Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-05
HALvED COIN SAVES A LIFE
Soldier Walled Up In Cave by Ma
tives Of Canary Islands.
From the Minneapolis Journal.

From, the Minneapolis Journal.
See this?'' said w. H. Leukhart, chief
machinist's mate in charge of the naval
recruiting station in the post Office build
ing today, holding UP what appeared to be
half a silver COIN well. a chum of mine
In the navy has the other half. and it
saved his life once It's coin of Colombia
We were doing duty the Isthmus of
Panama and stopped in at little fruit
shop. The coin is only worth about a fifth
of cent, but what we bought did not
come to that and the old woman in charge
of the shop took out a knife and cut the
coin in two. 1t struck US as so absurd
that we gave her another coin and kept
that as souvenir. We punched holes in
the halves and strung them on our watch
chains.
ing In the Canary Islands. and some of the
Spanish dons at Las Palmas invited the
officers to a grand ball. When we landed
we saw a curious procession making its
way out of the town. What struck us as
particularly peculiar was that the captain
OF the company walked in rear Of his SOL
diers. As soon as we met some Of the ma
tlves they explained that he was the head
eXecutioner and that the Job was heredi-
tary one. Although he Is in command Of
company. he has to walk in the rear. and
whenever he goes into a cafe to eat the
proprietor smashes the plates as soon as
he has finished
I'VE followed the procession to witness
the peculiar execution. Finally we came 20
deserted place and found that the meth
cd of execution to place the victim
in a chair. where a steel band Is placed
around his neck. With the turn of screw
the band Is frightened
After the execution we thought It would
be good chance to take a picture of one
of the fellows, and my chum got in the
chair. We frightened UP the band little
bit and took the picture. Somebody then
decided that we had better leave him there
a little longer, and We strolled away TO
the grand ball. 1t so interesting that
We forgot the poor fellow for a couple of
hours, and when we hurried back he was
gone.
I'VE did not worry any. supposing that he
had gone back TO the ship. The next MORN
ing. however, he was nowhere to be found
and We went on shore to search for him. To
make long story short, we spent all
morning and most of the afternoon in try
ing to get clue. Just we were giving
up in despair l noticed an old native sit
ting on the roadside. Around his neck was
string and on the string was the half
coin.
tive and sent one of the boys for somebody
that could talk the lingo. 1t seems that the
natives who live In the Atalayan caves are
supposed to take away the victims of the
execution and bury them in caves. They
get whatever is on the person
I'VE started the old fellow UP on the
jump and pushed him up the hills on the
end of our walking sticks. He led US by lit
tie paths and lanes through the mysterious
caves, and finally came to one that had
great stone rolled up against its mouth.
We got at that in a hurry. Lying on a
heap of bones was the lieutenant in dead
faint He was stripped, and his hair had
turned white. We shook him up and give
him some brandy, and in a little while he
came around.
THAT fellow had an awful lot Of nerve
I IL 49, l.
him out, but that were awful long
time doing it. He thought the whole thing
was a joke. AS he had been one of the
ringleaders in all the stunts on board ship,
he took the whole thing in good part 1t
seems that he had doZed off, and. being one
of the sleepers that you can't wake up with
an AK. never quivered until the natives had
left him in the cave for some hours"