The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-14

of the plaza dawdled about picking up scraps of paper. and altogether the scene was one of peaceful quiet.
 We walked up to the barracks. a large one-story abode building in the rear of the cathedral Besides being the bar racks, all the municipal offices are located ir this building Like every other building in the town. it is literally punetnred with bullet holes. We showed our pass to tho guard and were led to room off the main courtyard. The inevitable paintings of Juarez and Hidslgo hung an the walls, flanking a vilely executed painting of the national coat of arms.
 Seon a second captain. whose rank about corresponds to that or a first lieutenat iil the United States army. came into the room and the three of us walked out into the courtyard. Lined up at one side of the inclosure was a dozen federal soldiers and two buglers. We waited a short time and presently a iron-bound door opened at the south end of the yard and between two guards Juan and Ransom stepped out. The captain gave an order and the soldiers fell into double file the prisoners in the center. At the second command the little procession started for the door and we fell in behind.
 We passed up back street and headed for the eastern edge of the town. The bells in the church were still ringing and the caretaker at the plaza gave us an un- interested glance as we marched past.
 As we went l took a good look at the condemned men. Each wore the faded blue shirt and dirty khaki trousers gen. erally worn by the peon class. Cheap sandals were on their feet. Neither wore a hat. Juan, the younger, was probably 25: The other, Ramon, was about 40.
 There was nothing dramatic In their appearance There was nothing of the marching straight and defiant to their doom. Both shanibled along, their eyes on the ground, and showing not the slight est emotion. They might have been going to mass. to the bullfight, for a walk their expression, of stolid lack of in- terest would have been the same
 No one spoke and we marched along steadily for about half mile. The build ings were becoming more scattered. In the early light we could see the big 12- story Mills building in Fl Paso looming up
 The procession halted at a dilapidated abode wall that surrounded. a Chinese truck garden. Two rough board collins leaned against the wall A woman in a rusty black dress was waiting. She was Juan's wife I afterward learned.
 Two of the soldiers escorted the pris- oners to the wall. Their hands were placed at their sides and they were bound, the rope being wound about them breast high. The woman was ordered away and she shambled off short distance, nut terins. There was no snap or military precision about any of the movements. The whole thing was done in a slpshod way, the captain pointing to the point where he wanted the men stood, where he wanted the firing squad to stand and the position of the collins. The firing squad was lined up about 20 feet from the con demned men.
 The captain fumbled in his pockets and looked little annoyed He began going through his pockets again and finally drew out folded sheet of paper from his back pocket. The soldiers looked on with no apparent interest; the prisoners kept their eyes on the ground Is the cap tain read the charge. It was something about plotting against the government of Mexico, the usual thing, my friends told me. The men were asked if they had anything to say Neither made any re- ply, or in fact seemed to pay any atten- ton.
 The captain stepped back on line with the firing squad and one of the soldiers stepped forward and tied brightly checkered piece of cotton rag about Ra mond's head. He moved over to Juan to
 
 head and mumbed something. There was nothing dramatic about the action; it seemed one more of petulence. The sol cier stepped back into line.
 Prepare" commanded the captain
 The guns were raised. Juan looked sullenly str&ight into the muzle; Ramon slightly turned and covered against the wall I heard the woman sobbing.
 "F'ire!' came the command.
 There was a ragged valley the Ia sf rJfIa barking as the first ones were being low cred. had kept my eyes on the prison CTS.
 At the first report Juan jumped on tip- toe and wrenched his arms, nearly freeing them. He fell forward on his side.
 Ramon sagged to his knees, swayed a moment and then slid forward on his face. The woman had turned her back to the sight and covered against the wall, holding a little wooden rosary and nut tering The firing squad looked on stolid- ly. In three years of newspaper work in western mining towns where strikes were hardly classified as general pastimes I have seen many wounded men and some dead ones. One gets used to the sight. but as Ramon finally slipped forward on his face I became faint Two strong, healthy men in a moment turned into huddled, inert masses Is not a pleasant sight to witness
 The firing squad had brought their guns to the order and the captain stepped forward. at the same time drawing his revolver to administer the trio de gra- c1as, the act of thanks. He placed the head of the revolver at the head of Ra- man and fired, and then stepped to the body of Juan and repeated the action l do not know whether the two were dead before this, but I think they were
 The bodies were placed side by side. face upward. And then the strangast part of the whole afftir took place.
 The firing squad. the two buglers in front, were formed in single file. The first man stepped forward a pace and stood beside the bodies. Pointing at them with his right hand he said:
 The fate of traitors
 He passed on. and the next man stepped to the bodies, pointed, and repeated the sentence This was continued until each of the men had performed the act I kept my eyes on their faces to see the effect that the ceremony would have Hardly sign of emotion was shown. One slightly turned his head away another faltered in repeating the sentence and others showed rot the slightest interest For any sign of emotion they might have been pointing to a wall and repeating, These are bricks"
 Whether the lesson that was dern- onstrated for them had been learned, had even sunk in there is no way of telling. For my part. think the whole affair was merely an uninteresting incident in their military life to them
 The ceremony over. the two corpses were laid in the collins and one guard left with them. The men formed in dou- ble file, the buglers struck up a lively tune. and we swung along back to the barracks. Two traitors had died: the hon.