Sistersville oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1896-1901, 1898-07-20

ment we received an announcement Unal
filed us with terror. 1t was that although
sort of mock trial was given to the pris-
oners, not one was being acquitted, but
were being adjudged guilty in haste and
executed without mercy.
"We had been compelled to see them
shot in all manners. Sometimes the order
was to place the muZzles Of the guns in
their mouths, and their brains were thus
blown out. Other times they were lined
back against the walls, and after hollow
mockery of religion had been gone through
with they were riddled. You have seen
the pictures of Maximilian's execution.
That was the way most of them went, and
they died bravely, but like dumb beasts
led to slaughter.
"But the worst sight and the one that
terrified us most was the death inflicted
upon General Lopez. He was garroted. 1t
was one of those slow processes in which
the garroter, who can dispatch man by a
turn of the screw, prolongs the agony for
hours. 1t was terrible 1t makes my
blood freeze when recall the scene. His
last words were, Il die for my Cuba.
After passing through this theater of hor-
rors I can appreciate to slight degree at
least the horror of Spanish rule, vanity
and cruelty.
cit was the morning before our trial.
The turnkey of our division was very
old SpaDiard, and often tried to engage
him in a conversation in different Ian
guages but he would shake his head.
l asked him if there was q German consul
in Havana, but he only repeated, Consul,
,Lo l. |, &c I hox
tie German blood in my veins and, though
it is covered with the American, it served
me well in that incident. Then l said to
him, ambassador Prussia, and he nod
ded his head. Every morning at about s
o'clock he would bring us loaf OF dark
bread. 1t looked as if it were made out
of oats, and we found oat chaff in it. He
usually opened our cell door and handed
us Jug of water and threw us in our
loaf
"But this morning he brought our bread
wrapped in paper. told Weathers they
were getting stylish in serving bread with
paper on it. BY that time Weathers had
torn off piece of the bread and put it in
his mouth. He ripped out big oath and
said, Yes, the scoundrels want to feed us
crazy Why, look here, he said, and he
handed me piece of wood about an inch
and half long. went to the keyhole in
the door, which was the only light we
had and, 10 and behold, held piece of
lead pencil in my handI 1t then began to
dawn on me what that paper meant that
was wrapped around the bread. took it
and tore of a piece and wrote a note to
the Prussian consul. l cannot recOllect
what it was now, but you can well sur
mise the purport The turnkey returned
that afternoon, and wanted to give the
note to him, but he wouldn't take it. My
heart sank. and | never felt so fOrlOrn. l
tried to press it on him, but to no avail,
and at last in an agony of mind I'M
thinkingly crumpled and threw it into his
basket and then sank down on the straw
and cried like child.
THAT evening at the usual time for the
/ turnkey l heard strange noise in the
gangway, which was laid with stone flag
ging. 1t sounded like metal striking the
rock. Directly the key turned in the cell
door, and it opened. Before me in the
dusk could make out the form of our
turnkey, but with him stood a tall gentle
man, covered with a black cloak that
reached almost to the floor. / saw the tip
of a scabbard showing out; hence the noise
had heard. 1t was the Prussian consul.
1 realized that my note had reached the
right point, and there is one Spaniard in
this world, if he is still alive, that l owe
my life to- After asking questions where
l was born, when came over and how
got there he said: Il will do the best / can
for you, but it will be a difficult case
These Spaniards ere bloodthirsty people
"He then turned to my partner and
asked him where he came from. Being a
Tennesseean, he could not understand the
German. The consul understood the case
ut glance, but he whispered to me that
t would be well for US to pretend to be
brothers and for me TO do the talking. He
succeeded in having our trials postponed.
and we were finally acquitted.
Fragrant Fog"
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