The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-03-20
Case Of th6 VirQiniU8.
How War Was Narrowly Averted in 1873 by Diplomacy
Americans Butchered by Spaniards.
lFrom the Chicago Record.)

in a Spanish port in Cuba was the SUD
ject of an intense public interest as TO-
day is directed toward the Name. Inc
case of the Nirginius had in it clements
of tragedy that made it more spectacu-
lar and dramatic than that OF the Maine,
and American spirit was worked TO an
even higher tension than 1t Is now before
diplomacy and caution ayerted war be-
tween the United States and Spaln. In
the case of the Nirgnius the facts OF
Spanish aggression were i'll no way de-
MED, but on the contrary, ayoWed for Il
time with pride until the authorities at
Madrid subdued their people, who were
making a 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 rebuke to Spain, and for its exc
cution of American citizens with scarce
~ formalty of law 1T has never been
forgiven by those who remember it,
whatever diplomacy decided as to being
satisfied.
The Eirginius was originally an En-
glish-built side wheel steamer called the
Virgin, aud during the war between the
States was one of the most famous
blockade runners until captured by a
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 VirginiUs. 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 in the ports
of Venezuela. and the West Indies she
was known for three years as the most
daring and most successful of tlllbuster-
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 filibustering it was
claimed however, that the Nirglnlus
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
ed at the United States consulate as a
United States vessel bound for Port
Simon. Costa Rico. The commander
was Captain Joseph Fry. q 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 a number of
enlisted men on their way TO join the in
surgent army.
1t was not until October 81 that the
Virginius approached the coast of Cuba
TO make her landing, and intercepted by
the Spanish sunboat Tornado. The
la1 I4,tl 1x-4 laa aYfln
English firm that constructed the Vir-
ginius. also for blockade running. but in
the race that followed the Virginius
was unable to equal the speed Of her
Spanish pursuer The chase lasted
eight hours, during which the men of the
Nirginius threw overheard all the muni-
tions and guns they carried, to destroy
evidence Of their intentions. Finally at
10 O'Clock at night. the Eirginius was
stopped and surrendered in response to
the cannon shots of the Tornado. which
had come i'll range. The captain pro-
tested that his papers We're 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 a pirate, his flag was
lowered adj tramplcd upon and the Span
ish flag hoisted in its place.
When the Tornado and the Nirginius
reached Santiago de Cuba The next day
the 1J5 men captured were placed in
close confinement and a court-martial
was convened at once. The various
courts-martial condemned most of them
TO death. this summary proceeding be-
ing as it was alleged, in accordance
with Spanish laws, so far at least as
the character Of the court and the ma
ture of the judicial forms were con-
cerned. The first executions were on
the morning of November 4, when four
men were shot, one of them being Briga-
der Washington Ryan. who claimed
British citizenship, as 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 heads displayed on
spikes and the trunks trampled by horses.
George W. Sherman, the correspondent
Of the New York Herald tried to sketch
the scene and was imprisoned for four
days for his attempt A guard kept the
American Consul in his house, so he
could not appear to protest.
On November s, twelve more men
we're executed. and November 13 thirty
seven were executed. this last batch in
Guided the officers and crew of the Vir-
ginius and most OF the American citi-
zens. At 4 O'Clock in the afternoon the
condemned men were marched to the
place of execution. passing and saluting
the American consulate. where the flag
was not flying from its staff. Captain
Fry WAS shot first, and was the only
man, though the soldiers stood but ten
feet away, who fell dead at the first vol
ley. 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
in the mouths Of those who were dis.
abled. The second engineer Of the Vir-
ginius was among those executed. He
had made q declaration to the Spanish
that he had tempered with the engines
and cut down the speed of the vessel Sc
that he could be captured, and was
marched with the rest to prevent hi
comrades from knowing what he was t.
be spared for. He was shot by mistake