Shocking Scene in Chili

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 30, 8 September 1891, Page 4

Shocking Scene in Chili

PjKISONEES TOETUEED AND SHOT. The full details of the shooting of the officers aud crew of the Government torpedo launch Grirlda, at iSautiugo, by orders of Pjesideutßalinaceda, me now made public. It appears the meu thus executed -.were in charge of the lauuch in Valparaiso Bay, when one night the commander prop -Bed 10 the crew that they should de.-ert to rhe Constitutional party. All acqui•esed except one man. This man at once notified the authorities, who s : nt the Lyu'ch in pursuit of the deserting j launch.' The Government vest-el captured her with her officers and crew, who were put in irons and conveyed to Santiago for execution. On the 'night 'of May 29th those who desired to confess did so, a table being furnished,, upon, which stood a silver crucifix between two candles. Nearly ail the night through the solemn ceremony of prayer 'continued, but it was scarcely daybreak when the shrill notes of the bugle were beard, ft.x •compauies ,pf,inf antry were drawn up in line" ln "the prison yaTd, and a moment after the notes of the bug c died, away an officer ascended the -gaol steps to the Capella, and handed . "to the officer on guard the sentence upon the ..accused and the order of -execution jf the prisoners were brought out, each being placed between two -soldiers. There was not a soul in the -streets as the mournful body marched -to the Plaza selected for the final -death -scene. Arriving there the troops a hollow square, a •-company - 'of-i sharpshooter? being placed. in! apdsitiou, facing the condemned. The hullow square opened -out, and the commander of the troop ..gaye t fl le. order to aim; then to fire a -close volley. -There were thirty puffs of smokejca sharp rattle; of musketry, *nd the twelve unfortunate sailors lay in a heap upon the stones of the Plaza dead. But death' was the least ■•of the' punishments upon these ua- : fortunate 'men. When brought to ' Sautiago they .were tortured one by ; one, and kept without food or water -vfor two, .or three days at a time. The cells theyrslept in at night reeked with filth and vermin, and on the day they were executed the condemned men were co weak that they had to be assisted'to.ithe place of execution, or they would' have fallen. If a citizen "dares to .publicly express an opinion -against the i 'resident, he his certain to be arrested, as the Government spies haunt every cafe and public Tesort. .Prominence has been given to the v case of Julio Toro, who had lived peaceably in Santiago with his wife and daughter ever since the rebellion broke out, until one night a «ergea'nt and twelve soldiers called at 'tis house and ordered him to follow "them. -..He was taken to the gaol aud locked up, no reason being givs n : for his arrest, and ia the morning he was taken before the governor of the ■ prison and questioned in regard to a refugee named Juan Boza, one of the ■ insurgent chiefs. As Toro protr sted that he knew nothing about them he was taken into the gaol yard, tied to a post, and whipped for over an hour, the tprtur ; e being stopped only because he was about to faint from the loss of; blood. He was delirious for two days, and upon recovering his Teason the questions with regard to Boza were.-repeated, and he replied as before that he knew nothing about him. ..-Again he ; w.as taken out and whipped till his body was a mass of bruised flesh. Eepeatedly he was questioned about the refugee ; but as he really knew nothing about him he could *aoT nothing to save himself, until at length ~he died from his injuries. In the ,' meantime his wife and -daughter^ nearly crazed with grief, -came jto the gaol to ask for information, and were assaulted by the lhalf-drunkßn guard, and kicked into the street. A passer-by, believe! to be an English officer, took the part of the woman, and a fight ensued, in which the two, guards were seriously hurt. The soldiers were about to fire upon the Englishman, when the commandring officer came out. The stranger explained who he was, and gave his accoun£ of the affair. The official said tKe women only deserved their treatment, whereupon the Englishman replied in a temper, shaking his fist atf.the official : " When we get at you cu^s we won't leave one of you to tell tKe story." Wbmen are daily imprisoned with nothing to wear and little to eat, and are subjected to the rude "assaults of the soldiers.—Exchange.