The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-12-09

to be flogged." Many horrible whip
ping had they witnessed in the rear
patio of the prison. They had grown
hardened to the sight of welts and
blood. From a heart thrilling tragedy
II had fallen into comedy lines for most
of them. So 1t was with something
like anticipation that they marched
back to FL HachO.
In the rear of the prison Is large
and gloomy yard, in one corner of
which is a double armed post. set into
the ground something after the fashion
of a crucfix.
Into this yard came the "stOne gang"
sullen and silent. for the whipping. eX-
hibitiOn. The guards who were to do
the flogging We're already stasiins
near the post in their shirt-sleeves,
with the long nine lashed whips in
their hands.
The three men who We're to be flOsged
were brought out together In charge
Of squad Of soldiers, commanded by
q lieutenant.
Number 3l7," said the officer.
The young Cuban who had tainted in
the stoneya 1 was seized by two SOL
diers and sti oped naked to the waist.
Then his han were strapped to the
outer ends of We cross BEAM, his feet
were tied at the bottom, and one Of
the men with the whips was called for
ward.
TAINTED UNDER THE WHIP.
He smiled as he looked at he white
and scarless back, rolling his shirt
sleeves UP to his elbow in the mean
time. Then he swung half around,
poised his whip over his head for a
second, then brought 1t down with q
''woof" like that of a running hog.
The Cuban sQuirmed and twisted and
strained at the straps. but never a
sound came from his lips. Great
streaks, dark and discolored. sprang up
under the strands of the whip. There
was no sound from the crowd Of spec
tators.
Again the lash descended, and again
the welts, red and angry. sprahg into
view. Then with the regularity of a
fail In the hands of farmer the whip
rose and fell. swishing fercely through
| the air at each stroke. With the tenth
blow the Cuban began to moan mon
| otonOusly. like sick man. With the
twentieth he shrieked loudly, and hung
supine on the straps unconscious.
Then he was taken down and carried
away. "A weakling," said one of the
men, who had been there twenty years
or more, and who had forgotten every
thing beyond the seven walled town
and the stone heaps. His hide will
grow thicker with time" replied an
other |s
Then the Cuban who had threatened
to brain the Overseer was strung to the
rack. His back like that of his COM
panion. was unscarred by Spanish
whips but 1t was gaunt and bony from
hard life in the hills of Santiago. An
other fnppqr fnrUarI ua
broad shouldered and muscular and
| eager for blood.
There was no hesitation in his ac-
tions. He fairly pranced around the
post raining blows on his defenceless
victim from waistband to neck. The
big Cuban lasted longer than his COM
panion. Three dozen flesh cutting
| blows had been given before he began
to weaken. Then the horrible mOn-
otony Of the punishment and. the ex-
quisite agony of the criss-cross blows
that were cutting his back into rib
bons were too much for him.
He shrieked aloud. He blasphemed
heaven and earth. He reviied his tor
turer. He cursed the Spanish govern
ment and damned the King of Spain.
Then with wild cry of "Viva Cuba
Libre!" he swoonsd just as the other
had done.
The hardened old convicts who had
received just such doses intermittently
since the Ten Years War looked at
one another and gaZed about them at
the audience In q theatre gazes when
the hero Of a tragedy meets his death
on the stage. They were Injured to
scenes like this.
The senseless man was unstrapped
| and taken down, and laid on the stones
until the surgeon had felt his heart
| and pulse and had forced dram of
| brandy between his clenched teeth.
Then he was carried away and his
clothing was carried after him.
A TORTURED VETERAN. w..
Then came the big convict who had
| whispered the warning. He did not
have to be coached In the etiquette Of
| the whipping post. He stepped quickly
| forward and drew of his shirt without
| q word. His back was scanned with old
| scars that cleaned white on his bull
locklike hide.
He drew out Of his pocket a small
piece of wood ne had secufcd for the
purpose and placed 1t between his teeth
Then he was triced up to the rack. more