Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-10-26
CONDEMNED men
FRET At DELAY
in EXECUTION
fcontinued from paA u

fContinued from pa1e IL ~.
Father Valentin, their eonfessor and
consider, arrived to minister the last
rites and consolation Of the Catholic
church. His presence acted soothing.
ly on them; they chung to him like
children; and as he passed from the
cell Of one doomed man to another the
eyes of Gabriel. Florencio and Garcio
the last at this time was unaware
that he had been reprieved-followed
him, anxiously, eagerly and appeal
ingly.
Having made their peace with their
God, and with the Sacred Host re-
received agitation and uncertainty
slipped from their minds and they
were ready to meet their Creator; not
only ready, but anxious and eager.
For be it known that once the Filipino
realizes he is caught in trap from
which there is no escape he becomes
resigned to his fate. Death then has
no terrors for him.
Thus it was with Gabriel and. Flor
encio. Having confessed and COM
muned they fretted over the interval
that must ensue before the hour set
for their execution arrived. But
Father Valentin petted and comforted
them and talked to them as father
might to his child, soothing their
wearied souls and calming their
troubled minds.
= His spirit of Christian docility sud-
denly became contagious; each of the
condemned trio gave themselves up
to a benign contemplation of their
last hour on earth; each extended to
the other words of encouragement, in
tepreted. by Father Valentin, one to
the other.
Fret At Delay
AS the minutes dragged by, it
seemed an eternity; the trio could not
fathom the reason for the delay; un-
aware of the fact that Garcia had con.
fessed another crime; unaware of the
fact that the machinery of the law
was at work to grant reprieve until
his story could be investigated, they
fretted because they could not have it
over with.
But at last the beginning of the end
came. At 9:35 Sheriff Jarrett de-
scended to the death row to read the
death warrant. Florencio came forth
first from his cell. In the narrow
corridor between the cells, with only
a slight shaft of light trickling through
a grated window, F1orencio with arms
folded across his breast, stood erect
and with Pickering eyes listened to
the words ITO be hanged until dead"
as they fell ominously from the lips |
of the sheriff. Steadfastly he retained |
his composure; only the regular flicker |
of the eyelash betrayed animation; /
not a muscle quivered; his lips re-
tanned their compression; only gasp |
Of relief marked the end Of suspense
as he was led back to his cell while
Gabriel was brought forth for repeti-
ton of this painful duty. Tie tears
shed by FlorenciS were ulnoticed by
Gabriel. With the same stolidity,
with the same Characterization of in
he stood with folded arms
during the monotonous humdrum OF
the reading of the warrant. Not a
sign of emotion did he betray.
With this duty over, prison guards
strapped the men tight. The funereal
march to the gallows was begun; ar.
irving in the sunlight both men
glanced upward and out before them
rs if to welcome the glorious bril-
fancy; their boosms swelled as they
inhaled the free air and upon their
aces the close observer might have
seen the spasmodic contraction of the
features that indicated what a strug-
gle was going on within-the over
ghelming thought Of tearing them
selves from the world of brightness
md sunshine; the thought that in an
,ther moment or two, all would be
lark and listless; that as they stepped
lpon the gallows, they would drop
nto the broad valley from which there
s no return-the thoughN of doom
vas stamped on their faces.
Not a moment was wasted. With ,
llacrity the prison officials entrusted
With the work OF execution, placed
he doomed men over the trap. ad.
listed the black cap and the moose.
Ind them without warning the trap
vas sprung and the two plunged to
Ieath.
Only the signing of the gentle breezes
,roke the deathless Stiffness that
eigned in the courtyard. For IS min.
ties the bodies swung to and fro with
low and then spasmodic muscular
ontraction to indicate the approach.
ng state of rigor mortis. The trap
Fas sprung at 1852; at 10:08h Flor
ncio was pronounced dead; minute
ater Gabriel's heart action had also