The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-02
CASE OF THE yIRGINIUS
WAR WITH SPAIN AvERTED ONLY By
DIPLOMACY AND CAUTION.
Outrages Committed Twenty-Five
Years Ago That Stirred Up the PeO-
pie of the United States.

Washington Special to Chicago Record.
1t is less than twenty-five years since an
other vessel whose crew met it's fate in a
Spanish port in Cuba was the subject of as
intense public interest as to-day is directed
toward the Maine The case of the Vir-
ginius had in it elements of tragedy that
made it more spectacular 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
averted war between the United States
and Spain In the case Of the Virginius the
facts OF Spanish aggression were in no way
denied, but, on the contrary, avowed for a
time with pride, until the authorities at
Madrid subdued their people, who were
making a settlement more difficult by their
talk. The only controversy was as to
whether or not Spains action in the matter
was within its rights. But the settlement
however it might have left the rights of the
vessel still unsolved was a rebuke to Spain,
and for it's execution of American citizens,
with scarcely a formality of law, it has
never been forgiven by those who remem-
Der it, whatever diplomacy decided as to
being satisfied.
The Virginius was originally an English
built sidewheel steamer called the Virgin
and 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 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 the
most successful of filibusters, making re-
peated landings on the Cuban coast with
supplies of arms, ammunition. food and
clothes for the insurgents who were then
fighting the ten-year war. In all her fill
clustering it was claimed, however, that the
Vlrglnius had 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 yes
ton, Jamaica, Oct %, 1878, having cleared
at the United States consulate as a United
States vessel hound for Port Simon, Costa
Rica. The con nlander was Captain Joseph
Fry Il citizen of the United States. The
cargo was made up of munitions Of war
for the Cuban insurgents, and the crew
was part of Cuban and part Of American
citizens. There were also on board num-
Der OF enlisted men on their way to join
the insurgent army.
CAPTURED AND EXECUTED.
1t was not until Oct. 81 that the Virginius
approached the coast of Cuba to make her
landing, and was intercepted by the Spanish
gunboat Tornado. The Tornado had been
built by the same English firm that con-
structed the Virginius, 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
us threw overheard all the ammunition and
guns they carried, to destroy evidence of
their intent Finally, at 10 o'clock at night,
the Virgnius was stopped and surrendered
in response to the cannon shots Of the Tor
nado, which had come in range The cap
tain protested that his papers were regular
and that the VirgiHius was IAN American
ship carrying. American colors and papers,
with an American captain and an American
crew. In response he was told that he was
a pirate, his flag was lowered and trampled
upon, and the Spanish flag was hoisted in
its place.
When the Tornado and the virginius
reached Santiago de Cuba the next day the
155 men captured We're placed in close con-
at once. The various courts-martial con-
demned most If not all of the prisoners to
was alleged, in accordance with Spanish
laws, SO far at least as the character of the
were concerned. The first executions were
on the morning of Nov 4, when four men
We're shot, one of them being Brigadier
Washington Ryan, who claimed British
citizenship, as a Canadian, although he had
served in the Union army during the late
war The victims were shot in the back,
and their bodies were afterwar0 beheaded,
the heads displayed on spikes and the
trunks trampled by horses. George w. Sher-
man, 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.
tbn nf Nov anea1- fNXyolI
were executed, and on the 18th thirty-seven
were executed, this last batch including the
of the American citizens. At 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 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 yolley. The ma
jority of the poor fellows, as the firing con-
tinued, were wounded, and killed as they
lay, on the ground by the usual Spanish
those who were disabled. The second engi-
neer of the Virginius was among those ex-
ecuted. He had made a declara ton to the
engines and cut down the speed of the YES
sci SO that she could be captured, and was
rades from knowing that he was to be
spared. He was shot by mistake while MAX
ing, frantic protests and explanations. but,
as he was traitor in one way or the other,
his death was the only one of all that was
never regretted.
PROTESTS WE'RE UNHEEDED.
During all this time the consuls at San
tiago were not idle. but they were helpless.
E. G. Schmitt, the American vice CONSUL
and Theodore Brooks, the British vice con-
SUI made all sorts of protests that were I'M
availing. Schmitt was not permitted to see
the prisoners before or after the court-mar-
tial until the very end, when he reached
Captain Fry and signed his protest with
him. He was not permitted the use of the
telegraph in order to communicate with the
government at Washington by way OF
Kingston, Jamaica. He wrote repeated
notes to General Burriel the Spanish COM
mander at Santiago, getting no answer to
them, until at last an answer came that
was more irritating than silence. Burriel
told him that he should have known that
the previous day was day of religious fes-
tivaf during which he and ali his officers
were engaged in meditation of the divine
mysteries" and could not consider temporal
affairs. He also informed the consul that
he might be expelled from the island for
trying TO embroil the United States and
Spain in difficulties if he were not careful.
Then came the only bright spot in the
whole affair. News of what was going on
reached Jamaica, and the British gunboat
Niobe, Capt. Sir Lambton Lorraine, left for
the scene of massacre, sailing in such 4
hurry that he left some of the crew ashore.
ship was anchored, and demanded that the
slaughter be. stopped Instantly. He declared
that he represented the United States as
Well as England, and that he would bonn