New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-02-28

reached Acapulco on the last day of 1874
He commenced holding services during the
week Of prayer, and considerable interes!
was manifested, although the movement
was conducted quietly, and without any
effort to force the new doctrines on the
attention of the people. A building for.
| merly occupied as Catholic chapel, but
more recently as a storeroom, was purchased
| and fitted up as church, and the services
were transferred thither from Senior Dias
| house. The service was continued through
| out the week OF prayer and for the three
following weeks, MIR. Hutchinson preaching
every evening in Spanish, and the congre
CATION entering heartily into the singing of
Spanish hymns and the prayers in the Span
ish tongue. On January II the congrega
ton was organized by Mr.. Hutchinson,
| fiity-three members making profession OF
] faith and taking part in the Lords supper.
| A. very encouraging spirit was manifested.
and Mr.. Hutchinson felt rewarded for his
| close and earnest labors in the new field,
| and fOresaw q prosperous future for the new
church. His month of labor was ended on
Sunday, January "a, and he was left, as may
| be supposed, in a somewhat exhausted CON
! dition.
! Soon after Mr.. Hutchinson appeared in
| Acapulco there were threatenings which
| portended mischief to him and the move
| ment which he had come to organize.
| Many Of the ignorant and intolerant class
OF Catholics looked with Ill concealed anger
| upon the effort to establish Protestant
church there, and made frequent threats
to violently oppose its cOnsummation After
he had been in the city about two weeks he
was advised by an American member Of
the congregation not to attend the services
that evening, his informants Mexican wife
having been warned to keep her husband
away, as it was intended to attack the
church at that time. Services were held,
as usual, however, and nothing out of the
way transpired. On several occasions
stones were thrown at the doors and win
dOws of the church; but beyond this no
hostile movement was made; and throughout
the month the services progressed uniuter
rupted.
The intolerant feeling which prompted
attack was doubtless melted greatly by the
preaching of the Catholic cara, who, IN all
his addresses from the altar. as we'll as in
his daily intercourse with his people, bit
terly denounced the Protestant movement.
So violent did his course become that the
authorities found it necessary to warn him
that if he continued to incite his flock to
lawless proceedings be would be prosecuted
under the provision of the new law of re.
form. He is said to have answ cred that he
would persistentIy denounce the heretics,
and if arrested the faithful Indians would
rally from the surrounding country and
rescue him. 1t was also rumored tbut this
has not been verifed) that the ezra advised
these Indians that the time had come to
suppress the Protestant congregation before
it increased in strength.
On the evening of Tuesday, January %,
services were held as usual, but Mr.. Hut.
Crimson was so rnwell that he did not
attend. There was no unusual indication
of hostility on that day; but, after the
l.,
ping had gone to church. he felt a present.
mens OF trouble, and took the unusual pre-
caution of closing aud locking the doors Of
the house, in which were, with him, his
servant and some children. His PRESENT.
ment proved well founded. After little
time party of men came to tie house,
and one of them was heard to ask
his companions. "How shall we discover
who is inside!' Presently, however,
that all the inmates had gone to
the church. Meanwhile, at the church a
scene OF horror was being enacted. Shortly
after the services began, few men came
quietly in, and one young Indian, with his left
arm wrapped loosely i'll serape (blanket)
in which was concealed amachete (hatchet),
walked up the aisle toward the desk, where
Senior Dias was. Arriving there, he sud
denly darted at the senior, and lunged at
him with his maehete. Immediately every
thing was confusion and contention. The
Indian companions rushed into the fray,
and the main body of the assailants
began to pour III from the outside.
Members of the congregation rushed
TO the door and succeeded in
closing out a portion OF the crowd. An
American tan old resident, the same whose
wife had been warned two weeks befOre),
believing he would have influence with the
mob, went outside to harangue them. but
was at once shot and killed. Another
member, also, was shot on the outside In
side the church hot fight ragged. The
young Indian who had begun the fray,
shouting death TO the Protestants, Long
live the Catholics attacked Senior Dias,
wOunding him three times in the head and
cutting away two fingers of his right hand.
The senor's wounds are very serious.
The wife of the American who had gone
outside to his death. was the first to spring
to resist the attack. She drew pistol and
shot down the Indian, and throughout tho
melee she continued to fight like a tiger.
The assailants were armed with machetes.
and slashed right and left, cutting down
number of persons, besides demolishing the
organ and pulpit. Many in the congrega-
ton, however, were also armed, and they
0tfere determined and fierce resistance to
their assalants. After the fight had pro-
crossed some time. the garrison of the city,
numbering only about 100 soldiers, arrived
on the scene, and succeeded in quelling the
disturbance. They arrested about fifty of
the attacking mob, and marched them off
to prison. The rest of the mob escaped.
Besides the two members of the congrega
ton killed at the door, three others were
killed and ten seriously wounded, one of
the latter dying next day, making six
deaths in all. The chief of police. who, with
all the members of his family belonged to
the congregation, received four wounds. OF |
the assaiaLts, two were killed outright, and |
the Indian who attacked Senior Das died on |
the following day from the pistol wound |
inflicted by the intrepid Mexican woman,
whose bravery has been already mentioned. |
A number of them were wounded, but |
escaped to the mountains. 1t was aiterward |
rumored that their wounded numbered thir- |
teen, of whom five died, doubtless from eX-
posure and lack of care.
Mr. Hutchinson having providentially |
escaped, as it seemed, was still felt to be in
danger, and was advised to seek refuge on
the Ida Lille, an American c0asting vessel, |
until the arrival of the steamer Montana,
on which vessel he took passage for San /
Francisco. The President, Lerdo dc Te-
jada, sent him word that he would be fur
nished with an escort to the City of Mexico;
but as the road is but little better than d
trail. Mr.. Hutchinson decided to come to
San Francisco and proceed to New York to
req resent the condition and needs of Pro
in Mexico, to which country he
will soon return, to Join his family now in
the City of Mexico.
Prior to his departure from Acapulco, Mr..
Hutchinson learned that the small garrison
lad been reinforced on the first of February
,y tho arrival of Governor Alvarez, with
i've companies of State troops, as well as
~ one regiment of federal troops, another
egiment being promised. An investiga-
ion of the affair was in slow progress: but
here ,Uaa an evident Ies,pn tn stiff tho |