Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1897-03-05


" and killed the Spanish leader and every
man of one cavalry SO ladron, but in the
end were overpOwered.
After this battle Lopez gave orders to
scatter in the mountains, and he seems to
have been abandoned by his followers. At
one time he was seen with six companions.
The Spanish soldiers found him asleep at
house where he had called alone to beg
stupor. The soldiers sprang upon and
bound the PROSTATE leader, then carried
him to Havana in triumph.
The execution of Lopez took place on
Sept /, II days after the lapding of the
Punta, opposite MORO castle, in Havana,
many Spanish soldiers paradcd with all
the pomp and magnifcence of war. Lopez
mounted to the platform of the scaffold
with a firm step, and, facing the multi
tude, made short speech: Said he: MY
oountrymen, pardon me for any evil, if
any, have caused you. have not intend
ed any evil, but your good rather. I die
for Cuba. FAREWELL"
After Lopez's death the island was COM
paratively quiet until 1867, when both Gu
bans and native Spaniards rebelled against
a new and onerous system of taxation.
Fighting began in 1868 and continued five
years. From time to time small bands Of
patriots landed from the outside, but the
aggregate was small compared with the
armies sent out by Spain to aid the volun-
teers-80, 900 in five years. The chief fill
clustering expedition of the war was that
of the Virginius, fitted out in the cast On
Sunday, Nov. 8, 1873, the American peo-
pie were Mortified over the news that the
steamer Virginius had been captured on
the way to Cuba and four distinguished
leaders taken on bosnd Of her summarily
executed at Santiago. One Of the four
was General Washington Ryan, q well
known figure in New York city. Ryan
was chief Of the expedition. Three Cuban
leaders died with him, one of them the
brother of the chief of the revolutionists,
Cespedes. All marched to the scene of ex
ecution, the slaughter house wall, with
firm step. Ryan showed dauntless cour-
age, not f1inching for q moment and dying
without fear Or regret. In spite of the
protests and appeals, the officers and crew
of the Virginius were also executed, and
soon afterward the fighting men of the ex-
Detlition shared the same fate until 1872
out of 1859 on board had been killed. Only
1s of the party escaped punishment in
some form. The captain of the Virginius
was an old United States naval officer who
resigned in 1881 to follow the fortunes Of
his state, Louisiana, in the rebellion. He
was most gallant fellow, tall, well pro-
portioned, handsome, intelligent, modest
and brave Early in the war he defended
the bluffs at St. Charles, on the White
river, against gunboat attack, fighting
bravely against enormous odds until he
was wounded and taken prisoner. After
that he became daring blockade runner.
At the close of the war he settled in AL
bany and from there was called to the
command of the Virginius. When taken
by the Spaniards, he claimed the right of
trial as citizen of the United States, but
the appeal was unheeded.
AS the cause Of Cuba at that time rested
upon hopes of outside aid the Virginius
disaster proved fatal blow to the ,revolu
'tioL GEORGE l.. KlLMER