The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1877-03-01
ANARCHY IN NEW GRANADA.
Soldiers Let Loose Upon a village-Hor-
rible Scenes of Massacre and Rapine in
the Streets.

Soldiers Let Loose Upon Vil1age-HOr.
rible Scenes of Massacre and Rapine in
the Streets.
PANAMA, Jan. ia letter to the
Star and Herald, giving the details of
the recent horrible scenes in the Cauk
Valley, says that General Pena, who
commanded the Liberals, was drunk,
and gave his drunken soldiers five
hours freedom, during which they
gave themselves up to every excess.
Neither age nor sex were spared
Many Conservatives were dragged
from their hiding places and killed be-
fore the eyes of their wives and daugh-
ters, who met a worse fate before be-
ing killed in turn. Eighty seven houses
in the center of the city were plundered
and churches robbed. The murders
number several hundred. Foreigners
lose $150,000 to 100000 in Cali alone.
In the suburbs these scenes were kept
up for several days and the country is
nearly ruined. Palmyra escaped the
fate Of Cali by paying 5000, 1000 ran
som. The house of the Italian consul
and of an American merchant named
McCune were plundered. Fears are
entertained that the civil war will de-
generate into war of races. Foreign
ers are flying. t.(
The letter detailing the massacre con-
tinues: Crowds of furies in the shape
of women of the lowest class, in many
cases with their offspring at their heels,
swarmed in the streets bounding on the
excited mob to break down all doors
not Immediately threwn open. All
houses were bedizened with red rags,
shawls, handkerchiefs, table covers,
petticoats, and every thing bearing the
destructive colors of the invaders. All
trusted to broken reed for safety. By
midday most of the stores were cleared
of their contents. Men, women and
children were staggering in every di-
rection under the burden of their spoil,
and were in turn maltreated, knocked
down and sometimes even killed and
deprived by their fellow-thieves of the
proceeds of their robberies. Barrels
and cases of wine and spirits were turn
ed into the streets, and saturnalia of
drunkenness began that will never be
forgotten by those who have had the
misfortune to witness the deplorable
scene.
After the first rush on the stores had
procured them an abundance Of drink,
bands of frenzied men patrolled town,
firing and hacking at every living crea-
ture, but unsatiated with slaughter in
the streets they poured into the houses
of Liberals and Conservatives alike,
mostly though the latter, and contin-
ued the work of murder and destruc-
ton. All Conservatives were ruthlessly
killed, and many Liberals who tried to
arrest the barbarians in their progress,
tried to shield friends and relatives, and
persons suspected of sympashizing with
the Conservatives or having no decided
opinion in politics, shared the same
fate. ~
But all the horrors are as nothing
compared with the still more frightfnl
excuses perpetrated in the suburbs and
on the estates in the surrounding coun-
try. The murders, last, robbery and
incendiarism have continued unchecked
for days together. All small shop
keepers have been deprived of house
and home; all estates ravaged, cattle
| driven away or shot, fences torn down,
cornfelds burned, and even machinery
destroyed SO as to render it useless to
| it's owners. - ~ 's'' ~.
The Government at Bogota has con-
demned the acts of General Pena, but
owing to his popularity and influence
in that region it was found impractica-
BILE to remove him from his command.
There were no foreigners killed, but
their property has been confiscated in
| the most shameless manner.