Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-18
THE HAYTIEN ATROCITIES
DETAILS OF OUTRAGEs PRAC-
TICED BY THE SOLDIERS.

AoFture Brutally Observation-Disclosures
incidents of the Revolt-Its Leader
Poisoned by Woman-A Novel Pres
tdentiaI Jaunt-President Salomon
Defended.
Additional particulars concerning the
situation of affairs in the little island of
Hayti, says the New York Herald of the
10th inst, have been CLEANED from officers
of the Atlas line steamer Alvena. which
recently returned from voyage around
the island. Different witnesses do not
agree as to the prevalence of the reign of
terror there, though there seems no doubt
that some hundreds Of rebels and Of mer-
chants who melted them to rebellion have
been most barbarOusly put to death.
Capt. Pearce is inclined to the opinion
that President Solomon has been exceed
lngly merciful in dealing with the insur-
gents, while Purser Lambert holds that
ne was brutal in the extreme. ''BlOOd Tor
blood" has apparently been his motto. but
IN places where the blood of his followers
was not shed Capt. Pearce saws SaIomon
extended pardons with lavish hand.
TORTURE BRUTALLY PROLONGED.
Capt. Pearce ascribes a great deal of
cruelty 10 Salomon's generals, who were
motives, and who had sometimes butch
cred right and left in anticipation of their
orders. The Haytien executions which
he witnessed Capt. Pearce describes as
most cruel. The soldiers, he SAYS. began
to shoot their victims (who were tied to
fences or trees with their eyes unband-
aged) very low down, the aim being
slowly raised from the ankles to the knees.
the knees to the thighs, and so on until a
vital nv
displayed most extraordinary courage
They never tiinched at the painful wounds
nrst received. but stood up calmly and
silently until the death-dealing bullet
reached its mark. Often thev fell before
some cruel wound and rose again TO re-
celye the fatal one. They appeared to be
perfectly indifferent to death. and the
heartrending features of the executions.
capt. Pearce says, We're the agonizing
cries and appeals of the wives, or more
properly the favOrites, of the victims. who
were helpless witnesses of the Dutcherv
of those they loved.
NOVEL PRESIDENTIAL JAIyNT.
Wherever the Alvena touched on her
January voyage the people were found
awaiting the arrival of President Salo-
mon, who was coming in the Havtien
nagShlp, which was, indeed, the entire
Haytlen navy-the man-of-war Dessaline.
named after the Haytien General who
freed the negroes of the island-On a
somewhat novel Presidential iunketing.
His mission was to investigate the affairs
of the insurgents in the various ports and
decide upon their fate, and naturally his
coming was everywhere awaited with in
tense suspense. 1t had been announced
that every refugee who had not shed blood
would not be mOlested, but would be aided
to return to his home. At Jeremie, where
the English, French, American, German
and Danish COnsuls have their headduar-
ters, the AlVena found one hundred and
forty-seven of these refugees. They were
all mulattOes, most of whom were we'll
to-do merchants who had not taken up
arms personally, but had furnished aid in
arms and money to the soldiers of the rev.
olutlon. These men are all natives and
the curious question arises on what
ground they claimed protection from for
elgn Consuls. Trading vessels especially
are oDlged to be very circumspect in their
actions now that victory mas perched upon
the banners of the blacks.
CONSULAR QUARREL.
AS has already been stated, the Alvena
reached Port au Prince on the 10th ult..
and found the harbor teeming with for
elgn gun6oats. The United States was
represented by the flagship Tennessee. the
Swatara and the Reliance. An English
gunboat and Spanish man-of-war were
also there. The English Admiral was ex-
pected to arrive in the NOrthamDtOn. The
French flagship. on the other hand. had
been there, but had departed in anger.
1t was impossible to ascertain the exact
cause, but it transpired that the French
consul and SalOmOn had had quarrel
over some trivial matter. The French
Admiral espoused the cause of the Com
sui, and, having gone there to arrange
many matters, he departed without ar
ranging any.
Port au Prince was found to be much
the worse for the war. 1t is believed that
the government will be called on to pav
41,OOO,OOO sterling of indemnity for the
loss caused by fire and the loOting by the
raDble when the government soldiers
were In charge. How the Havtien Gov
ernment Will pay this sum is a serious
problem. The whole town would have
been destroyed by fire had it not been for
shifting OF the wind and the action of
the commanders of the English, French
and Spanish men-Of-war, who sent sailors
and artillery ashore and threatened to
lombard the place if the arson and loot
ing were not stopped. The chief credit
Tor TINS action is claimed by the British,
curious feature of the destruction was
that it was suffered by the ''fireproOf,
warehouses, to which much valuable fur
mlture had been sent, while the frame
shantles used as dwellings were largely
spared.
The soldiers of Port au Prince are much
derided by the foreigners, not only for
their Falstaffian appearance, but for their
utter want of efficiency. It's said of them
that when one discharged his gun at n
rebel the latter was perfectly safe. but
that the man around the corner was
almost sure TO be hit. A gentleman who
witnessed a parade OF Haytien soldiers
described it as laughable in the extreme.
Men In the rear ranks, he said, calmly sat
on the ground and played cards while the
drlll was in progress. Others left the
ranks to get drink of the native rum and
returned unreprimanded. Indeed. bravery
seemed to be their only good quality, but
this they possessed in abundance.
CAPT. PEARCE's PASSENGERS.
Some rather strong criticism has been
made of Capt. Pearce's alleged heartless-
ness in refusing to take three refugees
Gen. Lovelace, Capt. DuJOur and Lieut..
IrOulll0t-t0 Kingston until their passage
had been paid. 1t was affirmed that Pur-
ser Lambert had settled the matter bv
giving them tickets. Capt. Pearce denied
the truth of this story very emphaticalIv.
and said in explanation of his course: iI
had very strict orders from my agent here
were not possessed of free pass-
ports and tickets signed by the com
pany's agent. Our company had already
had trouble with the government. The
Atlas had a shell in her cabin. and I ran
the blockade on previous trip and If was
necessary that we should do nothing to
further offend President Salomon, who
will one day doubtless be Dictator. Well
these men got on board with passports.
but no tickets beyond Port au Prince.
what could do but obey ordersl twas
that or lose my commission. Their fare
was paid by their friends in Port au
Prince. They were men of property.
That is all there is to that case"
AT JeremIe, the port where Can't.
Pearce ran the blockade previously, when
Gen. ChevalIier commanded the heights
above the town, the Captain made peace
with Chevallier, and they drank cham
pagne together in token that their former
little difference had been forgotten. Gen.
CheYallier is now one of the big guns of
Hayti, and the German who fired the gun
which came so near Gripping the Atlas
is another.
THE OTHER BIG GUNS.
There are two other foreigners who hold
peculiar and interesting relations toward
the government. One of them is a certain
Captain Window, of the Royal ARTILLERY.
to whom, it is said, belongs the credit Of
the capture of MiragOane. CaDtaiu Win
dom is the representative OF an English
family of renown, and appears to be
man OF remarkable personality. His wife
is a hussian Countess. He was acting
as British Consul at Hayti when the re-
beillon broke out. Captain Window is
said to be wonderfully skillfuI artiller-
lst. AT any rate, he dug up some rusty
old cannon which had hoa,, G,,,;o1 - =