Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 April 1896 — TORTURED IN CUBA. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

TORTURED IN CUBA.

HORROR ENACTED AT A PUBLIC EXECUTION. Dread Spanish Inquisition Days Surpassed by the Garrote—Unfortunates Slowly Strangled to Death on the Scaffold—Agonizing Fate for Five. Work of Official Bunglers. A startling exhibition of bungling in the execution by the garrote of five Cuban prisoners took place at Havana. The men, classed as “murderers, violators and incendiaries” belonging to Cayajabo, were recently sentenced to be garroted, and at 7 o'clock Tuesday morning a strong force of infantry was drawn up in the form of a square around the spot where the garrote had been erected. The instrument of execution, a chair with a post behind it, an iron collar and screw behind it, which when turned strangles or breaks the neck of the victim, was set up by the famous executioner, Valentine Ruiz, who, for some reason not fully explained, acted upon this occasion as the assistant to his own assistant instead of as the principal executioner. The five prisoners in their dungeons received the ministrations of the priests. One man confessed himself to be guilty of the crimes charged against him and asserted that his companions were innocent, the latter stoutly maintaining their innocence to the last. The man selected to be the first victim quietly and coolly mouuted the steps leading to the chair and took his seat. The man acting as executioner then twisted the lever or screw handle controlling the garrote, but he was evidently nervous, and this rendered him so weak that his hands slipped repeatedly from the lever. There were horrible, smothering, choking cries from the scaffold, and it was only after a long period of agony for the condemned man and almost torture for the spectators that the Cuban was pronounced dead. But this was only a beginning of the terrible performance. The second victim was brought to the front and led up the steps to the scaffold by the priests and assistant executioner. Upon reaching the platform the unfortunate man made an effort to say something to the people surrounding him, but the executioner’s hand was placed over his mouth, he was hastily bundled into the deadly chair and in another moment the iron collar was around his neck. If the execu nervous upon the occasion of the first killing he was ten times more so upon this occasion. The result was more slow, fearful strangulation and another horrible experience ffbr the spectators.

By this time the prison officials, the priests and officers in command of the troops had endured so much that they openly denounced the acting executioner and called upon him to get down from the scaffold and let another man take his place. Thereupon the acting executioner feverishly called upon the executioner-in-chief, Valentine Ruiz, who from long experience is looked upon as being an expert in his line. Ruiz, however, was almost as nervous and excited as his assistant and fumbled badly as he handled the third Cuban. But he succeeded in accomplishing the execution in shorter time and with less horror than his assistant. The fourth Cuban was then turned over to Ruiz. By this time Ruiz was shaking all over and he was much slower and considerably clumsier in sending the unhappy man out of the world. So much so that there was renewed murmuring at the official incapacity and Ruiz stumbled away from the death post, insisting in choking tones that his assistant must finish the day’s work. Consequently the assistant executioner again tried his hand at the terrible screw and was as unlucky as before, for there was another scene of horror which nearly caused strong men to faint before the fifth Cuban’s life was pronounced extinct. Horror Caused in Waehinuton. The message from Havana giving the details of the killing of five prisoners by the garrote raised a cry of horror in Washington. Senor Dupuy de Lome, the Spanish minister, admitted that the men had been killed, but declared that the form of punishment was the one prescribed by Spanish laVv. He said the men were negroes, and had been guilty of a jnost atrocious crime in hanging a menthant at Guira Molena and in killing a small boy at the same place. He said the details of the execution had been exaggerated to suit the Cuban sentiment in the United States. The reports to the Cubans in Washington declare that the horrible execution of the five men at Havana is but a sample of the atrocious cruelties of Captain General Weyler in Cuba. They declare they have information indicating that such cruelties are practiced nearly every day in Cuba, and that they are so horrible as to be beyond comprehension.

HARBO’S EIGHTEEN-FOOT BOAT.