Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1881-07-23 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

EXEC UTION. OF.TWO SPANIARDS.  A correspondent writes under date, Porto de Orotara, July 7 :—"The execution of two Spaniards Pedro Armes and Manuel Brit°, for the murder of an Englishman two nod a half yeare ago, took place on the 2nd of July, in the Port of Orotara, Tess- . rifle, Canary Islands. It appears that the victim, Mr. James W. Morrie, was employed in an English. house of business at Port Orotara, and was on very. intimate terms with . the-tern-murderers, so meek-, so that it is eupposesi that he • informed them that he carried the keya of a safe in which was deposited a large suet of money. Thie excited their cupidity, and one evening they entieed the unfortun. ate man to an unfrequented spot • short distance from the town, near a cemetery, and there, while quietly walking together, one threw a handful of lime into hie eyes, and after knocking him down with a heavy stick they both stabbed him. After ransacking the body, taking, among other things, the keys of the safe, they carried his body into the cemetery, and, openiug a tomb, threw in the body Unfortunately for them, when replacing the stone that covered the tomb, they broke off a small piece from the corner, and four days afterwards • 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 beeu stolen from 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 of the murdered man. Strong and conclusive evidence of their guilt having been brought against them, they were arrested, tried, and eenteneed to death. They were then cent to prison to await • confirmation of the sentence from Madrid, where they remained two and a half years during which time several petitions were presented to the authorities in order to procure the remission of the sentence; however, thanks to the untiring efforts of the English Consul at Santa Cruz. the confirmation at length arrived, and the execution was fixed for the 2nd July. Is soon ai the date was fixed the murderers were urged to confess their crime, but refused to make any etatement until the eve of the execution, when they both admitted tne murder, and also cunfeesed having committed several robberies, attempting to shoot a Spaniard, and twice settiog fire to the judge's house. On the morning of the 2nd of July • large number of people from all parts of the island had collected at the scaffold, which had been erected ' during the night on the very spot where the murder was committed. Three hours later the prisoners left the gaol in a mall cart. acoomeauied be a priest holding • crucifix ; they were both dressed in black gowus, with tall black hats. Toe elder of the two, Pedro Armes, appeared to be very much affected, but his companion showed no signs of feeling whatever. They were to suffer death by "garrotting," and to die facing the cemetery. I Arrived at the scoffed, they were both led on to the platform and seated aide by side, each with his back against the post to whica the instruments of death were fixed. There being only one executioaer one man had to witness tee other's death. Pedro Armes was the first to suffer, and the wretched man himself sided the executioner to put the irons round his neck before being bound. He suffered oonsideraldy before dying, as the executioner being a very old main had not static:lout strength to screw the irons tight enough. The other prisoner died almost instantaneously. Their bodies remained till casket, when they were taken down and buried but the scaffild still remains as a warning to all evil-doers."  Mu. fluGe MesoN, M.P