SICKENING SCENES AT AN EXECUTION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10127, 9 May 1896, Page 2 (Supplement)

SICKENING SCENES AT AN EXECUTION.

FIVE REBELS GARROTED IN CUBA.

ALL TORTURED TO DEATH.

Havana, March 31,—A horrifying exhibition of bungling in an execution by the garrote of five Cuban prisoners took place to-day. Five Cubans, classed as "murderers, violators, and incendiaries," belonging to Cayajabo, were recently sentenced to be garroted, and at seven o'clock this morning a strong force of infantry was drawn up in front of the squave around the spot whore the garrote had been erected. The instrument of execution, a chair with a post behind it, which, when burned, strangles or breaks the neck of the victim, was seb up by tho famous execntioner, Valentine Ruiz, who, for some reason not fully explained, acted upon this occasion as assistant to his own assistant, instead of as the actual executioner, The man solected to be the first victim of the strangling machine quietly and coolly mounted the steps leading to the death chair, took his seat in an unconcerned manner, and actually seomod to smile as tho deadly, sheet-like cap was placed over his head after the iron collar had been adjusted. Tho man acting as executioner then violently and nervously twisted the lever or sorew handle behind the part of the post opposite tho neck of tho prisoner and corresponding with the iron collar. But the acting-executioner was evidently terribly nervous, and this rendered him so weak that his hands slipped repeatedly from the lover. 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. The executioners, priests, soldiers, and prison officials present turned their heads away in horror ami grow deadly pale as the stifled sounds emanated from the sufferer.

But this was only tho beginning of a terrible performance. The second victim was brought to tho 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 tho people surrounding him, but tho executioner's hand was placed over his mouth, he was hastily bundled into the deadly chair, and in another moment tho iron collar was around his neck, tho cap was drawn over his faco, and tho first burns of the lover had been given. If the executioner was nervous upon the occasion of tho first killing, he was ten times more so upon this occasion. He fumbled and fumed, alternately turning to death-liko whiteness and flushing crimson with excitement. The result was a more slow, fearful strangulation and another horrible experience for tho spectators.

By this time tho prison officials, 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 hi- place. Thereupon tho acting - executioner feverishly called upon the executionei'-in-ehief, Valentine Ruiz, who, from long experience, is looked upon as being tho greatest of exports in his lino of business to come and help him out of his difficulty, Ruiz, however, strange to rotate, was almost as nervous as his assistant, and fumbled badly as ho handled the third Cuban. But Ruiz, succeeded in accomplishing tho execution in shorter time, to the great relief of everybody. The fourth Cuban was then turned ovor to Ruiz for strangulation. 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 his official incapacity, and Ruiz stumbled away from tho death-post, insisting, in choking tones, that his assistant must finish the day's work. Consequently the assistant executioner again tried his hand at tho terrible screw, and was 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,