The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-05-03
SILA0'S FEARFUL RIOT.
Tbs LOSS OF LIFE ESTIMATED
AT $50.

Scattered Police and Soldiers Ruth
lessly Slaughtered by the Mob
When 1t First Began It's Bloody
Work-Volley After Volley Fired
Before a Charge with BayonetS
Scattered the Crowd.
ST.. LOUIS, May 2.-The following de-
scription Of the mob and riot which occurred
at Silao, near Guanaiuato, Mexico, few
days ago over the incarceration of five
Jesuit priests who were stirring up ignorant
people against the government, is given by
prominent citizen of Guanaj lato. who
reached this place yesterday. 1t was nearly
dark when the priests were impri soaed, but
by the time the street lights were lighted
$4,000 men roared and surged against
the walls of the Jail. They attacked
its heavy doors with pick axes. stones.
crowbars and heavy beams of wood. and
some OF them, in Nild frenzy, dashed their
bleeding hands and heads against the mas
sive walls.
TERRIBLE BUTCHERY.
Many of them were armed, and in a short
while heavy fire was pouring into the
window The mayor of Guiana uato, who
was inside was one of the first to ia /. Pc
licemen, who rushed by in squads of
twos and threes, were remOrs lessly
butchered, and, in a short time, more than
twenty OF them were lying dead on the
pavement. The few scattered soldiers who
were in the town were treated IN like inan-
ner. The mob, which by this time, was
utterly unma ageable either by the govern
ment or priests who had melted it, now set
fire to the Jail doors.
TROOPS OPEN FIRE.
Just as tho inmates were about TO sur
render, 200 regular ldiers arrived 10 dou-
ble-quick and formed across the street,
The mob answered an order to dispersa
with yell and discharge of firearms. The
| command to fire was at once given. The
bullets, at the fearfully short range, swept
through the mass of men, women and
children like a scythe, moving the II down
in rows Still, they came on, and volley after
YoIley crashed into them, only to cause
! those behind to spur the dead bodies with
their feet as they pressed forward.
CUTTERS RUNNING WITH BLOOD.
The streets were sticky with blood, and
| the cutters an with it. In the meantime
a number of Insurgents armed with pistols
and rifles, had climbed upon adjoining
houses, and the soldiers began to drop one
| by one After half an hours continuous
! fighting, charge with bayonet was ordered
| When the front rank of the mob felt the
! steel tho entire concour5e broke and disap.
peared through the alleys and by ways.
$50 KILLED.
Altogether more than $50 persons had
been slain, by far the greater part of whom
were miners and other Mexican laborers.
! The soldiers lost sixteen killed and wounded
Among the slain was a lieutenant. The
fire in the jail was quenched, and the Eve
badly frightened, but determined priests,
were taken to Guanajuato for safe keeping.
HISTORIC PRISON
They are now confined in CASTILLO de
| Grandetas, an immense pile In which the
| great Mexican revolution had its birth, and,
in which the patriot Hidal 20 was subse-
| quently hanged. IL is thought, that had
the recent riot proved successful, had tho
| priests been rescued and the local author
| ity broken, a serious uprising might hava
developed. AS it is the tncipient revolution
is nipped in the bud.
DECLARED EXAGGERATED
CITY OF MEXICO, May 2-The dis
patches sent out from Texas, purporting to
| give details Of the riOting at Silao g. I'd
| Guanajuato, are gross eKaggerahons The
| project of Silao was assassinated Yesterday
and his was the only life lost in the entire
affair. The authorities have restored order
and to-day everything is quiet.
Gov Gonzales, Of the state of Guiana.
| juato, telegraphs that there has been no
| blood shed there. The priests in prison at
| La Luz will be tried in the courts like all
other offenders. The utmost quiet prevails.
| President Diaz assured the Ass Jciated Press
| correspondent that quiet prevails in GUIANA
| luato and all the other states