The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1856-05-13
aeOs of tbe Dan.
THE TERRIBLE MASSACRE ON THE
ISTHMUS
FURTHER PARTICULARS.

| Americans and natives, brief account of
which was given last week. The following
version of the murderous affair was fur
nished the New York Tribune by pas
| senger, and its correctness is fully cor
roborated by the accounts of the Panama
| journals:
| On the afternoon of the 18th of April,
the passengers per steamer Illinois arrived
at the rail road depot at Panama, on their
way to the steamer J. L. Stephens, but
owing to the low tide they were detained on
shore. portion of the passengers by the
I COrtes from San Francisco were also stop
! ping at the several hotels in the vicinity of
the depot. There could not have been less
than 1000 or 1,2O0 Americans cOngregated
about the rail road terminus. About sun
| set d. t1iculty occurred between one of the
| Illinois passengers "a notorious character
| from New Orleans, known as ''New York
Jack,'') and one of the negroes, which was
! freely joined by friends on both sides, and
! a general row now commenced. Pistols,
J bOwie-knives, swords, muskets. clubs and
!
effect. The Americans were generally un-
/ armed. having only a few small revolvers,
| and, consequently, after short struggle,
had to yield the ground. The natives were
reinforced by large numbers. They now
made an attack upon the different hotels
and drove all the inmates out, many Of whom
! sought safety, as they supposed, in the
depot building.
About this time the police (God save the
termD was called in requisition; but in
stead of attempting to restore order, it is
| positively known that a portion 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 direction-some to
| the boats, and others to the thick brush and
woods, where they remained during the
night, and with the expectation of being
! murdered when daylight appeared. A large
number were fortunate enough to get on
/ board the small steamer, and were con-
veyed to 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 everything to be found in
| the hotels. The passengers, in their sud
| den flight, left and lost everything. After
plundering all to be found in the hotels, the
| black mob attacked the depot building,
which contained large amount of luggage
and treasure, all of which the raScals OBJ
/ tanned. They then commenced to tear up
the rail road track, and to pull down the
telegraph poles, and destroyed both rail
| road and telegraph offices. They were
aware that the express goods would be
| brought over from Aspinwall that night,
and had laid their plans to seize them
| They tore up the track in the vicinity of
the depot, in order that the engine might
run off; but through the exertions of Mr..
Williams, "a conductor on the road,) the
express train was stopped by his signals
before reaching the fatal point, and the lives
of those on board and the goods were saved,
and the train put back to Aspinwall, where
it remained at the time the Philadelphia
sailed.
have no means of knowing the number
killed and wounded. There were twenty
five Americans found dead, Immediately
| around the depot in the morning, most of
whom were passengers from the Cortez, but
this number is probably not half that were
murdered.
During the night some scattering Ameri-
cans were picked up from time to time by
the police, and escorted to the gates of the
city, but with the requisition of from S5 to
$40 each for so doing, and in several in
stances 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 of hostili-
ties the Governor of Panama and the Amer
lean Consul were on the ground, but their
exertions to quiet the riot proved Intellectual.
The Spanish portion of the inhabitants of
Panama were much frightened. Every
house and place of business was instantly
closed and barred, and but few ventured
out upon the balcony during the night
The hotels in the city were closed and
guarded until morning.
The writer says it is believed bysmany
that 100000 in money and effects was lost
by the passengers. He gives list Of over
50 sufferers. principally cabin passengers,
| whose aggregate loss in money, clothing,
jewelry, &c, amounts to S4l,336. Among
them are Samuel NJ. Wagner, of Baltimore,
the heaviest sufferer, who was robbed of
$1,000 in money, and 5000 in clothing.
jewelry, Sc; 4. Douglas, of Baltimore,
robbed of 81 80 in money and $3.50 in
clothing, Sc; c. Loveday, of Baltimore,
robbed of $3.50 in money and $3.50 in cloth
ing, &c; w. w. Williams. of Tennessee,
robbed of 800 in money, &C.; A. A. Loch-
ler, of Philadelphia, $3.50; B. H. johnson.