Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-10-26
CONDEMNED MEN
FRET AT DELAY
IN EXECUTION

NSSAASNAASSS
Father vaientin, their confesF pr and
CONSIDER, arrived TO minister. The last
rites and consolation of the Catholic
church. His presence acted Soothing.
~ on them; they chung to him like
children; and as he passed from the
cell Of one doomed man to an other the
eyes Of Gabriel. Florencio Q MI CARGO
the last at this time va q unaware
that he had been reprieye followed
him. anxiously, eagerly md appeal.
ingly. ..:#- st..
Having made their pea6ie with their
God, and with the Sacr co Host re-
received agitation and | uncertainty
slipped from their min, Is and they
were ready to meet the r Creator; not
only ready, but ankle Qs and eager.
For be 1t known that o. See the Filipino
realizes he Is caught IN q trap from
which there Is no csc Epe he becomes
resigned to his fate. Death then has
no terrors for him.
Thus 1t was with G albriel and Flor.
encio. Having confe IS ed and com.
muned they fretted fovtlr the interval
that must ensue befbrt the hour set
for their execution arrived. But
Father Valentin pc thsd and comforted
them and talked To them as q father
might to his CT dltI, soothing their
wearied souls ilni calming their
troubled minds. -
His spirit Of Chr istian docility sud.
denly became contagious: each Of the
condemned trio. rave themselves up
to benign con temptation Of their
last hour on eslrtli: each extended to
the other worSfs Of encouragement, in.
terpreted by Father valentin, one to
the other. T.. f.
Fret AZ DeIly IL,
As the mint ties dragged by, It
seemed an etern lty; the trio could not
fathom the 1ae-son for the delay; un.
aware OF the act that Garcia had con-
fessed anothel. crime; unaware Of the
fact that the machinery Of the Law,
was at work 10 grant reprieye until
his story CO uId be investigated, they
fretted bea use they could not have Il
over with. \
But at Ia st the beginning Of the end
came. At 1885 Sheriff Jarrett de-
scended IT, the death row to read the
death WARRANT. F1orencio came forth
first from. his cell In the narrow
corridfr f3etween the cells, with only
q slight s. haft of light trickling through
q grated window, F1orencio with arms
folded g. cross his breast, stood erect
and wit b pickering eyes listened to
the wpr. as 'to be hanged until dead, J"
as they. fell .ominously from the lips
Of tile sheriff. Steadfastly he retained
his CO. mposure; only the regular flicker
~ ., - avalae1, hafpavod anfu1 ffryN
not. u muscle quiyered; his lips re-
tame d their compression; only gasp
of fslief marked the end Of suspense
IS lae was led back to his cell while
Sal mel was brought forth for repeti. |
tioil of this painful duty. The tears
sbs1d by Fiorencio were unnoticed byi
g hbriel. With the same stolidity,
" ith the same Characterization Of IN, |
d ifference, he stood with folded arms
d uring the monotonous humdrum Of |
u he reading Of the warrant. Not . |
-Trlgn Of emotion did he betray
| With this duty over, prison guards |
istrapped the men tight. The funereal |
Imarch to the gallows was begun; ar.
4 irving In the sunlight both men
glanced upward and out before them |
/ as II to welcome the glorious bril-. |
i liancy; their boosms swelled as they |
i inhaled the free air and upon their |
i faces the close observer might have |
seen the spasmodic contraction. Of the |
features that Indicated what .strug- |
gle was going on within-the over.
whelming thought Of tearing them.
selves from the world Of brightness |
and sunshine; the thought that In an.
other moment or two, all would be
dark and listless; that 90 they stepped
upon the gallows, they would drop |
into the broad valley from which there
Is no return-the thought Of doom /
was stamped on their faces.
Not moment was wasted. with
alacrity the prison officials entrusted /
with the work Of execution, placed
the doomed men over the trap. ad.
justed the black cap and the moose.
And then without warning the trap
was sprung and the two plunged to
death.
Only the signing of the gentle breeyes
broke the deathless stiffness that
reigned In the courtyard. For Is min
utes the bodies swung to and fro with
now and then q spasmodic muscular /
contraction to indicate the approach.
ing state Of rigor morris. The trap
was sprung at $3.50; ct 10:0Sh Flor.
encio was pronounced dead; minute
later Gabriels heart action had also
ceased.