Evening journal., 1900-01-01
CUBAN EXECUTIONS.
Spanish Method Of Inhictln9 the Death
Penalty.

Penalty.
The most interesting object at the
Carcel Is the garrote, the Spanish in
strument for inficting the death penal
ty. It is kept in o separate room IN
special box, in which it is packed
away as a piece of machinery. A
seventeen-year convict who has killed
fourteen different men with this in
strument set the machinery together
and explained the manner Of perform
ing an execution. The garrote con.
sists Of a heavy wooden post standing
up back of a chair, both of which are
firmly fastened in a heavy platform.
In the front and at the top of the post
is a strong steel bar about twelve
inches long and shaped exactly like an
Indians bow, except that in the cen.
ter OF this steel bow is a small knob
about q quarter Of an inch high and
half an inch in diameter This knob
is made to fit into the hollow in the
back Of the head at the base Of the
brain. Two iron bars connected with
a contrivance running through the
strong upright post run out past the
ends OF this bow and at the end of
one of the bars is a kind of throat
latch, resembling q slightly bent
bridle-bit. The criminal to be exc.
cuted Is seated on the chair and his
head placed between the iron bars
back against the steel bow, with the
knob fitting into the hollow OF his
neck. The bit-shaped bar Is brought
across the throat and fastened to the
end OF the opposite bar with a key
which prevents any possibility of its
slipping loose. The mans head is
thus virtually placed in a steel collar
His hands are tied in front of him
and iron anklets at the end of chains
are slipped upon him, so that he is
firmly bound to the chair Nothing /:
put over his eyes, and he is left t
see and hear all that goes on around
him. The continuance at the back o.
the post connecting with the iron bar.
[ passing each side Of the neck ant
drawing the bit-shaped instrument III
against the throat, looks like a grea
auger, except that the handles arr
I slightly bent backward to give tn,
/ operator greater leverage. The threads
on his auger-like continuance are o
brass and strong and run through thu
I spiral grooves OF a heavy, brass-linel
collar at the back Of the post, so tina
when the handles are turned it draw
the thrOatlatch tight up against TN
steel bow, If nothing is placed bC
tween them, in the same. way tina
turning the lever Of a letter pres
I brings the upper and lower parts t.
gether This part of the mechanism
is kept highly oiled and its parts wor
with perfect freedom. One-half revC
luton Of the handles does the deadl
work. A tin can was placed in tn
collar and the lever given one quic
turn to illustrate the working of tn
garrote. The can was smashed in a
5 instant. In the same manner a man
neck Is instantly broken, one or NOR
OF the vertebrae being forced out c
b position and the spinal cord thu
d crushed or severed The platform O.
which the garrote is placed has seve
steps, and the black coat Of the exl
cutiOner has seven white stripes re,
resenting them.
e. When an execution is TO take plac
d the garrote is sometimes erected i
3 the plaza at the side of the prison an
q sometimes at Santa Clara Battery
, priest is in attendance and gives ,h
signal to the cxecutioner. As soon Z
the man IS killed a black mantle
thrown over HIM to shut off the gaz
of the public.
ID There is nothing particularly cruz
4 In the look of this convict executions
I, When asked how the men seated
4 the chair with the steel collar abol
= their necks acted and whether he fe
. sorry for them or not. he said the
often trembled till they shook the ga
rote and that sometimes he was sorl
and sometimes he wasn't.-Times
Cuba.