THE VIRGINIUS MASSACRE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1160, 21 February 1874, Page 12

THE VIRGINIUS MASSACRE.

The New York Herald of December lltli publishes a detailed narrative of the horrible butohery on board the "Virginius, written by a correspondent on board the United States sloop of war Juauita, at Santiago. After giving details which have been already published in the English papers, he says that Governor Burriel treated Captain Fry's protestations as " chaff in the wind," aud that the execution of himself and crew was a foregone determination on Burriel's part. The day originally fixed was the Bth November; but on the morning of the 7th a telegram was received from Kingston, Jamaica, notifying the English Consul that H.JVI.S. Niobe would leave that port for Santiago the evening previous, and apprehensive lest, with characteristic pluck, her commander would interfere in the cause of humanity, the time of the execution was changed, so that instead of allowing the prisoners time for preparation until the morning fixed for the execution, they were hurried to their doom, marching in rows of four from the gaol. Almost the same heartrending scenes marked the brutal exhibition, which rendered its predecessor so sickening to behold. The manaoles from the thirty-seven men were xemoved, after which they were ordered to face the dead wall in a kneeling posture. This time the frightful task of shooting was entrusted to the sailors of the Tornado, who, to their credit be it said, at first declined the office. They were, however, finally compelled to perform the dreadrul duty assigned them, though I am told when the fatal shots were fired they averted their heads that they might not see the results of their ghastly work. Alfaro, aboxifc whom so nmch has been said, upon receiving tbe first wound injtheback, sprung from the ground, and, turning to his executioners, exclaimed in a tone of anguish, with hands uplifted, " Barharos, por quc no me mat (iron tie una vczl"- "Barbarians, why do you not kill me at once ?"— and, staggering back, lie fell upon the ground, dead. The sailors, who did their brutal work so reluctautly, took little or no aim, and in many instances several volleys were required to finislx the frightful job. The result can hardly be imagined. Human beings writhed in every posture, and the fearful cries of pain which rent the air sent a thrill all through the spellbound spectators. My pen cannot describe the havoc that was made, nor will I attempt to picture the scene, tho very recollection of which, caused my narrator to pause for breath. Was Burriel now appeased. Not at all, for the Niobe had not yet arrived, and, there being no appearance of her on the evening of the 7th, twelve more victims were ordered to the "slaughter-house" on the following morning. JPoor fellows, they were mostly Cubans by birth, and like the others, met their fato heroically. They spoke to those surrounding them iv cheerful tones, aud even whou pierced witli bullets shouted aloud " Cuba Libra," dying like martyrs. This was the last batch disposed of— in all fifty-three persons. As in the case of tho four first mentioned, tho bodies were carted off to the graveyard, where pits were dug, six corpses, clothes and all, being huddled together _iv every hole. I have good reason for believing that about as many more would have followed in their wake, nearly all having boon sentenced to death or tho chain-gang, but for tho timely arrival of the Niobe, whose commander promptly protested iv person against the execution of auy porsons taken from the Virginius, and claiming the protection of the British Government. I his chocked the appetites of the butchers, who, however, declined to give any information bearing upon the capture of the vessel or touching the nationality. Following this came a manly and dignified protest from Commodore Do Horsey, of tho English war steamer Danae, in which he emphatically donounoed the outrage in unqualified torms. Tho sequel of the homblo story is known. ____^__

Tie proportion of foreigners to Englishmen residing in London is known to be groat, but few people realise oven an approximato idea of it. There are of Germans, 60.000 ; French, 40,000 ; Italians, 2000 ; Asiatics, C 00 0; and several thousands of Norwegians, Swedes, and Dutch. Thus, we have over 110,000 foreigners among 3,350,000 people in the chief metropolis in the world. These facts wore Bet before the School Board by Mr T. B. Smithies last Wednesday,