Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-02-19
FOREIGN NEWS.
Capture of lima - Further Parsicu

Capture of lima - Further Particulars.
NEW YORK, February 1Sth.-The EUeniag
Post has a letter from Lima, Peru, February
9TH, describing the capture of that city. The
correspondent declares that it was accom-
plished by treachery. He says it seems to be
universally conceded that Mt the termination
of the battle of Mirafores the Peruvians
held the advantage. and might, by one more
determined and prompt effort, have made
themselves masters of the situation. En-
couraging and congratulatory dispatches
came from the front, bulletins announcing a
Peruvian victory were put up by the press,
fireworks were prepared, and the streets of
Lima and Callao were filed by jubi
liant and excited crowds. Pierrola, it
is reported, had passed four days
and nights almost constantly in the saddle,
and overcome by exhaustion was placed upon
a stretcher In the field, when he was instantly
plunged into profound sleep. The troops, it
is SAID, had been all day without food or
water. AT this critical moment, while their
chief was unconscious, the superior officers
disbanded their forces and assuring them
that the Chilean hordes would soon be swarm
ing through Lima and Calao, robbing, pill
laying and devastating advised them to
anticipated the Chileans and help themselves
to whatever they wanted. In Callao and
Lima the troops, led by Peruvian officers,
commenced by sacking the Chinese quarters.
Perhaps thirty Chinese were killed in Callao
In Lima some hundreds of Chinese were sac
riiced. The superior officers of the Peruvian
army and navy were seen melting the mob.
Later on struggles from the front began to
arrive in Lima and Callao, and their doleful
reports were circulated. AS if by magic the
bulletins and fireworks were suppressed, aud
instead instant preparations were made for
TasrrnXJpg tho fprtr and SHINING a II fba
morning of the 10th armed soldiers continued
to pour into Lima and Callao, but they
passed in profound quiet and gloom, without
an indication Of what was to follow except
the forming of many groups of soldiers negroes
and Indians in the suburbs of the cities, and the
suspicious quiet with which they seemed to
be discussing the recent events About 10
o'clock at night the work of pillage began.
Doors were smashed in, and soon the streets
sWarmed with men, women and children,
laden with huge bundles of every class of OBJ
iects that could be imagined. The attack was
opened on the stores of the Chinese, and these
furnished huge quantities of fire crackers,
bombs and cheap fireworks, the popping and
banging of which added to the uproar and
confusion. Toward morning the scene was
rendered more frightful by the glare of burning
ships, all of which had been fired, and the
frequent explosion of dynamite, which had
been placed under every gun which de-
Tended the forts.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
No sooner did the rioters get taste OF
pillage, excited perhaps by liquor, than they
systematically began sacking all the stores
and houses on level with the street, without
regard to nationality. In Callao perhaps
thirty Chinese were killed. As most of them
were killed upon the outskirts of the town
and upon the open pampas, it is probable
that they were pursued and murdered simply
for the pleasure of killing.
In Lima the mob was greater, and the riot
began at an earlier hour. Some hundreds of
Chinese were sacrificed. Not only does it
appear that the rioters were melted to and
encouraged in these horrible barbsrities by
the superior officers of the Peruvian army
and navy, but many detachmepts or squads
of rioters were led by Peruvian officers, who
participated in the plumber.
At noon on the 18th the riot suddenly
ceased. A number of foreign residents,
many of them owners of stores which had
been pillaged, hastily organized themselves
as an Urban Guard and sailed forth
upon the mob. The news of this seemed to
spread like lightning through the city, and
simultaneously and at one moment the rioters
disappeared as if swallowed by the earth.
The guard was soon adequately armed with
abandoned rifles, and undertook systematic
march upon the quarter inhabited by the
poorer people, and much stolen property was
recovered. The men, Influenced by their
losses and perhaps by other stimulants, of
which there was no lack, did not perform
their self-imposed duties with negligence or
undue gentleness, and in the morning follow
ing many corners were encountered with
swarthy corpses. In fact, several of the
- o1f - THAR zaa1 A.
the rioters were much mere numerous and