Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-02-05
BLOODSHED ON CUBA
Scenes RiVali1s In Horror Those En-.
acted In Darkest Africa.
MAN TURNS EARTH INTO INFERNO.
A Touching Story OF the Murder of
Cuban Patriots By spanish
Soldiers.

NEW YORK, FED. "a special to
the World from Havana via Key
West says:
The sharp ring of ribs shots from
the gray walls Of the Cabauas fortress
is heard daily at z a. M. with uniaiiing
regularity. 1t 10 the hour OF execution.
The morning program was varied
monday by double execution with
nn added chapter OF cruelty anu her
I0r.
The condemned were Enrique He'll.
dots Osma, lad OF 10, and Antonio
Perdoma GuzmRu.
They. were charged with rebellion
and iDcendiarisn.
Osma had the true Cuban heart.
In an engagement the horse OF his
chief, Perez, was shot. Osma, quick
rs thought, but barely In time gave
bis horse to Perez and the Chief
escaped. The lad, by despt rate chance,
also escaped. A Few weeks afterwards
he ana Guznian were captured.
An execution is a semi-public affair
and people are permitted To gather on
the on the outer wallg. On Monday
they saw again the usual care
less and even jaunty preliminaries
OF death. Bands playing II lively air
marched cheerily into the Enclosure,
500 troops followed and within the
inner walls formed hollow square.
Eight soldiers separated from the
ranks and took q stand ON a mound,
forming slight elevation in the
square. They had drawn the short
lxt a
the executioDers.
Six priests appeared in double line.
Between them were young Osma and
his fellow prisoner with hsnds tied
behind their backs. They stumbled
and would have fallen but for the as.
sistance of the priests. Tney kpelt to
the ground with their faces TO the
wall and their backs to the execu-
tionere. The band ceased playing. A
priest stepped forward anu gently
siroking the boys cheek, " hisBered
few words OF hope and retired to the
lines. The executioners moved ten
feet forward. Tho rifles were RAISED,
the command was given. Six ehots
rang out and two bodies iell forward
10 the ground. But the boy was not
dead. His LETT arm twitched and
vlbrated. Even tue soldiers, Injured
to the scenes OF execution, turned their
nesus anu a groan Of horror wont up
from the spectators huddled along the
edge Of the great wall above. Ii wac
agruesome, bloody sight, but 1t was
only for u moment. A mother COM
mRnd was given and two of tho firing
parties who were held to give ''merey
shots" stepped forward.
One placed bis rifle almost az the
boys back and fireu. 1t was over at
last. The spectators returned to the
city barely In time to see a crowd
about crying, bystericsl young
woman. Mingled with the strains OF
music were the walls OF despair and
grief from Guzmsn's wife. The shots
were still ringing in her ears when she
read the name UI her husband In the
awful daily bulletin which means 80
much. IL 10 published in the evening
papers and is list of those who are to
be executed the next morning.
This grlef-strieken woman had not
seen the list uutli the sound OF the
shots told her that another order Of
death had been carried out. Two little
children ignorant OF the cause OF grief
were at their mothers siue when the
crowd moved about, and asked the
meaning OF her wild, incoherent cries.
A few minutes later apriest was de-
ivering letter to an aged, white
haired old woman. IL was dated the
night before and began: "Dearest
mother-Tomorrow l die, parrot for
the freedom Of Cuba"
The old woman, the lsd's moth eT,
tainted without reading further, for 1t
was her first intimation that her son
was to be put to death.