The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-01-07
OFFICE
FOR DUKE OF ALBA

do. The cuke. like his younger oroth-
er, Fernando, Duke OF Penarands and
Count OF Montijo. was brought up IN
England. at Beaumont College near
Elton. under the supervision OF
his grandaunt Empress Eugene
talks English without any trace OF
foreign accent. is the champion polo
player Of Spain and an adept in most
American forms OF sport
His residence at Madrid. known as
the Liria Palace, is one Of the grand
est In tho Spanish capital filed from
cellar TO garnet with art treasures ana
almost priceless archives. Containing,
as the latter do. documents from the
eleventh to the twentieth century, they
embrace the history of all the most
interesting periods Of the annals or
Spain and comprise a quantity OF let
ters written By Christopher Columbus
which throw light upon many dark
points OF his lie: confidential cornmu-
nications between Mary Queen OF
Scots and Queen Elizabeth, the rec
ords OF the first Duke OF Abas vice
ROYALTY OF the Netherlands, and the
oniv true account of the terrible trag-
edv played BIZ King Philip IL and MS
son. Don Carlos, which Schiller mas
immortalized. In order to unoerstan"
all the wealth of treasures OF this
Kind in the Liria Palace. II must be re-
nnerlbered that the ducal house OF
Alba has numbered among It's guests
and friends. Velasquez. Titan. Murillo'
Cervantes. Calderon. besides princes
Kings, Queens and Emperors, caroi-
nails and even Popes.
The duke is twenty-fourth hereditary
high constable of the Kingdom OF Ma
varre. and possesses ell sorts OF non
ors. including the historic dignity OK
Count Duke OF Olivarez. none OF WHICH
however. he prizes more highly thah
his membership OF the ancient society
Of Hermandad de la Paz Carioau'
that is TO say. the Fraternity OF feace
and OF Charity. which. founded by Don
Juan Manara Mendoza. the oeati-
fed original OF the hero OF LORD BY
ron's Don yuan" takes charge OF inc
prisoners under sentence OF death dur
ing last twenty-four hours immeo-
iateiy preceding their execution
As there are about fifty capltai sem
fences imposed by the courts each year
in Spain. the duties OF the members
of this fraternity (Which is the most
exclusive thing Of its KIND. ana re-
stricted entirely TO the members on
the very oldest families OF the span
,sh natriciate). are far from being
merely honorary. When on duty they
wear a black robe, reaching almost
m the ground, surmounted By peaked
hood of the same material. the Yea
y concealed
cloth. IN which two holes are cut Tor
the ewes. Twenty four hours before
the execution the condemned prisoner
is brought into what is Known as
the Capita, that is to say. a room or
cell. which. draped entirely in black
IS arranged as q chapel. with an altar
crucifx and, lighted candles. AS soon
as he crosses the threshold. the black
robed black masked brothers or TINS
society take charge of him. 1t Is
there that the sentence OF death Is
-ead to him: mat the executioner
comes first of all to measure the
/ length of his spine and the size OF
| his neck. so that there may be ne
| mistake about Its fitting the garotte'
| and then, later on, TO kneel GOWN pc
fore him. and to crave his par"on Ior
heing the instrument of his justly
merited death, Immediately BEFORE the
man is led out to. the scanold-
The members of the fraternity reao
| m the prisoner they pray with Mini
they write letters for him to MIS- ram :
! ilv and relatives, they take charge Oh
| the conveyance of his last messages
and OF the fulfilment OF his last wishes;
while a dozen of them, arrayed In the
garb which I have described above
and which wholly conceals their ioent-
~ make house o-house visits IN va
rious portions of the city, begging
aims for the prisoner who Is aoout
70 die. Their appeals are seldom
snurned. They Invariably manage 10
collect quite a large sum or money
which. together with their own con-
tri5utions, Is turned over In mil 10
The unfortunate criminal The latter
usu,1lv in Difference to the recon-
,,o,6a.ions of the brothers. assigns
a portion of IL 10 the payment OIL
-,asses Cor the repose OF his soul. while
the remainder is turned over. some
,inss 70 his own family. and some
times II he wishes II, to the family OF
his victim.
After making his confession and re-
ceivtnv the last sacraments, the con-
demned man Is furnished with any
thing that he wants in the way OIL
food and drink. and then the orothers.
that is to say. these grantees OF
Snain. men such as the Dukes OF Aha.
OF Penaranda. OF Tamanes ana oi
Medina Coeli. mobiles OF the loiles'
rank. accompany him to the scaHoi1'
support his faltering steps ana re-
main with him in the role OF irlenu
anS councillor until the eNecul'Oie1.
ssauding behind his victim. turns ina
crank Of the garotte winch N on
instant, crushes the Verteo.a at ."e
neck. causing instant death. Ai'e.
that. the brothers assume Sn~e0 VI
The burial OF the remalhs-
copyright, 1918. by the n'eh'"0"U
COMPANY