The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-03-08
Dor of Santiago de Cuba. The captain
OF the Tornado had obeyed orders. He
said that In one hour more the Vir-
ginius would have escaped him in some
Jamaica port.


There was no time to be lost. The
Spaniards knew they had no right to
forclbly visit the vessel on the high seas
let alone In English waters. since she
was not then III war with any nation.
AS for the passengers and crew the
Spanish authorities threw lnternation-
al law to the winds.
On Monday, November 4. 1873. ut
dawn, four days after the boat reached
Santiago. General Ryan, Cespedes. Va
roma and Jesus del Sol were executed.
Captain Fry and his crew were execu-
ted In the afternoon. The death OF
Captain Fry was grand. In the supreme
moment he acted like n Christian, a
soldier and an American. When the
crew knelt with their faces to the par
tition of the slaughter house jus. out
side OF the wall OF the city. their backs
to the grim squad OF Spanish marines,
he walked along the line and babe each
one goodbye. No one was sighted,
colored or white, and the last friendly
sounds they heard upon earth were the
kind words of the heroic Fry. Then he
knelt down with the rest, took off his
hat and turned his face to heaven as IL
in prayer.
There was one brief moment OF pause
and little silent tick OF the clock and
then came the fame, the smoke and the
roar. When the curtain of smoke lifted
thlrty-slX of the thirty-sevcn were
seen writhing In the ngonles OF partial
death. The captain alone was stone
dead with a dozen bullets In his heart.
The scene that ensued was fearful. The
blood-thIrsty marines rushed upon the
4
foot. were crawling blindly about In
their own blood. They killed them by
thrusting the muzzles OF loaded mus
kets In their mouths or ears, literally
blowing the poor fellows heads of.
Gronns and shrieks. such as would come
from the horrible pits OF Dante's Infer
no. arose from the trench In front OF
the slaughter house. The cavalry rode
over the Eodies TO pack them down and
those who could not be packed into the
pit were cnrted away for burial and
thrown into one great grave.
Four days later forty-five more OF the
prisoners were assassina.eG ard four
days after that twelve more were add
cd 10 the list. Simon Gratz was among
the number, the thirteenth man. He
tells the story OF his escape In his own
words:
Hardly were the bodies OF Captain
Fry and the thirty-seven sailors cold
when the cell door was opened and we
passengers were ordered TO come out. II
was our turn next. According 10 the
custom In that country. mass is offered
to all those who wish II when they are
about to uie. Accordingly We were led
into chapel and the services begun.
After they had proceeded for awhile.
one OF the priests discovered that there
were thirteen Of the doomed number.
Out Of the seventeen condemned the
four officers had already been shot.
True 20 the superstition concerning
that number. originating In the priests
mind from the thirtesn Of the Lords
Supper. the young prizes. refused 20 pro-
coed with the ceremony unless one
more were added. Unfortunately for
the spaniards, thov did not have any
more and II became necessary To take
one away.