Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-23
ESPECIAL rrLEeRAM 70 THE D1srArcH.l ]

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsP ArcH.l
NEW YORK, November 22.-Under date
of San Jose, November IL, THE DISPATCH
letter, just received here, brings the follow
ing: At $50 on the afternoon OF the 7th,
there was sudden commotIon in the streets
of this capital. People began to run hither
and thither wildly. women fell to shrieking
and sobbing, shopkeepers and their clerks
hastily shut and barred the doors and win
dows of their various phces. From the
slamming of shutters and the swapping of
locks it was at once evident that there was
serious trouble in the atmosphere.
"Armsl Armsl ArmsP' was the cry. Still
no one could tell precisely what had hap
pened. As in a twinkling, men who had
run toward the outskirts of the town, reap
peared, carrying each brand-new machete
in one hand, and in the other a large re-
volver or stout club.
WILD RUMoRS IN THE AIR.
"Guard every crossingI Let no one pass
without the wordP' were the orders. It
seems that word had been brought that a
thousand or more Esquivelistas were march,
ing upon San Jose from Alaiuela. Other
wild 1umors were in the air. Victor de la
Guardia, had proclaimed himself dictator
The true version is that the Rodriguists
element having penetrated the police head
quarters, a large number of police who
were known TO be Equivelistas were all at
once discharged from the force. They
marched off good humOredly, taking their
official decapitation in philosophical way,
but one of them, in passing near the central
Quartet, gave vent to his feelings in last
defiant ''Viva Esquivel!''
This was at once seized upon BY the Rod
riguistas as a pretext for action. By 6
o'clock the city was in terrible commo-
ton. Prominent Rodriguista merchants
distributed brand new arms to all who came.
The huge machetes
SHoNE LIKE SILVER.
The reVolvers were bright and shining
likewise. It was beautiful, warm night,
with hardly breeze stirring. The moon
was full and rose early. The Rodriguistas
formed into companies, and tied their white
handkerchiefs around their left arms. They
posted sentries at the street corners. The
challenge was, "Quien Vive?" The answer,
Rodriguez" Then the question "Uno?''
and if the approaching person did not
instantly reply "Dos," he was arrested.
With all the excitement however, any
foreigner was perfectly safe, unles he
stepped in front of a stray bullet. THE
DISPATCH correspondent went in every
direction without the least difficulty. Most
of the foreigners ran up their own particu-
lar flags, but this was wholly unnecessary.
One man went to borrow the stars and
stripes from Mr.. Keith, the railroad man.
Mr.. Keith sent him word to wrap himself
up in sheet and 60 to bed; he would be
safe enough.
RoDRIGUIsTAS EVERYWHERE.
The Esquivelistas, it was soon seen, were
in the minority. The Rodriguistas massed
with their arms on the hill, above the rail-
road station, and in the Hospital plaza.
They patroled the streets and took possession
of every available space. "Give US the
cuartelsl" was their cry.
Firing began at last from the Presidential
Palace. The guns were aimed high, how
ever, and no one was hurt. The Union Bank
and the French Hotel show some pretty
good-sized perforations in their second-story
outer walls. All night long the fight was
kept up, with no greater loss of life than
four, and four others being wounded.
Among those killed was an estimable gen.
tleman, Don Teodorieo Quiros. merchant
who, being little deaf, did not hear or
understand a Rodriguistas challenge, and
was shot down while going from his own
house to that of his brother-in-law, DR..
Duran, whom he had just heard, had been
called to the post OF Acting President.
A NIGHT TO REMEMBER.
Apart from this sad accident there is
really little to grieye for, though the night
was one to remember. The demand for the
Cuartels was kept up, and also the demand
that President Soto turn over the Presi-
dency to Duran, the third Vice President.
At about midnight Soto concluded to do SO.
DR.. Duran immediatelynamed Don Ricardo
Jimenez as Minister General in place of
Don Mauro Fernandez, who of course went
out with Soto.
This is now the condition of affairs. DR..
Carlos Duran is acting President of Costa
Rlca, and Don Ricardo Jimenez is Minister
of Hacienda, commerce, public instruction
and all the other portfolios. Don Rafael
Izlesias is the Warwick of the day. The
leaders of the opposition party will be sent
outof fthe country and given foreign missions.
That is their worst fate. There will be no
more uprisings. Rodriguez will step
quietly into power, and Don Ascension
Esquivel will accept his defeat quietly and
philosophically, like the progressive and
broad-minded man that he Is.
AMUS1NG
There were many amusing incidents in
the uprising. A stout, elderly Rodriguista
woman came rushing out of her house into
the moonlit street. $50 many peoplel So
MANY menl'' she cried, waving her eyes
wildly. $50 many men, and not an arm
I'm off to get mathetes and revolvers." She
galloped down a side street in her black
skirt and white camisa, quite forgetting to
take her shawl. In ten minutes she reap
peared, heading dozen other women in
similar attire, each one with handkerchief
tied around her left arm the Rodriguista
badge), and carrying in one hand huge
knife and in the other pistol.
The inevitable woman carrying her baby
upside down was also on hand to relieve the
strain upon ones nerves. She ran from one
danger to another, and only subsidized when
some one called her attention to the purple
countenance of her offspring, which seemed
to be in the throes of dissolution.
WOMEN OF ALL GLASSES
of society took deep interest in the struggle.
The beautiful Young wife of President Soto
was an ardent EsquivelistR, and cheered on
the party up to the last moment with patri-
otic songs and enthusiastic words.
It is quiet to day, and no further uprising
is feared Dispassionate minds consider
President Soto's act OF letting 60 the reins
weakness on his part. They say it looks as
though the Rodriguistas wanted the earth,
sun, noon and stars. Don Ascension
Esquivel's defeat may be attributed solely
to the fact that the masses regarded him as
a Nicaraguense, and their national jealousy
is SO strong that they could not pardon the
accident of birth over the frontier line.
There was not one other objection, A man
of pure life, private and public, spotless in
tegrity, kindly nature, and progressive
tendencies, Esquivel must have made an
excellent President. The country loses
good deal. too. In the resignation Of Don