Spain and Morocco.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 30, 3 February 1894, Page 1 (Supplement)

Spain and Morocco.

Coubt-Martial at Melilla.

A Regiment of Spanish Convicts.

AN EXTRAORDINARY STORY,

A Reuters telegram from Madrid, dated December 3rd, says :—Tbe latest mail advices, from Melilla contain details of an episode of the campaign presenting features of remarkable interest.

On the Ist instant, a convict, named Jose Ferreu Riera, was shot by order of Marshal Martinez Campos, after having been condemned to death by a courtmartial, and it is this event which forms the culminating point of a series of remarkable incidents.

Prior to the appointment of Marshal Campos to the command, and during the time that the Moors were beleaguering the Spanish forts, a man named Ariza, who had been living: in retirement at Barcelona, came over to Africa and odered his services to General Maciae. He had seen a great deal of rough guerilla campaigning in Cuba, where he had attained to the rank of captain, and while serving there he had made tho acquaintance of the General, to whom he reintroduced himself.

His proposition was that he should, organise a guerilla band prepared to tight the Moors in their own wild fashion, and to save the regular troops from engaging in a kind of warfare for which they were nob over well fitted.

Captain Ariza proposed to pick his men from the large body of convicts who had come to Melilla from various Spanish prisons at their own request, in the hope of securing a commutation of their sentences should they distinguish themselves iv the operations against the Moors. These men, many of whom had received life sentences, were indifferent to danger, and ready to brave any peril on the chance of obtaining their freedom at the end of the campaign.

General Macias gave Ariza permission to recruit his guerilla regiment from these men, and it is said that tbo captain took pains to Belecb those who had been convicted of crime? of violence. Armed with Manser rifles and the Spanish daggers called ' navajas,' they wore speedily drilled and disciplined by their hardy commander, who, when their brief term of training was over, reviewed his regiment, and delivered a short address to them.

Handling his revolver and dirk, he told his men plainly that any one of them who turned his back on the foe or disobeyed orders would meet instant death at his hands.

On the following day, before daybreak and in dead silence, Ariza led his troops for tho first) time against the Moors, and by clever tactics drew the enemy under the h're of the forts, which did great execution. This was followed by many other successes, and Ariza's band proved an excellent auxiliary to the regulars. It is officially recorded that at this time people in Melilla slept tranquilly, knowing that Captain Ariza and his so-called ' Black Watch' of desperate criminals were on the gui vive?- ready to deal with any of the daring Riffmon who had previously made raids at night up to tha very walls of the fortress.

At length an incident occurred which led to the disbanding of this strange troop. One night a petrol of Ariza'a band caught a Moor in Spanish territory, and before the captain hoard of the capture cut off the man's ears with a navaja. It turned out, however, that he was a spy in the pay of the Spaniards, duly provided with a Bafe conduct, and when he reached the fort his outcry against the outrage to which he had been subjected produced a great effect. He could never return, he said, to his country, for the very women would ask him-where were tis..ears that had heard news in his own country which h<s hfid carried to the enemies of his people. tie bad abandoned a country where the inhabitants mutilated the dead, and was now among a people who mutilated tho living. When Marshal Campos heard of tho affair he ordered a court-martial to be held on Ariza's band.

The Moor, whose name was Amadi, was called upon to point out tho man who had cropped his ears. He first of all identified a convict named Sevilla, but another member of tho band, Jose Ferrou Ri9ra, came forward and confessed that he had done it.

It, thon transpired that Jose had some time before escaped into Moorish territory and taken roFujro at the house of Amadi, who had, however, given him up to the Spanish authorities. Jose swore that if ever he met Amadi again he would cut off hia ears, and he had kept hie word.

The court-martial pronounced sentence of death on Jose Forreu for treason under Article 138 of the Military Code, which recites that ' They commit treason who hinder newa reaching the General of interest to the Spanißh army.' Ferreu heard the eontence unmoved.

The following is an account of the subsequent events, written by an eye-witness :— Ferreu was placed for four hours in the chapel to prepare for death. Father Sake, one of the canons of the cathedral of Toledo, who happened to bo in Melilla distributing money among the sick and wounded on behalf of Cardinal Moneecillo, did not abandon Ferreu for a moment, but, along with the chaplain of the place, afforded the condemned man all the consolations of roligion.

Canon Salaß, the Marquis de Castrillo, the Carlist representative, all the ladies of the place, representatives of the Press, and everybody except military men—who dared not interfere—called on the Marshal begging that the life of this poor unfortunate Spaniard should bo spared. Bub Marshal Campos, although feeling &9 keenly as the rost the Bad duty imposed on the members of the court-martial, replied to all—' This offence cannot be pardoned. Discipline must be preserved. We are a civilized nation, and must not imitate the savage acts of barbarianß.'

The morning of December 1 dawned brightly, and only a few lingering clouds capped the heights of Gurugu. when at 8 a.m. we started towards Fort Camellos, near which the crime had been committed, and whore Ferreu was to be shot. The chaplain had remained- with him from first to last.

About 10 a.m. a company of soldiers emerged from the fortress, guarding a carriage in which Ferreu, accompaniod by the chaplain, was taken towards the Fort Camellos.

On arrival there the two occupants descended from the carriage, and walked bobween the lines of the soldiers to the centre of a small esplanade, stretching from the wall of the fort, looking towards the sea. We were clobo to Ferreu when he gob down from the carriage, and could detect no signs of fear or emotion on his calm and intelligent face. We hoard the word of command passed to the troops, and saw them form the square. Tho officer in command read the sentence, which Ferreu heard unmoved. Tho chaplain embraced Ferreu for tho lasb time and withdrew. Four soldiers, who had been drawn by lot—for none had volunteered—moved out of the ranks with an officer at their head, .and took their stand opposite Ferrea. We could hear tho click of the Mansers as they were loaded. Ferrou was kneeling on the ground, probably in prayer. Although I scarcely wished to continue looking on I could nob withdraw my eyes. 1 heard the officer say ' Fire,'and the fipure of Ferreu fell face towards the earth. The four shots, ab only twenty yarda distance, had all hit. Three bullets had penetrated the head, and the fourth had gone through his body and perforated the heart. The military surgeon approached the bQdy, and certified that) lifo waß extinct;, I

Captain Ariza's band waa afterwards broken up, and the convicts were Bent back to their chains.

Ferreu's career had been a remarkable one. At twenty he was sentenced to penal servitude for life for killing the Mayor of his native town during an election, but he escaped and joined the Carlists. He waa one of the defenders of the fortress of La Sco de Urgel, when ib was stormed by Martinez Campos on August 27, 1875. la this action he sustained three severe wounds. It happened that General Campos saw him, and, admiring the fortitude with which he bore his suffering, gave him twenty pesetas, and ordered bim to be well tended, remarking that a man of such courage deserved to be taken care of.