Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1856-05-24
Terrible Riot on the Isthmus,

ne express InullS %eTe uestfoNeu, u"i
portion Of the Panama railroad torn up. A
large amount Of property was plundered by
the natives. We give our readers the following
exciting relation from the Panama Star;
A fearful night IN Panama was the night o
Tuesday, the 18th of April. The yesper bells
had just sounded in the turrets Of the Cathe
dral, but instead of Ave Maria there arose W
in the calm moonlight air distant cries, ant
the sound of many feet rushing through the
streets. What could it be2 The church bel
outside the walls tolled the usual signal Of fire
but alas it was not fire. A dispute. we ar,
told, had taken place between an American
passenger and one Of the negro fruit sellers
near the railroad station. The dark raced
men rushed from every booth and hut, as n
the sound of tocsin bell, and congregating il
dense masses. AT the gates of the rairoat
station in Playa Pren, the shots increased
and the sound Of a multitude of angry voices
could be distinctly heard from within the walls
The American Consul rode past and the
Governor was unwiingly dragged to the
scene of hostility, to endeavor to prevent blood
shed. Tie predominant propensities of race
more inclined to steal than to labor, were
already excited to degree of fearful activity
From being. already gratifed by the successful
plundcr Of the hotel and storehouscs on the
spoti murder in such cases is never far off; and
the dead white men now lay about with fear.
ful gaping wounds made by the machete and
the knife. All reason was drowned out and
curses, gunshots, and blood were bringing a
simple quarrel to fearful crisis
The arrival of the police force, which was
called in by the railroad officers to restore ORDER
and protect the station and passengers, brought
d sense Of relief and of hope. But alas these
drilled and armed hirelngs of feeble govern
mcnt, to whom is supposed to be entrusted the
public peace and" safety; instead OF ranging
themselves on the side Of peace and Justice,
drew up amid their infuriated countrymeh and
race; and on pretence of repellhg some shot,
probably from some assaulted American father
Of family, within the station, colnttenced
fIe.fring at the sound of the bugle, riddIing
the railway officers with musket balls, killing
or wounding those who happened to be within
the women and children escaping from the
opposite side, from the oblique course of the
ball. All this time plumber and murder to a
fearful extent, was going on. The companys
store-rooms were broken into ard sacked--the
passengers trunks were cut open and rined, as
well as the pockets and bodies of the dead and
dying passengers. The fearful scene, like
conflagration, only stopped in the night when
there was no more that could be robbed
Next morning the writer of this went down
The scene was awful The streets approaching
the station, among the negro huts, wete strew.
ed with cut open trunks and heavy coils of
rope from the shores. The doors and tables of
the ticket office were smeared with blood, or
blackened and torn up by closely discharged
musli iets--the ball leaving track across the
boards, ere it buried itself, after having traver.
sed the body of the unfortunate, whose blood
lay coaguated on the floor. In the large
room, there lay twelve boxes, each containing
n dead man. The last was Just being nailed
up as entered, and he could not be distin-
guished from blood.
Where the heads ofthese poor fellows rested,
there were the pillows with pool Of blood
and brains in the centre. The agonies un-
speakabe, of death had passed, and now on a
cart, each one was taken to an unknown
grave.
Fathers, husbands brothers, midway be-
tween the country they had left and the coun-
try they sought, all had found bloody, un-
timely grave. Stunning the doubtful Near
aqua transit, the most of them were probably
enjoying the moonlight scene of the Bay of
Panama, with their families confdng in the
protection of a government which, at least, has
had little better name than that of Walkers.
when the row that terminated their lives
began.
Governm ent Action on the Panama Riot.
WAsH1NGyoN, May 2.--The government
will take prompt and efficient measures relatiye
to the late outrages committed at Panama,
A vessel OF war viii be sent j medIateIy
from the Atlantic coast 10 the scene of the
lnurderous transactions; and it is not mproba.
bic that commission will be also sent to
ascertain the real facts Of the affair.
The sloop of war St Mary's is supposed to
be at Panama by the present time.
Gen Quitman, in the House. Both April,
advocated repeal of the Neutrality laws
and the seizure of the lsthmus.
The State Gazette says: Col. Durham in
Al N