Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 April 1896 — TORTURED IN CUBA. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

TORTURED IN CUBA.

HORROR ENACTED AT A PUBLIC EXECUTION. Dread Spanish Inquisition Days Snr- - pasted by the Garrote—Unfortunates Slowly Strangled i:o Death on the Scaffold —Agonizing Fate for Five. Work of Official Bnnglera. 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 »nd.irtCfcndiftriea’ , belongiag-to-Caya>abo,. 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 ehair with a I>ost behind it, an iron cbllar 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 mah confessed himself to be guilty of the crimes charged against him and asserted that his companions were innocent, the latter stoutly maintaining their jnnocence to the last. The man selected to be the first victim quietly ahd coolly mounted the steps leading to the chair and took his seat. The man acting executioner thten twistei} 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 lip 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 plifted over his mouth, he was hastily bundled into the deadly chair and in another moment the iron collar was around his neck. If the executioner was nervous upon the occasion of the first killing he was ten times more so upo'n- this occasion. The result was more slow, fearful strangulation and another horrible experience for the spectators.

By fills 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 Ncaffold and ' let another man take his place. Thereupon the acting executioner feverishly called upon the executioner-in-chief, Valentine lluiz, 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 nnd fumbled badly as he handled the third Cuban. But he succeeded in accomplishing the execution in shorter tinaeand with less horror than nia-.nggißtant.- Tbe fourth Cuban was then turned over to Ilniz. By this time Ruiz was shaking all over nnd he was much slower nnd considerably clumsier in sending the unhappy man out of the world. So much so thnt 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 extitwt. Horror Caused In Washington. The message from Havana giving the details of the killing of five prisoners by the garrote raised a cr-y of horror in Washington. Senor Divpuy do Lome, the Spanish minister, admitted that the men had been killed, but declared that the form of punishment was tho one prescribed by Spanish law. He said the men were negroes, and had been guilty of a most atrocious crime in hanging a merchant at Guira Helena and in killing a small boy at the same place. He said the details of the execution had been exaggerated to ■nit 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 We.vler in Cuba. They declare they have information indicating that •uch cruelties nre'practiced nearly every day in Cuba, and that they are so horrible as to be beyond comprehension. ~

HAREO’S EIGHTEEN-FOOT BOAT.