Smyrna times., 1856-05-07
The Massacre of American Passen.
gers at Panama,

gers at Fanama.
The horrible outrage perpelrated upon Ameri-
can passengers at Panama seems to have been
"a preconcerted assault, and only required
pretext for the pillage and murder which ensu-
ed. The Governor, 80 far from attempting to
quell the riot, ordered the chief of police to
fire into the crowd men, women and children
which had assembled at the depot to escape
from the rioters. A correspondent of the New
York Times gives the following account of the
outrages:
PANAMA, Wednesday, pril 9, ls56.-Again
have the knives and maChettes Of the negroes
OF Panama been imbucd IN the blood OF our
cOuntrymen, and again have the lives of ipno-
cent Americans been offered up a sacrifice to
their wanton brutality and uuQuench8hlq thirst
for blood and plumber Unable longer 70 carr,
on their Vlllanous depradatOns on the Cruces
road these murderers have the hard mood 10 en-
ter our very dwellings, and commit The .ro.t
atrOciOus murders and robberles in the yer.
presence of their imbecile Government, and
puerile authorities.
On the arrival of the passengers from New
York by the steamer illinois, on the 18th inst.,
trlling row was created between an Amer
IL ES "a
Of fruit, which appears to have been a prccon-
certed plan to lead to the terrible scene winch
folowed-f0r hundreds of natives were inmo-
dately on the spot, armed with pistols, guns.
machetts and knives. In five minutes aiicr.
the bells of Santa Ana Church were tulling the
fire alarm, as a signal to collect the negroes
together, and in less than ten minutes more,
Il most fearful onslaught was made on the pas
sengers landing from the train, and the awful
attack Of murder had commenced.
The Governor was Immediately sent for by
the Railroad authorities, and with the greatest
difficulty induced to show himself
| The helpless passengers, most of whom were
! perfectly unarmed, took refuge IN The hotels Ia
! the nCIghbOrheOd of the terminus ard IN u.
Railroad station, and the Police and Nat.ona.
! Guard soon made their aDpea rancr, not to d I.
ford peace and protection TO the passengers.
but mixing up with their coiorcd couniry men,
and headed by the police captain, pouring vol
! ley after voley OF musket balls INTO the ne pro-
tected crowd of foreigners OUTSIDE ana INTO II c
Railroad depot, which was crowded with wo.
men and children. The negroes, finding them
selves supported by the police and National
Guard, aud countenanced by the Governor,
who first gave the order TO fire upon the sta
ton, now became perfectly reckless, broke
|
foreigner in their way. The hotels were ran.
sacked of everything they possessed, and their
furnite broken up and destroyed, as was also
the office ofthe Railroad Company-every book
and paper therein being literally torn to atoms
Men and women were forced to knee1 dowr
and submit to be robbed. even of their rings
and trlhkets, and the killed and wounded haC
their clothes torn off them in the search fol-
plumber. Every trunk and bag that could be
found was torn open and destroyed. Terrible
\ indeed, was it to witness fourteen Americans
lying dead, side by side, pierced through anC
through with the bullets OF the police, and ma n
gled beyond recognition by the macheties o
the natives, and still more terrible was it t
witness more than twice that number wounded
many of them beyond hope of recovery, as they
lay there exhibiting the most fearful spectacle
that can possibly be imagined, it appearing i'm
possible that man could be so mutllated anC
yet survive.
One sufferer, whom examined, had upward
of thirty wounds any one of which was suffi
cent 10 bring him to the ground his head wa
opened by a machette almost from ear to ear
, the scalp and skull being cut through so tina
the brain protrudes /; several of his fingers wer
I cut off and his hands both sbockingly wounded
a bullet had entered his arm, another his ches
and another his groin, besides which, his LEI
was deeply cut in to places AS far as ascer
5 tanned about sixty Americans have been kllle
A and wounded, fifteen of whom have abroad
4 died, and dozen who will probably be unabl
, to survive beyond few days. And as proc
/ that the attack was most unprovoked, and tina
;. the massacre was wiltul and premeditated o
S the part of the natives, may state that but on
g native is reported to have been killed, wnIc
j. is yet doubtful, and a very few, If any, woun,
}. ed.