The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-04-03
FIVE CUBAN BANDITS.
Crime for Which the Negroes We
GarrOted mt Havana.


GarrOted mt Havana.
HAVANA, April 2.--Following is the
story. as told by Spanish officials. of the
crime committed by the five negroes who
were the victims of the bungling execu-
tion by the garrote on Monday, the details
of which were cabled on that day. Their
names were Zacarias Santa Cruz, Isdro
Calderon. Juan Bautista Gutierrez, alias
Lucumi. Ruffino Ordinez and Marcelino
Gonzales The scene of the bloody crime
was lonely house on the road from San
Jose to Tijiragua. On the evening of July
IL Jose Castillo, the owner of the house,
had just left it, his wife. four daughters and
three friends remaining there, when the
galloping Of several horses approaching
the house on the highway aroused the in
mates as if by a presentiment of the
wretched fate they were 90 meet. Soon
afterward five negroes dismounted before
the house. brandishing their glittering
machetes, and ordered every one in IL not
los wife that she should give them all the
money there was in the house. She gave
them two gold pieces, asserting that that
was all they had. But some of the wretches
in ransacking the house found thirty-six
more gold pieces. which wrought the men
played on them. One of them struck the
poor woman with the keen edge of his
machete, decapitating her with a blow
The negroes. seeing the blood Of their first
VICTIM became transported with rage, and
put to death all but one of the inmates,
the exception being one Of the visitors. who
soon after giving testimony of the affair.
Seven days after the commission of the
crime the civil guard succeeded in capturing
the five murderers, and they were lodged In
sentenced to die by the infamous garrote on
Monday evening. The horrors OF that exc
cution are still felt by the Havana public.
Zacaria Santa Cruz was the first of the five
to be executed, and. like all OF his fellows,
he was perfectly cool. He noticed that there
andad fSs tba enecntioner shouid vine IL If
off before he sat down. which was done. AS
the executioner was fixing the iron ring
around his neck the religious brothers pres
ent int0ned in chorus the words, Ego &c
absolvo"f forgive thee). AS has already
been related, IL was not until the third turn
of the garrote that he was killed Valentin
Ruiz. the assistant executioner. said that the
trouble was due to some OF the screws being
badly fixed. The body of Santa Cruz lay
where Ii had fallen when Isidre Calderon
forward and subjected to lingering agony
through the period of three attempts by the
executioner 10 do his office. II was Juan
Baulista Gutierrez who sought to make an
address before he was executed. but he was
seized and the iron ring adjusted about his
neck, and, while the executioner was still
executioner turned the lever. A murmur OF
Indignation and horror arose from the crowd
Ruffino OrdineZ was the fourth one executed
and the last was Marcelino Gonzales, who
was smoking a cigar as he mounted the
steps to the instrument of death, and who
smiled as he saw his four comrades lying
dead near the garrote.
Al dispatch from Guinez announces the sur
render 10 the authorities of five insurgents
Captain General Weyler has ordered them to
be set at liberty.
Near Cardenas. province of Matanzas. the
insurgents have burned the houses. ma
chinery and plantation of Santa Maria. and
have plundered two stores In the village Of
Navjas-
The insurgent leader Reminder has burned
the village OF Alfonso Rojas. which contained
two hundred inhabitants. and was. situated
in the district OF Palenque and Colmenar
province Of Pinar del Rio. where the insur.
gents have burned very many toblcco houses
The insurgents have destroyed by fire the
central plantation Of Salvador, near Guara
and have burned the plantations and houses
machinery. etc. OF Ponce and san AguStin
near OuiVican. this DrOyinCe