The Spanish immediately ordered the entire crew to be put on trial as pirates. The entire "Virginius" crew, both American and British citizens, were found guilty by a court martial and were sentenced to death. The Spanish ignored the protest of American vice-consul, who attempted to give American citizens legal aid. On November 4, 1873, the four mercenaries who accompanied Capt. Fry were executed by firing squad without trial since he had already been condemned as a pirate. After the executions, the British vice-consul at Santiago, concerned that one of the mercenaries killed, George Washington Ryan, claimed British citizenship, wired Jamaica to receive aid from the British navy to stop further executions. Hearing news of the ship's capture and the executions, Altamont de Cordova, a Jamaican resident, was able to get British Commodore A.F.R. de Horsey to send the sloop under Sir Lambton Loraine, 11th Baronet to Santiago to stop further executions. On November 7, a further 37 crew members, including Captain Fry, were executed by firing squad. The Spanish soldiers decapitated them and trampled their bodies with horses. On November 8, twelve more crew members were executed until finally, HMS "Niobe" reached Santiago. The carnage stopped on the same day that Lorraine threatened local commander Juan N. Burriel that he would bombard Santiago if there were any more executions. A total of 53 were executed at Santiago under Burriel's authority.