Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1856-05-03
Dreadful Riot at Panama.

| Dreadful Riot at Panama.
A most terrible riot, in which fourteen Ameri
cans were killed, took place in the city of Panam;
on the evening of the 18th u|t. The Panama Sta
in its steamer edition. dated the 10Th, gives the fol
lowing account Of the origin and progress of thu
riot:
| On Tuesday afternoon, the 18th, the passenger
for San Francisco per steamer Illinois, from New
York. arrived at Panama, but owing to the state O
the tide they unfortunately not able to embark
Immediately, the steamer Taboga being unable tG
| leave the wharf until between S and O'Clock.
| As is usually the custom, the passengers availcd
themselves of the delay to procure refreshment and
all the hotels and eating houses in the neighborhood
of the station filled to excess whilst the ven
doris Of fruits, spirits refreshments &c, were all
busly engaged insupplyjng the demands made upon
them.
Everything went on quietly until about o'clock,
when, according to themOst reliable accounts, pas
senger, rather the worse for liquor, got into diff
Guilty with ofthese perpathetic traders drew his
| revolver and fired at him. The circumstance has
been variously stated; some assert that the negro
drew his knife first, otherwise provoked the quar-
rel. The crowd is usual under such circumstan-
ces Immediately sought safety in fight.
The man who fired the shot being seen shortly
afterwards in the bar-room Of the Ocean Hotel, an
indiscriminate attack was made upon the party as
sembled there. More shots were fired, knives and
machettes used, and gradually the ARRAY became
general.
All the negroes of the Cenega Playa Pneta and
the Arabal rushed for their arms and the passen-
gers retrcated to the hotels and to the depot and
storehouses of the Railroad Company.
In a few moments, the Pacific House was attacked,
broken open, and pllaged; the store Of Mr. Meal
aster suffered similar fate, aud the Ocean Hotel
was seriously damaged.
Mr. Theodore Saba, the secretary of Col Ward,
u. S. Consul, who was on the spot attending to the
delivery of the mails, Immediately rode up to town
to inform the consul who, without loss of time, pro-
ceeded to the spot. Iu the meantime, the Cover
nor, with the police, had arrived, and they took
up prominent position, shots were fired at them.
Mr. Saba was wounded in the thigh slightly, and a
also wounded; shot struck the Governors hat and
Col. Wards horse was seven times hit.
The depot, in the meantime, or, about this time,
was broken into by the natives; four or five persons
were shot and as many wounded, and Mr.. Center,
of the Il. R. Co., Mr. Corwine and Mr.. Knight, of
the p N. s. S. Co., had narrow escapes, the per-
sons standing next them having been killed. Mr..
Dubois, Frenchman, long resident on the 18TH
mus, who was in the depot, was shot at the door,
and Mr. Robert Marks, also an old resident here,
employed as a Waterman for the company, wasshot
as he defended the entrance gate of the station but
not BEFORE as it is sad he had killed two of his as
saiants.
Whilst this was going on, the few passengers in
the railroad depot who were armed having almost
expended their ammunition, could only return
stray shot to the volleys poured in upon them by
the police force the national (every man fighting for
HIMSELF and the armed populace of the suberbs and
city. The work Of plumber all the time went on,
the company's Office was rifed, and all the books,
papers, and furniture destroyed; trunks, carpetbags
express freight and packages were broken open and
their contents made away with, and the rails in some
places taken up, and the telegraph wires cut to pre-
vent communication with Aspinwall.
This butchery was kept up until o'clock, by
which time fourteen Americans were killed, twice as
many wounded, whilst, as far as we can learn, only
three natives were killed, and about dozen woun-
ded.
An attempt was made at various times to set fire
to the station and, at last the passengers fearing
they would be burnt to DEATH made sally from the
depot, in which many were fearfully wounded by
the knives and machettes of the natives, and the
night being clear and bright they with difficulty
escaped into the bush from their pursuers.
Theeuneral of Mr.. Dubois, who was shot at the
railroad station, took place yesterday morning.
The remains followed to their last resting place
BY the French and English Consuls, and nume-
rous body Of his countrymen and fellow-citizens.
On the same evening the remains Of Mr.. Marks |
we're also inferred, attended to foreign burial
ground by the United States Consul, majority of
The masonic fraternity Of this city, and alarge body
Of private friends.