The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-02-02
Priest Butchered.

New ORLEANS, January 23.-The
steamship Wanderer, Capt. Leetch,
arrived late tonight from Belize,
Honduras. She brings the follow
ing news: THE colony of British,
Honduras is in state of excite
ment over the capture and shooting,
by order of President Banios, of the
Republic Of Guatemala, Of the Jes-
ute priest, the Rev. Father Gillet,
BY the laws of Guatemala all Jes-
uits have been banished from the
Republic, and should any be caught
in the Republic they invariably meet
their doom by being shot behind
the prison walls or out on the pla-
"a, u place reserved for the execu-
of noted criminals, in iull view of
the entire populace. 1t appears
that Father Gillet visited Guatel-
anna for his health and not as a
clergyman. Nevertheless, he had
scarcely set foot in Livingston, when
being recognized by the command
ant, he was arrested, ironed, and
thrown into a dungeon to await or
der from the capitol-Guatelama
City. On the receipt of the tele-
gram ordering his being brought on
to the capital for trial, he was de-
vested of nearly all his clothing and
forced to walk barefooted distance
of 100 miles over the mountains.
his captors using mules as means
of transportation. Arriving after
three days, he was tried and sem
fenced to be shot. The news of his
sentence reached the ears of the peo-
pie in British Honduras, and he be-
ing a man of extraordinary elo-
quence and learning, and one OF
whom every one honored and re-
spected, the Governor of Belize was
waited upon by thousands of per-
sons of every creed and belief, and
asked to demand the surrender of
the priest into their hands. This
was done, but all to no avail, for
President Banjos has passed judg-
ment, and nothing remained but
the execution of the sentence.
On Monday morning, January IL,
Father Gillet was taken out of pris-
on, under heavy guard, and march
ed to the plaza, where they were
joined by two regiments Of soldiers ;
his coffin was brought and placed
before him the soldiers formed a
hollow square, broken at one cross
street, opposite which was posted a
firing party. Behind the soldiers
were the people of the city, looking
on awestruck and silent The sig
nal for the shooting was given by
three short rolls on a drum heavily
muffied, and hardly had the sound
of the third roll died away, when,
with one instantaneous report, 20
carbins sent forth their leaden mis-
siles on an errand of death, and
Father Gillet fell forward on his
coffin, pierced by Il balls, mass of
lifeless flesh and blood. Immedi-
ately the shrill blast of the bugle
was heard ordering the formation of
marching line, and, leaving detail
of eight men to perform the bury
ing, the soldiers marching to the
time of a lively quickstep, re-enter-
ed their barracks and were dis
missed.
Puerto Curtes was the scence of a
frighful accident, by which quite a
number of people were killed and
wounded. The express, consisting
of two passenger coaches, one mail
and one baggage car, running at the
rate of % miles an hour, while
turning curve in Amour Noun
tale, known as Golden Rock curve,
cleared the track owing to misplac-
ed rail and was precipitated down n
valley 20 feet. Nearly all aboard
were either killed or fatally wound
ed, a great many bleeding to death
without any medical attendance.