The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-02-22
FIRST EDITIO IN
SOUTH AM ERICA.
Bliss and Mastsrman~-The Arrest, Tor
ture, Forced Confessions, and Dee
livery to the Fleet-Para-
guaysn Movements.

Correspondence from Rio Janeiro, South
America, dated January 26, says;-
Bliss and hgsterman 60 AS passengers Tor
New York by the steamer Mississippi. Your
readers are aware that they were arrested on
charge of conspiracy, Or the lOth OF september
last, when they were accompanying Mr.. wash
burn to the river from AsunCion, to take pas
cage down 10 Montevideo. The history OF their
adventures and suffering as related by Mr.. Bliss
Tpon their arrest they were taken to the
Police Office, ironed. and placed in separate
cells. At nightfsll they, were brought TORN,
mounted upon mules, and, under guard, hidden
,eiphteen hours to the enCampment OF Lopez,
where Il Ley arrived at noon next day Ihey
Svp,e imme ediately hurried before the mlltary
tribunal, where they uDderWent ptoEaGIeu
.eyamina,ion of twelve hours, after which they
were for the first time in 30 hours, allowed rest
and food. The next day they were again called
before the judges, ana oy lhe repsaoeH ~ o1i
that was exacted Of them. They were tnen re-
trrped to their place OF imprisonment, an open
space on hillside where they lay, snackieo ,anea
and unsheltered, for a fortnight. Ihey were
afterwards removed TO small straw nuts IN the
open plain, where they remained until their
surrender 10 Rear Admiral Z. IL. Davis, on the
10th of December last. -, -
The Wasp arrived at Angostura on the S!h oil
December, The Admiral opened communca-
ton with Lopez, demanding the SURRENDER OF
Messrs. Bliss and Masterman. Lopez onered
to comply with the demand on condition OF their
being received as prisoners AMI conveyed to the
United States without being allowed TO commu-
nicate with any territory peiohg.ug 20 Tue e5 a,es
at war with Paraguay, The Admiral accepted
the prop Dsiton, and ordered Fleet Captain
Ramtey and Commander Kirkland, OF the
Wasp to proceed to Lopez,s headquarters, IN
the neigh b1rhood of Angostura, and arrange
the details OF the transfer. They appeared and
TOOK seats before the tribunal, which was com
posed of six judges, three priests ana three
military officers and organized after the most
approyed inquisitorial fashion. This tribunal
had, as before stated, forced these unfortunate
persons, by the most barbarous treatment and
repeated application OF torture, 10 confess all
that was REQUIRED of them, including, among
other statements the admission that Mr.. Wash
burn had taken a prominent part IN the sup
posed conspraCy-all OF which confession they
claim TO be false, plot, names, dates, and Incl
dents being purely imaginary, bat wrung from
them, "a above stated, with the threat of GER
tain death unle's the revelation was full, com
plete, and satisfactory 10 tle Judges ana the
tyrRnt Lopez. .
Messrs Bliss and Masterman were again called
before the tribunal, having been previously
Yarn, not to attempt to take advantage OF the
presence of the United States officers to deny
The truth Of their confessions or to throw them
selves upon their protection. Their written
confessions we're then READ, and having been
openly acknowledged by them, Captain Ramsey
and Commander Kirkland affixed their sigma
tires to the documtn and the negotiations
their irons having been removed few days
before, they were put on board the Wasp, where
they were received as prisoners and guard
eating with unauthorized persons.
On $he 18th of December General Mcmahon
who apparently had not figured IN the negotia
tlOns and transfer, landed at Angostura and
was bopored with grand military reception,
Lt pez's body guard receiving the General when
he landed. The Wasp then took her departure
for Montevedeo, where she arrived on the 18Th
of December On the same day the prisoners
were transferred to the flagship Guerrero. Size
sailed from Monteydeo on the 10th and arrived
in Rio Janero on the oath OF January. On the
Iicpa apd Hast m ouyp
on the Mississippi tor New York, with instruc
tions to report to the Department of State i'm
mediately upon their arrival in the United
States, where doubtless, thorough examina
ton win be made into all the circumstances o
this curious and perplex'ng imoroglio.
The history OF this conspiracy, as given by
MIR. bliss, is as folio ows-premisl however
that no such thing as a conspiracy ever existed
at least not 30 far as Mr.. WaShburn or himself
or Mr.. Masterman were cognHant ot:-ln the
beginning of the last year Benigno Lopez
brother of the Marshal, was detected in the
fraudulent abstraction OF nearly million o
pesos from tue national treasury at Asuncion
He was arrested and arraiened for the otense
Fearing the well known vengeance OF his
brother, he, in order 10 divert the danger
from himself declared that the money
was intended for revolutionary move
ment to overthrow the Marshal
and, 20 give weight and plausibillty TO his asser
tiOR, named as accomplices United States
Minister Washburn, Minister OF Foreign Affairs
Berges, Dr. Carreras, late Prime Minister IL
Montevideo; Seeor Rodriguez, Secretary of the
late Oriental Legation; Leite Pereira, Portu
guese Consul, and Colonel Vcnancio Lopez, hi
brother, and declared that Mr.. Masterman wa
informed of its workings and that Mr. Bills
was secretary Of the organization. With th
exception of the brothers Lopez, all th
above named persons were living at tina
time in the American legation. Carreras
Rodriguez and Lelte Perera were demanded
on the 27lh June, 1868. Beng iutormed by Mr.
Waehburn that he could not afford them pro
lection, they left the legation and we're immedi
a,ely arrested, July IL, 1869. Carreras wa
shot on the 17lh of September, Rodriguez ha
never since been heard from, aud, by rumo
which came down the river before the las
mail sailed for BIO, It was reported that
general execution OF all the remaining politl
cal prisoners had occurred since the capitula
lion at AngostUra, and the remainder OF tn
alleged copspiIators were among the number
How true the report may be cannot say, We
it 10 in keeping with some OF The acts OF tn
CIuel Lop,Z.