The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1881-02-20
THE FAIL or LInA
A story OF TreaehsEy, RIsl PiaHdss
and De~Essfafisa

Lie IandtAA u new
York paper gives 9 very interesting and
entirely e details concerning the cap
ture OF Lima and Callao. The CORES
pondeLt says;
1t seems to be universally conceded
that at the termination Of the battle
near Marihores. FIVE or six miles from
Lima, the Peruvians held the advan-
tage, and might have, by n more de-
termined and prompt efforts, made
themselves masters of the situation.
Encouraging and congratulatory dis
patches and bulletins from the front,
announcing the Peruvian victory were
put in the press; fire works were pre-
pared and the streets Of Lima and CAL
lao were filed by jubilant and excited
crowds.
At this time occurred one Of those
unanticipated events which sometimes
in one moment change the fortunes Of
battle and destroy a people. Pierola,
who had passed four days and nights
almost continuously in the saddle. over
come by exhaustion, was placed upon
a stretcher, in the field, where he in
stantly plunged into a profound sleep.
The troops. it is said. had been all day
without food or water. At this criti.
cal moment. while their chief was un-
conscious, the superior officers dis
banded their forces, assuring them that
the Gillian boards would loon be
swarming through Lima and Callao,
robbing. pillaging, and devastating,
and advised them TO anticipate the
Chilians and help themselves to what
ever they wanted. Later on stragglers
from the front began to arrive in Lima
and kCallao, and their doleful reports
were circulated as II by magic. The
bulletins snd fireworks were suppressed,
and instant preparations made for de-
stroying the forts and shipping. All
the morning the armed soldiers contin-
ued TO pour into Lima and Callao. but
they passed in profound quiet and
gloom. without any Indication of what
was to follow, except the forming Of
many groups Of soldiers, negroes and
Indians In the suburbs Of the city, and
the suspicious quietness with which
they seemed to be discussing recent
events.
About ten O'Clock at night the work
OF pillage began; doors were smashed
in, and soo the streets swarmed with
men, women and children, laden with
huge bundles of every class Of objects
that could be imagined. The attack
was opened on the stores Of the Chi
nese, which furnished huge quantities
Of FIRE crackers, bombs, and cheap fire.
works, the popping and banging Of
which added to the uproar and confu-
sion. Toward morning the scene wa
rendered more frightful by the glare of
burning ships, all Of which had been
fired, and the frequent explosion of dy-
Mantle, which had been placed under
every gun which defended the fort. No
sooner did the rioters get a taste Of the
pillage. excited perhaps by liquor, than
they systematically began sacking all
the stores and houses without regard to
nationality. In Callao, perhaps thirty
Chinese were killed. As most of them
were killed upon the outskirts of the
town and open pampas, it is probable
that they were pursued and murdered
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 riot
ers were melted to and encouraged in
these horrible barbarities by the supe-
rior officers Of the Peruvian army and
navy, but many detachments or squads
Of rioters were led by Peruvian officers,
who participated IN the plumber. At
Don OF the 18th the riot suddenly
ceased. A number of foreign residents,
many of them owners of stores which
had been pillaged, hastily organized
themselves IS an Urbane guard, and
sailed forth upon the mob. The news
of this seemed to spread like lightning
through the city, and simultaneously,
and in one moment, the rioters disap-
peared MS il swallowed up by the earth.
The guard was soon adequately armed
with abandoned rifles, and undertook u
systematic search through the lanes in
habited by the poorer classes Of people,
and much stolen property was recov-
cred. 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 g%entleness, and on
the morning following many corners
were ercumbered with swarthy corpses,
in fact, several of the guards fell VIC
Tins to their zeal. In Lima the riot
ers were much moro numerous, and the
area of operations greater, the resis.
lance to the Crbane guards was much
more serious, and, it is said, nor than
500 rioters were killed.
SCIENTIFIC MIaCELLANY,