The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1914-10-02
HIS PENALTY FOR FAILURE.

The Atoncmsnt of Blood--How IL
Wac Contaminated and How the
Vengeance of the viotors Was Sat
isfied-Cooiness of the Unfortunate
Prince.
No more tragic incident is recorded
In history than the execution Of Maxi
milan. Half century ago younger
brother Of the Emperor Francis Joseph
his wife, he sat upon the frail throne
even then tottering. How he failed is
another story, but when he was taken
prisoner he prepared himself for death
the red death OF war.
In volume written some years ago
Major John N Edwards pictures graph
ically the closing hours Of the tall,
handsome prince who would be king
as follows:
The morning broke fair and white in
the sky, and at $50 o'clock three car
r1ages drew up In front of the main
The bells rang in all the steeples. there
were soldiers everywhere, and long
lines of glittering steel that rose and
fell In yet the soft. sweet hush of the
morning.
In the first carriage got Macmillan
and Father Soria. priest. In the sec
ond carriage there came Miramon and
his priest, In the third Mejia and bis.
Then the solemn cortege started.
All the people were In the street On
the faces of the multitude there were
evidences Of genuine and unaffected
their hats as the victims passed along,
some turned away their heads and
wept, and some, even among the SOL
diers and amid the hostile ranks of the
Liberals. fell upon their knees and
wept
The place Of surrender was to be
the place Of execution. Northwest of
the city mile or more the Hill of the
Bells {El Cerro de las Campanas) up
reared itself 1t was inclosed on three
sides by 5000 soldiers Of all arms, leav-
Ing the rear or uncovered side resting
upon a wall.
1t was 7:30 O'Clock when the car
riages halted at the place of execution.
Macmillan was the first to alight. He
stepped proudly down, took handker-
chief from his pocket and his hat from
his head and beckoned for one Of his
Mexican servants to approach. The
man came.
'.Take these" the emperor said.
'They are all have to give"
The faithful Indian took them. kissed
them, cried over them. fell upon his
knees few moments in prayer to the
good God for the good master and
arose hero.
In front of the dead wall three cross
es had been firmly embedded In the
ground. On each side was a pIacard
bearing the name OF the victim to be
inundated there. That upon the right
was where the emperor was to be shot,
that In the center was Miramon, that
upon the left for the grim old stole and
fighter Mejia.
Macmillan walked firmly to his
place. The three men embraced each
other three times TO Mejia he said:
I'VE will meet In heaven"
Me1ia bowed, smiled and laid his
hand upon his heart
To Miramon he said:
Brave men are respected by sover-
eigns. Permit me to give you the
place of honor"
AS he said this he took Miramon gen
tly by the arm and led him to the cen
ter cross. embracing him for the last
time.
Escobedo was not on the ground. An
aid-de-camp, however. brought permits.
sion for each Of the victims to deliver
a farewell address. The emperor spoke
briefly. Miramon drew from his pocket
a small piece Of paper and read.
When Miramon had ceased reading
Macmillan placed his hand on his
breast, threw up his head and cried In
singuariy calm and penetrating
voice, "Firep'
Eighteen muskets were discharged az
one musket. Mejia and Miramon died
instantly. -Four bullets struck the EN-
peror. three In the left and one in the
right breast. Three Of these bullets
passed entirely through his body, com
ing out high up on the left shoulder
the other remained embedded in the
right lung. The emperor fell a little
sideways and upon his right side, ex
claiming almost gently and sadly:
.'Oh, hombre. hombrel Oh. mani oh
mani"
He was not yet dead A soldier went
Up close to him and fred into bis
stomach. The emperor moved slightly
as IL still sensible to pain. Another
came ont of the firing party and, put
ting the muzzle Of his musket up close
to bis breast, shot him fairly through
the heart.
The tragedy was ended. Mexican
vengeance was satisfied: the soul o.
the unfortunate prince was with it
God. and until the judgment day ths
blood Of one who was too young ant
too gentle to die will cry out from tn,
ground even as the blood Of Abel.
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