American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1856-05-17
NEWS DEPARTMENT..
MASSACRE ofAMERisANs Al PANAMA
ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.

i Tribune gives full account I'll the mas
sacec. OF tho twenty fivo Americans on
tho lsthmus. lilo soy,.s ~ T0,a s.
4 On the afternooa ofthai day. the Pes.
sengers per s,eamer Illinois. arrived at
4 The Railroad Dspta al Panama. on their
4 way 10 she steamer y T., Stephens. but
owing to tho low tide they wero detain.
on shore. A portion Of tho passengers
/ by rCostez, from Sam Francisco were
lalso stor ping at the sevsrtl hotels in
the vicinity OF the depot. There could
no, have been less than 1000 or LOO A..
meticans congregsted about the railroad
terminus. About, sunset a difficulty ,oc-
CURED between one OF the Illinois pas
sengers and one of the negroes which
was freely joined by fristiils on both
Esides, and a general row commehced
Pistols, bowie knives, swords rnuskets,
clubs, and rocks, wore used with deadly
effect. The Americans were generally
unarmed, having onlya few small re-
yolvers, and consequently, after a short
struggle, had to yield the ground. The
natives were reinforced by largo mum.
bels. They now made an attack upon
the different hotels,and drove all the in
mates out, many Of whom sought safety
as they supposed. in the depot building.
About this time the Police "a cd save
the term was called in requisition;
but instead of attempting TO restore or.
der, it is positively known that a por.
ton of them joined the negroes and
made the assault upon the depot. The
police and negroes fired upon the crowd
and drove every man, woman and child,
from the building. who in their fright
ran in every directioD-.some To the boats
and others to the thick brush and woods
where they remained duiing the night,
and with tho expectation of being muir.
dered when daylight appeared. A
] large number were fortunate enough 10
get on board of the small steamer, and
were conveyed tn the j. L. Stephens.
/ After the natives had accomplished their
work of death, and dispersed all from
The ground, they commenced plundering
the baggage, and destroying, every thing
To be found in the hotels. q The passen.
gers. in their sudden flight, left and lost
+, every hing After plundering all to
1 ba found in the hotels tho black mob
attacked the depot building which con-
4 tanned large amount of luggage and
i treasure, all of which the rascals obtain.
ed. They then commenced to tear up
tho Railroad track, and to pull down
the telegraph poles, and destroyed both
Railroad and Telegraph offices. They
were aware that the express goods would
DO brought over from Aspinwall that
night, and had laid their plans tooseize
them. They tore up The lrackjh DE vi.
entity of the depot, in orderahatss& en-
CINE might run off; but ihroughtm ex-
ertions Of Mr.. Williams, conductor on
tho road, the tain was stopped by his
signals before reaching the fatal point,
and tho lives of those on board and the
goods were saved, aud the train pot
back to Aspinwall, where it remained at
tho time the Philadelphia sailed.
/ have no means Of knowing the num-
Der killed and wounded. There were
twenty Americans found dead i'm.
mediately around the depot in the morn
Hing, most ofwhom were passengers from
the Cortez, but this number 10 probably
not half that were murdered. OF the
number ofna,ives killed but little could
be ascertained but few, comparative
ly, think we're slain.
|. During the night some scattering A.
mericans were picked up from time to
time by the police, and escorted to the
gates of the city. but with the requisi.
ton Of from SIS, to $50 each for so doing
and several instances they were robbed
Of all money, watches and other effects
found upon their persons, and their lives
threatened in case OF resistance.
Soon after the commencement oehos-
tiliIies. the Governor Of Panama and
the AmelicanC Consul were on the ground
but their exerrions to quiet the riot pro-
we'd Intellectual. 1t is reported by some
of our passengers that The Governor in
the first instance, tried to restore order,
/ but afterwards encouraged the murder
and plumber. My slight acquaintance
with Gov. Deas forbids me from giving
any credence to the latter report.
/ The spanish portion ofthe inhabitants
Of Panama were much frightened. Ev-
cry house and place of business was in.
stan,y closed and barred, and but few
ven,ured out upon the balconies during
the night The hotels in the city were
closed and guarded until morning.
or the amount of money and othor of.
fects lost by the PASSENGERS | can give but
an imperfect idea. 1t is supposed by
many that not less than 100000 would
cover the amount.
1t is stated tina, only one lady and
two children were killed. Mitchell Bet
tern, Of Vermont, who was killed was
robbed of 50 600
One account says that but few of the
natives were killed. while another states
that about forty oftbem fell. A cores.
hponden, writes that an attempt having
been made to get the passengers who
were In the vicinity of the station on