Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-10-10

Characters Confined Within Its
waIIs-LittIe Chance for Them tc
Escape.
The following brief dispatch was pub
hshed in the newspapers OF the country
recently:
"City of Mexico. via Galveston. 81
TEMPO states that the prisoners con
fined in the Caste Of San Juan d'Ulloa
revolted and that the troops quelled the
uprising, shooting twenty prisoners
down.
A brief announcement surely, and
one that was probably hast ly read and
as soon forgotten. Yet, to the few Am
orleans who have visited the old Mexi-
can seaport of Vera Cruz, and to the
fewer st II of these to whom chance or
opportunity has brought V sit to the
Caste, or rather to the old fortress of
San Juan d'Ulloa, the few Ines were
pregnant with meaning and recalled IN
Simultaneously the far-of, qua MT oldc.ty.
the frowning fortress and the vice and
misery imprisoned therein. A gentle
man, who has recently returned from a
visit to the gloomy old Mexican bastile.
gave the following interesting DIES rip
ton OF the scene of the revolt:
We had come down to the City Of
Mexico on the preceding day, making
that wonderful descent of 5000 feet
VIII ch leads from the b. gh table land OF
the Z ezra Fr TO the warm yegetat ON
and the low coasts of the Terra Cali
ente, or in other words, we had been, as
it were. brought in twelve hours from
November to June. We were standing
on the wharf talk ng in our imperfect
Span sh with the chef customs officer,
a most cultured man, formerly noted as
a band { chief, when Captain Powell,
the well-known English resident of Vera
Cruz, and who for seventeen years has
made the rough places of the old port
smooth to many weary travellers, APP
preached.
"Do you want to go over to see the
fortress" he 50 d. "lhe Saratoga
doesnt sail for two hours and | would
like to show you the dungeons. An
eager assent from the two ladies and the
four men of the party was his answer.
In moment more We We're flying over
the smooth water of the roadstead in a
long open boat, propelled by the oars
of 81 X lusty rowers and steered by the
gen al Capt. Powell himself. Touching |
a moment at the Saratoga 10 warn blutf |
and hearty Captain Curtis that he must |
not sail for New York without us, we |
flew by the trim steiner Niagara, the
great Spanish liner Alfonso KILL, and
island about a nile from the
shore, and whose lee affords the
only shelter, Inadequate at that
when the fierce northers which
sweep down the Mexican coast tn such
fury in winter blow. Rounding a cor
ner we gl.ded into little basin along
side an old granite wall. Here stood
two sentries, who, on our approl ch,
leveled their guns and demanded, our
mission. Capt. Powell in, Span sh, re
quested the presence of the command
ant, and IN few moments he appeared,
tai, soldierly look ng man wear ng one
empty sleeve, Exchanging greetings
with Ca t. Powell, and bowling low t.
the ladies, he invited us to and The
sentries shouldered arms and saluted.
and, not without some trepidation, We
saw an iron-barred gate swing back and
entered within the frowning walls Of the
fortress.
Save for the massive walls and the ]
cannon in the embrasures the scene was {
peaceful enough, and little ev denle Of 5
life was visible. We noticed, however.
t at from some unseen door four soldiers I
suddenly appeared and walked, two OH
either side Of the party, with their mus |
kets. Passing through the open court, S
we traversed a broad. tunneled rassage, Z
and came out again upon moat on the /
southern side of the fort. Here we i
gained some idea of the remarkable re
and strength of the fortress, which l
seemed to stretch away on all sides to an /
distance. A few prison a
ers We're bathing in the moat. Outside s
the blue waves danced merrily, over
head the sea-gulls flew, shrilly calling, J
and lar to the south ship under full
sail appeared above the horizon. /
" You little think" said Capt. Pow
oil, I" that within these walls and under
your feet IN dark dungeons are confined I
500 conyicts, the most desperate char |
acters in Mexico. Poor fellows / /
can't help calling some of them poor t
fellows, many of them being here for t
life"
There was a sound of the drawing of !
bolts. the gates swung open, and two
attendants with small and smoky oil
amps appeared; the commander gave
his arm to one lady, Capt. Powell to
another, and passing down a fight of
'teps, III darkness which the lamps :
'eemed to make more intense, we en- !
cred long vaulted chamber dimly lit !;
~ small, barred window at the fur :
her end. The air was fetid in the ex- !
RENE, andwe had advanced se,era feet !
before some smothered ordinations :
nd the shutting of feet now and then E
rev the attention to what the eve, :
accustomed TO the dim light. :
moment later discerned, were two :
ong double rows of convicts drawn M :
n either side through which we were :
'assing. | saw one of the ladies draw =
'ack, and even the men in the partv y
a tered and looked back at the door !,
trough which we had en- cred. 1t was !,
osed, and there we were with on.v :,
our guards and two attendants in an )