing the execution in shorter time
and with less horror than his assist
ant, which was great relief to every
body The fourth Cuban was then
turned over to Ruiz for stranguIation
BY this time Ruiz was shaking all over
and he was much slower and consider
AMY ciumsler in sending the unhappy !
man out of the world so much SO that |
there was renewed murmuring at the |
official incapacity ana Ruiz stumbled |
away from the death post insisting in
choking tones that his assistant must |
finish the days work
Consequently the assistant execution |
er again tried his hand at the terrible !
screw and was as unlucky as before. |
for there was another scene OF. horror |
which nearly caused strong men 10 |
fight before the fifth Cuban was pro |
nounced dead. And then. the bodies |
were carted away, the Shamefaced ex-
ecutioners gathered up their sickening /
framework and its accessories. the /
priests. prison and other officials hur-
ried away. the troops We're marched |
back 10 their quarters, and another /
chapter had been added 10 the black !
history of Cuba.
SAME OLD SPANISH LIE
Nobody Relieves Any More When Corners