The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-04-22
A GILLIAN INFERNO.
Eighty Insurgents Killed
by Starvation.
A Tale Of Cruelty That APP
pals the Mind.
The Blacklist Page OF Human
Warfare.
Awful Vengeance Wreaked by
Balmaceda's Officers.
Sickening Story Related by One OF the
Survivors.


BUENos AYREs. April 1S-A story Of afro.
cious cruelty the part OF the Gillian govern
ment forces is told here by the captain of
Portuguese bark which has entered the port
here after touching at Iquique and africa on
the west coast
The captain relates the story as told him at
that stronghold Of the insurgents by Peruvian
named MIGUEL Sauerz. This man claimed to
have escaped from a government prison az
Aranco.
The horrors painted by him in a temporary
prison at Fl Purto more ghastlY and blood
chilling than those Of the Spanish inquisition.
No detail is wanting to emphasize the fierce
rancor and malgnity which animGtes either
side in this frstricidal struggle by aseribing
every species Of ferocity to the other.
Sauerz driven of during the saoking of
CoQuimba with large bOdy OF insurgent Chill.
isns and n few Peruvians, Of which nationality
ne reports a large number in the northern
army.
The government without delay, ordered the
carrying OF these prisoners by transport TO
Valparaiso. Maddened by their reverses at
Coouimba, the Balmacedists determined to
wreak horrible vengeance on the insurgents
who had fallen into their hands
The sickening scenes consequent upon their
inhuman rage stain blacker the darkest page Of
human warfare. From the moment this band
of wretohed captives. numbering nearly eighty,
were driven through the doorway of their prison
they were doomed TO death by the mosthOrribie
torments which can be wrung out of the
human frame.
The prison was an abandoned warehouse in
the old portion of Valparaiso. called I'll Puerto.
Hour after hour went by. and the abandoned
rebels saw no effort made to provide them with
the common necessities OF food and drink. A
strong Gordon OF government troops was drawn
up around the jail in full view, but refused any
attempt at communication.
Their suferngs from hunger and thirst be-
came hourly more frighful. When the second
day went by with no change but the usual re-
lief of the guard outside. their despair settled
into the awful conviction that they were
! doomed to be wracked to death by thirst and
| hunger.
| They beat their hands and heads against the
| bars They begged the sto.cal guards without
for mercy. They were met with calm indider.
| ence.
| BY the fifth day their conditions had become
horrible Thei. screams, curses and entreaties
! for a little food and little drink could be
heard for blocks. The only answer returned
TO them was. Remember Couquimba! Re
member IquiqueW
Imprecations on Balmaceda and shrieks Of
May the dogs of hell tear his soul" came
back from the fiery throats.
For two days q number Of the men had been
silently and painfully working at a tunnel
which was intended 10 carry them free 20 q
tannery directly in the and without the
guards line.
With blackened tongues protruding from
their mouths and hands crsmped by their ap-
palling suierings, the work was carried on
with logged desperation.
Mendoza, commanding the investing force,
had given strict orders that none OF the gov
! ernment men were to approach the building or
in any way communicate with the occupants.
This was the only bright feature that gave
| the starving wretches glimpse OF succor by
means Of their long burrow which would other
| wise soon have been discovered. As the exca-
waited earth passed slong from hand TO hand il
was simply deposited in the cellar, where IL
| formed a vast pile.
Balmaceda. himself, some of those closely
connected with him, are charged with the in
| famous act Of coming down to glOat over the
/ fendish work of signal vengeance which was
| being carried on in the desolAte quarter, but
| the rela.or seemed to think that the president
was ignorant OF the full atrocity of their treat
ment, the details of which he had conhced to
| suhOrdinates.
But the ninth day the main floor Of the build
ing was Uttered with the purple and blOated
carcasses of the victims who had thus early
| and happily succumbed TO the fierce ravages OF
| thirst and hunger.
Some were mad and sung comic songs at the
windows while the rest tOiied at the burrow
| which neared completion. The hideous din
kept up by the mad demons above drowned
the grosns of the weary wOTkmen below
The truly sickening scenes Of the terrible
famine followed, when the burrOw was tapped
out" into open air.
and was beaten back into his hole. IL was evil
dent that the whole scheme Of escape had bees
known to the men outside for some time pre-
vious 20 its termination. At the same time
company OF the troops was thrown IN quickly
throug gh the front of the building who. scFamb
ling over tine Shiny corpses that strewed the
floor, gained the inne- issue from the tunnel.
Ii was literally packed with miserable pris.
,ners, decoyed by the sweet scent of expected
reedom
the infamous work which is said now TO have
been done. Both ends OF the tunnel were
corked up with a mass of earth.
Not wen hushed scream from the entombed
victims penetrated the walls o. this horrible
living grave. Death must have followed within
few minutes.
How many were blotted out by this iendish
act is not known. Ii is thought that over
thirty men were ia the tunnel when it was
sealed. The eorpses were thrown out 70 Be
carted away and tie remaining prisoners, who
had not succeeded in getting into the tunnel,
wers driven to TT. Bureas, whence the Peruvian,
Saurez was subsequently removed 70 Arance,
and their made his escape.
Even he could not be forced TO express q be-
lief that Balmaceda was at all cognizant Of the
full extent Of the Gillian horrors.
He ascribed it 10 a mistake in interpreting
orders carried out by a cold-blooded subordi-
nate.
The Balmacedists. he thought. had used every
means TO prevent a knowledge of the fact from
leaking out into the opposing camp or the out
side world.