The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-08-23
TEE DANISH WEST INDIES.


~~~1~e--S--.->s-1~,~~o~
TIE EsEcssHon IA Tozsoia-Rsad To~ See ON
S,re ~ she H"sss gsass- It's Ca nsos . ad az
Tscss-IEsaAenSs ano MISREPRESENTATION az t,,s
Assh0f iasss--dsentrsl AsSvs, &C., So.
The Vanish steamer Bornquius, which arrived a.
this port on Sunday last. brought Us files Of st.
Thomas aurnsls dated down to tho 10th inst, with
fourteen days lacr inte!llssac from the Danish
West Indies. The news Is important.
From ths ST Tasmas Times AugustSl
We deferred giving nm account In our last of the
melancholy scenes which were then being enacted
in the neiehboling leland Of Tortola, Ia order 70
avoid the possibility Of placing before the public
misstatsnents which could easily have happened vt
. tGe when the nnds Of the unfortunate victims
who we're escaping from the hands Of the iucend ary
and tire murderer aud arriving hcrc must naturally
have been excited and agtated, end, az q conse
quence. matters may have appeared 70 them In .
more exaggerated form ID an was really the case.
cslmer Investigation Of the circumstances have not
however, modified the enOrmity Of guut which has,
In q few days, been perpetrated by the country
population OF Tortola on the inhabtanss Of Road
Town, N that island. But previously to our giving
description Of the fearful acts which were commit
ted in the toWn, 1t may be proper for TO audo TO
the CAUSES, however slender, which actuatcd tho
country people to give vent to their uncurbcd pas
soDs, and by their physical resources 70 commit
deeds which are revolving TO humanity, and opposed
toSthe laws Of God and man.
1t would appear that some time in she month Of
June last bill passed the Legislature OF that snd
increasing the tax on cattle twelve ceots head,
making the new tax thirty elk cents in place Of
tweEty-fOnr cents, which was the former tax. This
additional tax Is said TO have been laid in or ie
TO raee en- amount Of money to place in proper con-
dion the poorhoase, which was la o very dilapdst-
ed state. From the period the law was iac,ed the
country population continued to view 1t with bad
grace, aud were frequently heard to say that when
ever the tax came TO be paid they would resist it.
The first OF August was the day fixed for the pay
ment OF tie rural taxes of TorEola and on that y
(Mou0oy) number OF the country people went into
town. sno proceeded to the Treasury where they
tepoco0 toe original tax of one shilling sserilag.
which refused by the treasurer who az tue Same
time told ihcut that If they bad not the whole OF tho
tax trey had until the 10Th Of the month pay it,
and they could accordingly return bomc and devise
measures fer raising the deficit. II VIC are cor
rec.ly informed, nnd we have e1jeavored to gain
our information nom more sources tnan one the
refusal TO pay the tx did not arise 50 much from
inability es an Meditation 10 resist its payment;
and, therefore, the advice given them by the irea
receive, dstgsteiully. and great deal o!
Telever ensued, which not being to the point Of
eny copcern TO TIC Treasurer who had not made the
Law, he desired the people, in peremptory tone, to
leave liz occ, which they refused To do and tIo of
the meG appearing 70 him To have the most to say
and Behaving out OF al order, be sought to put them
cut OF his once, when they resisted aud struck him
several blows upon tbs he called ia two copstabies
who conveyed the two men before Justice Of the
Peace, emo he sentenced tcem to pay fine OF 81
steing each, or to 60 to jail for twenty days and
they reused 10 pay the fine they were taken 10
jail. fte whole body then repaired 10 Govern
mert House, and demsIded of the Executive the
immediate release OF the prisoners; to this demand
they were told TO petition, and il their cause was
just oLo the prisoners should be released. This
beng al unsatisfactory reply, they stated thst
they woa'd themselves proceed to the Jill and
rescue the prisoners, which threat they were not
long in carrying into execution they, therefore,
seized tic jailor, beat him unmercitul!y, forced
open the doors of the prison. and all tho prisoners,
among whom were some most abandoned clara 3ters,
left to 60 st large. The constabuary force in the
meantime repaired to tie vicinity of the JAIL and
finding tho amount OF aggression committed, set to
with their slaves, when most severe conflict ensued
In which both parties received severe INJURIES the
country people appearing to a small extent to have
given way, but stated that they would proceed to
tie country for reinforcement, and would return
and set FIRE to the town in every quarter. The
President. experimenting that much dagger was AZ
hand, addressed an official note TO Our Governor,
and despatched 1t with special messenger who
reached here on Tuesday at A. AZ, wherein he
asked for tho aid of come Of our military, and also
addressed . note to j. Il. Cameron, Esq Superin.
tendent Of Il. NJ. s. T. Company here, requesting
that steamer might be placed at the disposal Of
our government to convey the soldiers up. To
this request Mr.. Cameron promptly conplied, and
the steamer Conway was Immediately got ready
for the purpose; but unfortunately, Colonel Chad's
note net stating that the s,sud was in opea insur
reeton. delay until the morning after the receipt
Of the communication took place before sending the
soloiers-a delay which every human breast must
row dcplore, FIR the insure ctionisti did not com
mencc to fire the town until L. 81 en- Tuesday,
end the steamer and soldiery could have reached
there by Ill A. III. The Conway having to leave
that day with the Windw ard mails she could not AZ
tcTaaSds be made available, but tho Magdalena was
placed at the disposal Of the government. IL wss,
however thought that owing TO her immense size
the navigation among the keys wculd be ,Shat
difficult, aad sailing vessel was dispatched with
the troopep Road Town "a now mass Of ruins, and
81 Il -
whatever caste, is wspderer ia tho ne;g.boring
lalands. Saint Thomas, We are truly happy t. say
is an asylum for the lsrger portion o. them, where
we hope they may tind no reason 70 regret having
taken refuge.
it would be next to an impossibility for IA 10 at
tempt TO describe with concisenesa the events which
took place when the town was being Grcd-as tho
most conflicting and heart rendng staternents arc
country people deliberately brought in their bundles
Of straw; and after the first attempt OF resistance Of
fered them by the inhabitants of the town. when one
man was killed aad several severely wounded, they
commenced forcing the arsenal, OK place where the
government arms were kept which they soon
emptied, but as Providence would have 1t, neither
powder nor balls could be found there IL was then
evident that the rebels were in full possession and
her escape with ell possible speedin doing so, the
incidents are varied, painful aud dstressing--
many people arriving here manned aud cut up,
others With the bare suit on their backs, and some
ever manfuy and bravely refused to desert His post;
and even when matters grow 20 grave that Mrs.
Chads and daughters were In self preservation com
PEELED to ny, they beseeched the Colonel TO leave
inem, bot hts calm reply was. /" am soldier, and
intend to die one" The only other persons In au-
thority who remained in the town are Justices Had
dock and Prinalcthe former with his family having
taken refuge at governmenthouse. by Col. Chsds'
refusing the mob to leave government house, that
building was saved. Our soldiers, Numbering thirty
Elk mon, under the command Of Lieot- Rosenkrantz,
in tho Danah packet schooner General von sholten,
reached Tort0ia Mt about z. NJ, Oh Tucs1ay,
and on showing light, the same wa answered
by another light from gcvernmenthousc, and
Colonel Chads came down TO the beach, and told
them shat the insurrcctlonlsts having done their
work had retired 10 the country. The next morning
The troops landed with luggage, stores, &C., and
Rave taken up their position at the government
house and the school house staohedto the Episcopal
church. Ibe instructions 10 baron Roscukrantz
wero chat he should place himself under the com
nand OF tho Governor, should that fdnctionary be
still on The island the formers arrival there, but
he, Acc "a oft Nn