Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-05-14
A FEARFUL OUTRAGE.
The British Vice Consul at San Jose
De Guatemala Brutally Tortured
Almost to Death.
The IEhuman TOrturer Slain bF Ameri-
cans In his Attempt 10 Escape
Capture.

New YORK, May 13.-Panama dates
Of May Sd give the following account
Of tragedy that occurred at San Jose
de Guatemala: It appears that the
eOmmandant of the post, Colonel Con
zales, had personal difficulty with the
British vice-consul, John Magee, in re-
ference to the clearance of some vessels
lying in that port, in which they had
exchanged blows. On the first of April
Gonzales summoned Magee to come to
his office, but the latter excused himself,
alleging that lameness prevented his
walking. A party of armed soldiers
was sent to bring him, dead or alive.
Magee was arrested. thrown into cart,
and jostled over the stones to the
government headquarters. Here Con
zales, not daring to shoot, took the butt
of his pistol and struck his prisoner
violently in the face, heaping on him,
meantime, every obscene epithet. At
the same time the cOmmandant declared
that he should receive four hundred
lashes, and if he survived this torture he
should be shot next morning. The un-
fortunate viee-consul vainly invoked the
protection Of his flag, and the remon-
STRANGE of Mr.. James, United States con-
sui agent, was also disregaTded by
the eommandant. The Pacific mail
steamship Arizona arrived at San Jose,
from San Francisco, at noon, but its
presence did not keep the eOmmandant
from his purpose. He seized the tele-
graph station, planted two cannon on
the wharf that commanded the Arizona
asshe lay at anchor, He then proceeded
to work out his own plans. At 4o'clOck
in the afternoon Magee was brought
out, stripped of his coat and vest, and
thrown prUstrate on the stone floor. -Four
soldiers sat on his hands, feet and head,
and four others proceeded to administer
lashes with rattan sticks. The COM
msndant cody kept tally of the stripes.
After two hundred blows had been in
flicted the victim became insensi-
Bile, and the surgeon of the
boat interfered, protesting that
the man would die If his torture
was continued; thereupon the remaining
two hundred lashes were postponed un-
til the next morning, Immediately
before the hour appointed for the
execution. Msgee was then taken
back to his cell. With the hellish
refinement of cruelty the commandant
visited his victim several times during
the night, and placed the muZzle of his
revolver against Magee's temples, ask
luGs - w NY uOu L sDOOI yoO aAu
"Don't you want me to put you out Of
your misery?" Rumors of these extra
ordinary proceedings had reached Sal
vador, and detachment of troops, un-
der command of General SOlarO, was
despatched to San Jose de Guatemala.
These came in sight just as Msgee had
been placed in position to receive the re-
naming two hundred lashes. The COM
mandant, seeing his downfall near at
hand, ordered his soldiers to fire on Ma
gee, but they refused, and he then fled
to Arizona. He was followed by boat
bearing an order from General Solaro
on the captain of the steamer to rescue
him and return him to the shore,
but as Gonzales was standing by
the side of the steamer he was fred
upon by some of the passengers, three
shots taking effect on different parts of
the body. He managed to get into his
boat and was taken ashore, but lived
only a few hours. No clue to the person
who fired on the cOmmandant could be
found. The log of the Arizona notes
that the shots were fired by unseen
hands among the passengers. Fears of
a serious outbreak were expressed, and
the steamers guns were loaded and
turned upon the town. The United
States minister at Salvador, Mr.. Will
hanson, sent dispatch ordering the de-
tention OF the steamer, but the captain
considering that the order was designed
to keep the ship until the safety of for
eign residents was assured decided to
disregard it and sailed for Panama on
the twenty fifth of April.