New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-14
ENGLAND AND THE vIRGINIUS CASE.
AN INCIDENT OF FRIENDLINEss TO AMERICANS
RECALLED

AN INCIDENT OF FRIENDLINEsS TO AMERICANS
RECALLED.
To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: Now that the brief misunderstanding be-
tween this country and Great Britain is happily
ended. and shaking hands and congratu-
lating each other on the peaceful settlement Of the
difficulty. It is pleasant recall incident In
which Her Majestys armed sloop Nobe once did
friendly turf. 1t was in the Cuban rebellion
Of 1876 and the date November. 1873. A
vessel known the Nrgnius, sailing under the
United States flag. had been captured by the Span
ish gunboat Tornado and carried into the harbor
of Santiago de Cuba. where her crew and more than
hundred passengers were thrown into prison
without even the form of trial. Among the lat
ter four insurgent leaders, Seniors Ryan,
Cespedes. Narona and Del Sol. These were i'm
mediatey selected and tried by the Spanish military
Court, and five days after the capture were shot,
after which their heads cut of and carried
about the pixies while some OF the blood
stained bearers pressed the CHASTITY trophies against
the bars Of the prison windows as a reminder OF
the fate the captives might expect.
Having so quickly dispatched these rebels. the
thirst for blood increased teifold. The re-
naming prisoners treated to mock trial
and condemned 10 death. No attention was PAID
to the protests Of the English and American con-
suls. and November Captain Fry. an Ameri-
citizen. and ffty-one companions were bru-
tally butchered in the presence OF bowling mob.
who were allowed to mutilate the dead bodies as
they chose. This fendsh work was not only per-
miited. but was encouraged By the spanish com
mander. II seems incredible that such atrocities
could have been perpetraed in the present century
by Christian nation but such are the facts which
About ninety poor wretches still remained behind
those gloomy walls and in spite OF ne earnest en-,
Efforts OF the English consul. the entire number
were sentenced to be shot. and the hour Was nxeu
those waters at that time, but, thanks to the
eyer-present EngAsh man-ot.W me armed s'VSp
Nobe lay at Kingston. within a days san. NO
sooner had her commander Sir Lambton Lorraine.
heard OF the work going on at Santiago nan ne SCI
sail for that port, where he arrived promptly ana.
without waiting for instructions or cohsuitlns
any one at once demanded the reprieve or the con,
deinned men. most OF whom were Americans. and
ton. he quickly brought the debate TO close.
You have murdered English subjects ne , &C.
cared. "and holding others in prison ke-
lease them Immediately, or Will dow your town
to atoms $3.50 .
OPEN her guns trained and every man was at MS
post. 1t needed only signal from the captain nr 70
soon have reduced the town to mass OF sinokihs
ruins Burriel made one last effort to secure ms
ends by insisting that only Americans were CON
ccrned thinking by this assertion to arouse the
prejudice OF the English commander. The ruse dld
If ihl, is the case" replied Lorraine, Il will take
the responsibility Of protecting american citzsns
II you 10 not once comply with my DEMANDS
Wi open IRE, -. ,oru,. On,
by this friendly but unwarranted act OF an Englsh
ciptaln nearly a hunIred lives were saved. a large
Possibly the Englishman erred, from diplomatic
point OF view by taking the high-handel course
ing the courage that moved him 10 act so promptly
arl vigorously In behalf Of litte band OF Amer,
who would have been mudTsa IN o oO eSam
pie al least when British manor war was a wei
g, 'ss time cannot fa. TO hasten the return Of
era OF good feeling between the two great fo"efs
~ the great heart OF humanity
indianapolis Feb 1896 ALBERT MoRi-AN'