The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-03-04
CASE or THE vIRGINIUS.

III Washington, March 2 ,--t Chicago Recor
Special lit Is less than twenty five year
since another vessel whose crew met II
fate in a Spanish port in Cuba was tn
: subject OF as intense public interest as to
day is directed toward the Maine. TIL
case OF the virginius had In II element
OF tragedy that made II more spectacula
and dramatic than thai OF the Maine, an
I American spirit was worked 10 an ever
4 higher tension than II Il now before dipio
macy and caution averted war betweel
the United States and Spain. In the cas-
of the Virginius The facts oil Spanish ny
gressiOn were In no way denied, but, OF
the contrary, avowed for a time with pride
until the authorities at Madrid subduet
| their people, who were making a settlement
more difficult by talk. The only confro
| versy was az to whether or not Spain's nc
| tion In the matter was within its rights
But the settlement, however 1t might hav.
| left the rights of the vessel still unsolved
| WAS rebuke to Spain, and for Its execu-
1 tion OF American citizens with scarcely a
! formality of law 1t has never been for;
given by those who remember It, what
ever diplomacy decided as TO being salts
! fed,
! The virginius was originally an Engliah-
| built side wheel steamer called the Nirgln.
/ and during the war between the States was
/ one of the most famous blockade runners
4 until captured by vessel OF the United
! States. In 1870 she was sold in Washing
| ton TO an agent OF the Cuban junta at Nrw
| York. her name was changed to Virginus,
and she cleared, for Curacao in the West
Indies. From that time till her unhappy
fate she was never in 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 ana the
most successful Of fiibusters, making re-
peated landings on the Cuban coast with
supplies OF arms, ammunition, food End
clothes for the insurgents, who We're then
fighting the ten year war. In all her FIJI
clustering 1t was claimed that the Nirginius
never lest her character as an Amori ;an
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 cleared at the
United States consulate as a United States
vessel bound for Port Simon Costa Rlea.
The commander was Captain Joseph Fry.
citizen CT the United States The carso
was made up of munition OF war for the
Cuban insurgents and the crew was part
Of Cuban aud part of American citizens
There were also on board number of
enlisted men on their way to join the in
surgent army
II was not until October 81 that the Vir-
ginlus approached the coast of Cuba to
make her landing. and was intercepted by
the Spanish gunboat Tornado. The ".'or-
nado had been built by the same English
firm that constructed the Virginius. aiso
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 Virginius threw overheard ell
the ammunition and guns they carried. 10
destroy evidence OF their intent. Finally,
al 10 O'Clock at night, the Virginius was
stopped and surrenaered in response to the
cannon shots of the Tornado. which mad
come in range. The captain protested that
ms papers were regular and that the VIZ
einius was an American ship, carrying |
American oolors aud papers. with an Anne,
lean captain and an American crew. in
response he was told that he was pirate, |
his flag was lowered and trampled upon |
and the Spanish flag hoisted in its place |
When the Tornado and The VirgInius |
reached Santiago de Cuba the next day the |
lo5 men captured were placed in close con
hneinent and a court martial was convened |
at once. The various courts martial CON |
demned most If not all of the prisoners. To |
death, this summary proceedings being AS |
was alleged in accordance with Spansh |
laws, so far at least as the character OF the |
court and the nature of the judicial forms
were concerned. The first executions were
on the morning of November 4. when fonI
men were shot one of them being Briga-
der Washington Ryan, who claimed Brit
sh citizenship. as Canadian, although he
had served in the Union army during the
ate war. The victims We're shot In The
back, and their bodies we're afterward be-
'eaded. the heads displayed on spikes and
he trunks trampled by horses George w.
sherman the correspondent of the New
FORK Herald, tried to sketch the scene and
Vas imprisoned for four days for his at
empt. A guard kept the American con
ul In his house, so he could not appear to
protest.
On the Sth OF November twelve more men
we're executed, and on the 18th thirty
even were executed, last batch Including
he officers and crew of the virginius ana
most of the American citizens At A
clock In the afternoon the condemned nieh
we're marched TO the place of execution,
assing aud saluting the American ooni,,Il-
tie, where the flag was not flying from it's
tan. Captain Fry was shot first and WIS
he only man, though the soldiers stool
ut ten feet away, who fell dead at ire
lrst yolley. The majority of the ,1or
elbows, as The firing continual we're
round by the usual Spanish fashion Il
ring rifles in the mouths of those who
iere disabled. The second engineer of The
'irsinius WAS among those executed He
ad made declaration to the Spanish that
Q had iampered with the engines and cut
own the speed of the vessel so rhat she
ould be captured. and was marched with
he rest to prevent his comrades ftm
moving that he was 10 he spared. lie was
hot by mistake while making frantic pYo-
SITS and explanations, but. as HI was
'aitor In one way or the other, his death
as the only one of all that was never re-
retted.
During all this time the oonsuls a, San J.
ago We're not idle, but they were helpless. :,
g. Schmitt the American vice consul. n
I'd Theodore Brooks the British lice con- L
II. made all sorts of protests that we're s.
,availing- Schmtt was not perra.ttsd 10 y
e the prisoners before or after the toprt !,
artial, until tina very end when ne n
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