The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-03-22
(t'rom the Chicago Record.)


1t is less than twenty-five years since
another vessel whose crew met its fate
in q Spanish port in Cuba was the sub
iect Of an Intense public interest as to
day is directed toward the Maine. The
case of the \irgnius bad III it elements
Of tragedy that made it more spcctacu-
lar and dramatic than that of the Maine,
and American spirit was worked to an
even higher tension than it is now before
diplomacy and caution avertcd Il war be
tween the United States and Spain. IN
the case Of the NirSinius the facts of
Spanish aggression were in no way dc
MED but on the contrary, ayowed for Il
time with pride. until the authorities at
Madrid subdued their people. who were
making Il sentiment more difficult by
their talk, The only controversy was
as to whether or not SPANS action III
the matter WAS within its rights. But
the settlement, however. it may have left
the rights of the vessel still unsOlved,
was Il rebukc to Spain. and for its exc
cution of American citizens with scarce-
~ Il formaIity of law it has never been
forgiven by those who remcmbeq it,
whatever diplomacy decided to being
satisfied.
The Nirginius was originally an En-
Virgin and during the war between the
States waS one of the most famous
blockade runners until captured by Il
vessel of the United States. In 1870 she
was sold in Washington to an agent of
the Cuban Junta at New York. her name
was changed to Virsinirs. and she
cleared for Curacao in the West Indies.
From that time until her unhappy fate
she was never in the United States
waters At Aspinwall and i'll the ports
OF Venezuela and the West Indies she
was known for three years as the most
daring and most successful of tlibustcr-
erS. making repeated landings on the
Cuban coast With supplies of arms, am
munition food and clothes for the insur-
gents who were then fighting the ten
year war. In all her flibustering it was
claimed. however. that the NirginluS
never lost her character as an American
ship. though the Cuban flag was kept at
the masthead whenever that practice
served any good purpose. The vessel
sailed on the fatal voyage from Kingston
Jamaica. October %, 1873. having clear
cd at the United States consulate as a
United States vessel bound for Port
Simon. Costa Rico. The commander
was Captain Joseph Fry. a citizen of
the United States. The cargo was made
up Of munitiOn of war for the Cuban
insurgents. and the crew was part of Gu
ban and part of American citizens.
There were also on board II number Of
enlisted men on their way to join the in
surgent army.
1t WAS not until October II that the
Nirgjnius approached the coast of Cuba
to make her landing, and Intercepted hy
the Spanish gunhoat Tornado. The
Tornado had been built by the sam"
English firm that constructed th9' Nir-
giniuS also for blockade running, but III
the race that followed the Nirginius
was unable to equal the speed Of her
Spanish pursucr. The chase lasted
eight hours. during which the men OF the
NirginiuS threw overheard nll the muni-
tions and guns they carried. I" destroy
evidence Of their intentions. Finally at
10 o clock at night. the NirclnuS was
stopped and surrendered in response to
the cannon shots OF the Tornado. which
bad come in range. The captain pro
tested that his papers were regular and
that the NirginiuS WAS IAN American
ship, carrying American colorS and pa
perS. with an American captain and an
American crew In response he was
told that he was pirate, Ibis flag was
lowered al trampled upon aud the Span
ieh tiag hoistcd i'll lis place.
When the Tornado and the Nirginius
reached Santiago de Cuba the next day
tn" loo men captured We're placed in
close confinement and a court-martial
was convened at once. The various
rpurtS-marilal condemned most of them
10 d"dth. this summary proceeding be
ing. as 1t was alleged, in accordance
with SpanHh laws. 50 far at least as
IN" character Of the court and the ma
tnrc of the judicial forms were con-
c"rned. The first executions were on
the morning of November 4. when four
men were shot. one of them being BriSa-
dier Washington Ryan, who claimed
British citizenship. as n Canadian. al
though he had served in the Union army
during the late war. The victims were
shot IN the back their bodies were after
wards beheaded. the heac displayed on
spikes ami the trunks trampled by horses.
t'eorGc w. Sherman, the correspondent
Of the New York Herald tried to sketch
the scene and was imprisoned for four
days for his attempt. \ guard kept the
American Consul in his house, so he
could not appear to protest.
On November s. twelve more men
were executed. and November L., thirty
seven were executed. this last batch in
Guided the officers and crew of the Nir-
GInluS and most of the American citi-
ZenS. At O'Clock in the afternoon the
condemned men We're marched to the
place of execution. passing and saluting
the American consulate, where the flag
was not flying from its staff Captain
Fry waes shot first. and was the ONLY
man. though the soldiers stood but ten
feet away, who fell dead at the first vol
Icy. The majority of the poor-fellows.
as the firing continued, were wounded
and killed as they lay on the ground by
the usual Spanish fashion Of firing rifles
III the mouths of those who were dis
abled The second engineer of the Vir-