Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-05-01


DESPERATE AFFRAY AT PANAMA.
The Steamer Empire City, from New Orleans
on the 10th and Havana on the evening OF the
Oath, arrived at New York on Tuesday morn.
ing.
The steamer Philadelphia, from Aspinwall,
with California passengers and mails of the
10th March, had arrived at Havana.
A terrible ARRAY occurred on the 18th instant
between the American transit passengers and
the natives, in which the former had thirty kill
ed and forty wounded. The Empire City brings
three of the wounded and large amount of
passengers baggage. The railroad property
and the properly Of individuals residing near
the station was destroyed, and all the baggage
in the freight house was rihed. Among the
KILLED were Michael Bettern, Of Vermont r.
w. Marks, of Pennsylvania, M. Dubois, of
Louisiana, and Mr.. Stokes, an officer of Walk
er's army. II is impossible to get the names
OF the dead. Of fourteen killed at the railroad
frelght-house only one name is known, that of
Mr.. Stokes Among the wounded are William
IL. Hunter, Theodore De Saba, Secretary Of
the American Consul at Panama. and Mr. Pal
mer, an employee of the railroad company, all
residents on the Isthmus; also George O.
Fields, of New York, and Rev. John Selwood,
late of Grahamvile, S. G. All the above pas
sengers upon whom this outrage was committed
were those which left San Francisco on the
10th March, in the steamer Cortez, for San
Jual del Sur, but landed at Panama in conse-
quence of the Nicaraguan troubles.
The riot originated with a drunken man who
refused to pay native dime for piece Of
watermelon.
There was rnmor at Aspinwall that Walker
had been again defeated.
Repulse OF Walker by Costa Ricans.
New York, April 29-The steamer Orzaba
has arrived with dates from San Juan to the
2lst. The defeat of Schlessinger is confirmed.
On the 18th the Costa Ricans took possession
Of Rivas with two thousand men. On the | lth
Walker, with six hundred men, attacked them,
and after fighting seventeen hours and half
he was obliged to abandon the city for want Of
ammunition. The loss of the Costa Ricans is
said to have been six hundred killed and large
number wounded. Walkers loss is set down
at between fifty and sixty killed and about
eighty wounded and missing. Amongst the
killed was Col Marchado, commander of the
native forces. Ell Nicaroguense, Walkers or
gan, claims it as glorious victory.
1t is said that the Costa Ricans, in taking
possession of Virgin Bay, fired indiscrminately
on every person they saw, killing eight or ten
Americans in the employ of the Transit Com
pany.
On the 10th instant Lieut.. Green with iE
teen men, encountered about two hundred
Costa Ricans, killing twenty seven and dispers.
ing the rest. The american loss was one kill
ed and two wounded.
1t was reported that Walker intended to at
tack the Costa Rcans at Virgin Bay about the
18th, having one thousand Americans and
thirteen hundred natives under his command.
of
the former Legitimate party the Nicaraguans
acted with Walker.
Honduras, San Salvador, and Guatemala
are said to be in favor of peace, and will not
invade Nicaragua. They received the COM
missioners from Nicaragua in a friendly spirit,
and had discontinued enlistments and disbaud-
ed some new levies.
A number of Minnie rifles were taken from
the Costa Ricans at Rivas. Several English
men and Frenchmen were observed in the
army.
The British frigate Eurydice was the only
vessel at San Juan. Her boats were con
stahtly on duty watching the movements
of the Americans. Passengers who came
down the river were prohibited by them
from going on shore. An official bulletin
issued by Mora declared all flibusters ia
ken with arms iii their hands should be put
to death, but all who had not used arms against
Costa Ricans and would give themselves up to
officers of the Costa Rican army should be
pardoned. Appended to this was list of sew
enteen of Schlessinger's party, who we're taken
and shot; they were mostly Irishmen and Ger
mans only two Americans.
Afhdavits in respect to the slaughter of Anne
rican citizens at Virgin Bay and the destruc-
ton of property of the Transit Company by the
Costa Ricans having been made, Mr.. Wheeler
addressed a strong protest to Mora, not only
against such conduct, but against his threat
to drive the Americans from Costa Rica and
Nicaragua; and unless explained or atom
ed for, decided measures on the part of the
United States Government were threatened by
Mr.. Wheeler