The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1881-07-22 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

EXECUTION OF TWO SPANIARDS.  A correspondent writes under date, Porto de Orotara, July :--" The execution of two Spaniards, Pedro Armes and Manuel Brito, for the murder of an Englishman, two and a hali)eare ago, took place on the 2nd of July in the Port of Omura, Teneritte, Canary Islands. The victim, Mr. Janice William Metric, was employed in au English house of business at Port Orotara, and was on very intimate terms with the two murderers, so much so that it is supposed he informed them that he tarried the keys of a safe in which was deposited a ..6, SUM of money. This excited their cupidity, and one evening they enticed the unfortunate man to an unfrequented spot a short distance from the town, and there, while quietly walking along together, one threw a handful of lime into his eyes, and after knocking him down with a heavy stick they both stabbed him. After taking, moons; other things, the keys of the safe, they eattitil his body into the cemetery, and, opening a tomb, threw in the body. Unfortunately for them, when replacing the stone that covered the tomb, they broke oft a small piece from the corner, and four days after wards a blind boy, who was attending a funeral, was attracted to the tomb by the strong smell of decomposition, and Morris's body was found. The money having been stolen front the safe, suspicion fell upon Pedro Armes and Manuel Brito, as both of them had a bad reputation, and were known to have been intimate friends f the murdered num. Conclusive evidence of ir guilt having been brought against them, they were arrested, tried, and sentenced to death. They wire then sent to prison to await a confirmation ei the sentence from Madrid, where they rem .I..ca two and a half years, during which time r coral petitions were presented to the authorities in order to procure the remission of the sentence; however, thanks to the untiring efforts of the English coneul at sante Cruz, the confirmation at length arrived, and the execution was fixed for the 2nd July. As soon as the day was liked, the murderers were urged to C 01110,19 their crime, but refused to make any statement until the eve of the execution, when they both admitted the murder, and also confessed to having committed several robberies, attempting to shoot a Spaniard, and twice setting tire te the judge's Louse. tin toe morning .1 the 110.1 of July a tire ii.anber of people from all pads of the island hrui collected at the scaffold, which had been viet.tr,i during the night on the very spot where the notruer wee committed. Three hours later, the prtronere lett the gaol in a small cart, accompanied by a priest holding a crucifix; they were both dressed in black gowns, with tali black huts. The elder of the two, Pedro Armes, appeared to be very roach affected, but his companion showed no si•rite of feeling whatever. They were to suffer death by ' garrotting.' Arrived at the ticatfuld, they were both led on to the platform, and seated side by rel.., each with his back ageing, the post to which toe instruments of death were fixed. There beins only one executioner, one man had to witness the other's death. Pedro Armes was the first to suffer, and ;ter wretched man himself aided the executioner re put the irons round his neck betore bemg boun.t. kie suffered considerably before dying, as the t tioner, being a very old num, had not sutne...a strength to renew the irons tight enough. The other prisoner died almost instantaneously. Their bodies remerued till sunset, wren they were taken down and buried ; but the scaffold still remains as a warning to all evil-deers."