Evening star., 1900-12-25
THE STROKE OF A BELL.
Exciting Incident at Il Central Amert-
can Execution.


can Execution.
'tAs was brought home to the American
mind during the Spanish war, the Latin
races place slight value upon human life,
and the Indifference shown at executions Is
a marked characteristic of their natures,
said William J. Floyd Of Boston, at the
National today.
II am reminded of scene I witnessed
while travelling in one Of the Central Ameri-
can states several years ago. AS we all
know, revolutions there are Of frequent oc-
currence The successful general, who
usually succeeds to the presidency, some
times settles his differences with the lead
of the vanquished by exiling them. or
having them stood up against an adobe
wall before a file of soldiers, shot, and
buried where they fall-usually the latter
while at the capital Of one of these
states shortly after the termipation of
revolution 1 made the acquaintance of the
president and several of his officers, as
speak Spanish fiuently. One morning, as
was passing the entrance to the palace
encountered off1cer-a cOlonel-juSt as he
emerged from the portico. He greeted me
pleasantly, and asked If I would care to
accompany him to the barracks, about q
quarter of a mile distant, saying that one
of the leaders Of the just finished revolu-
ton had been unexpectedly captured in the
mountains, brought to the capital, and was
to be executed at noon by order Of the
president
He had, he said, since the revolutionist
was related to him by family ties, and be-
cause he personally stood high In the favor
of the president, vainly interceded to secure
the prisoners release or commutat ton of
sentence to banishment. The president,
however, had ordered the execution to pro-
ceed. and as he, the colonel was in COM
mand of the barracks, it became his painful
Olty to perSonailV the order
Il assented, as l had never seen an exc
cution, and though l pitied the victim L
knew that anything l could do would not
save him, excusing my conscience on that
ground.
ARRIVING in the court yard of the bar
racks l observed file of soldiers standing
at rest a short distance from a high adobe
wall. close to which stood a man of middle
age. calmly smoking a cigarette. Beyond
a quick glance at the coloneFs immovable
features he betrayed no sign of recognition
or of the peril Of his position. He must
have known, of course, that the latters
mission had been a fruitless one. The exc
cution was set at IL o'clock noon. A young
lieutenant stood idly by leaning on the hilt
Of his drawn sabre. 1t was then five min
utes of the hour.
The colonel informed the lieutenant that
he had left another friend of the con-
demned man with the president and 1t
was agreed If the president yielded to his
pleadings he would step out on one of the
utllS DdlCOn1SS peculiar 10 all spanish
buildings, and discharge pistol. All pres
ent heard the colonels remarks, including
the man against the wall, and all eyes
sought the balcony of the palace, which. on
slight rise of ground, could be plainly
seen in the clear, tropical sunlight.
ITO me the suspense brought on nerv-
Gus chill, which was decidedly unpleasant.
The doomed man puffed quietly at his Gig
arctic. and the little, understood soldiers
arrayed themselves in straight line as the
colonel watch in hand, stood near to give
the fatal word. The lieutenant raised his
sword preparatory to making a quick,
downward sweep as he would give the
word to fire.
"On the other side Of the barracks was
the old mission, or cathedral, to be found
in every Spanish town, with its bells in
the tower which tolled the hours. At about
one minute before IL the colonel said:
1T is not twelve o'clock until the last
stroke is struck, lieutenant
Just as he finished the first stroke Of the
deep, mellow old bell rang out on the still,
hot atmosphere. The condemned man
dropped his cigarette to the ground, turned
CHASTITY pallor, but Strengthened his figure
upright and full to the soldiers who were
then lined up. with rifles cooked, pointed
at his heart. The colonel shifted his eyes
from his watch to the balcony.
1T seemed an hour to me as the strokes
slowly sounded two, three four, five, six,
and then, as the seventh stroke was rever-
berating, saw the figure Of man leap
through the window on the balcony and a
tiny puff of white smoke ascended from his
uplifted arm.
'"The colonel cried out sharply: 'Atten-
tion Right about face; march,! The lieu
tenant slipped his sword in its scabbard
with a snap, drew the inevitable package
of cigarettes from his blouse, and as the
pardoned man ran toward us, clasping his
relative gratefully in his arms he was po-
litely offered cigarette from the hand
which the moment previous had been
raised to give the signal of his death.
Il afterward learned that the friend
whom the colonel had left at the palace
was one of the most prominent merchants
in the country, who had furnished a con-
siderable portion Of the funds with which
the revolution had been conducted, and
that at the last moment the president had
consented to his demand for the release of
the prisoner"