Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-10-02
THE BATTLE AT NAvASSA.
Four Officers Killed at Navassa on til
Fourteenth of September.

Four Officers Killed at Navassa on the
Fourteenth of September.
BALTIMORE, October 1st.-The first au.
thentic information about the riots on Ma
vassa Island were received last night in a
letter from DR.. Smith. Acting Superinten-
dent of the Navassa Phosphate Company,
| who, with G. w. Roby, the mine boss,
and one other official, the only surviy-
ing officers of the bloody affray, have taken
refuge on the British man -of-war Forward,
which came to their assistance.
DR.. Smith writes that on the morning of
the 14th of September the negroes arose in
instruction and killed four officers
Thomas IN. Foster, Joseph Fales, James
Mahan and William 7. Shea. Roby was
first assaulted in the diggings and left for
dead. At noon the men congregated in
front of the Superintendents house and re-
fused to work When Jones attempted to
arrest one of the ringleaders he was
knocked down, and IN a few minutes 8
bowling mob surrounded him. He man
aged to get to the house, where the other
officers had sought shelter, through volleys
of rocks and other missiles hurled at him.
He took refuge in the upper story of the
Superintendent's house and opened fire on
the mob. The battle lasted three hours,
with an occasional negro wounded, when
the inmates were startled by the explosion
| of dynamite bomb on the lower porch.
This was soon followed by another, until
there was continual roar of dynamite.
When the officers attempted to seek another
shelter, Foster was butchered with knives
and Joseph Fales chopped to pieces with
! an ak. William Shea and James Mason
were also murdered. Ali the murdered
men are Baltimol ems. The negroes still
| have possession of the island.
ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.
Shortly after 4 P. NJ. the negroes broke
into the dynamite magazine and got a
| fresh supply of dynamite. By this time
| the explosions of dynamite had become so
| frequent and uninterrupted, and knowing
| 1t was their Intention TO blow US into
| eternity, we decided to leave the house and
endeavor to reach the officers quarters and
make another stand, but we had not got
| attacked US from every direction with axes,
| knives, rocks, rszors and clubs, at the
| same time uttering fiendish yells.
Each man was soon overtaken and dis
armed. Mr.. Foster was the first to drop
| his weapon, small rife. He was at once
| butchered with knives and other murder
Gus weapons. Joseph Fales, the next
victim, was chopped to pieces with an ak,
after he had surrendered his weapon.
| Poor Bill Shea, when last seen, was within
few feet of the cliffs with number of
negroes in hot pursuit, at whom he was
| firing with revolver. His body has never
been found. We suppose, after killing
him, they threw him overheard.
Those of US whose lives were spared owe
our escape to the intervention of friendly
negroes, who hid Us in little building
until the excitement had somewhat sub
| sided. and while the main body were en-
gagged in looting, robbing and pillaging the
buildings. All the property owned by the
| officers was rified.
! About 6 P. NJ. some negroes came to the
building in which We were hiding ant