Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-08-02
THE GILLIAN WAR.
Gross Misstatements that APP
pear in the Papers.
BALMACEDA MUCH WR0NGED.
United States UnconsciousIy Doing Inius-
tice to Sister Republic IN Her Hour
of Need-Americans Have No
Business With 1t.


Special Correspondent
SANTIAGO DE Grille. 1891. - Tie thir-
tieth day of May-..DecoratiOn Day" at
home when the graves of honored soldiers
are being canOped with iowers-waS
very sad one in Santiago, for on that morn
ing were executed the deserving officers and
sailors Of the torpedo. Ganeda. Everybody
knew-in these dark days When hydra
headed rebellion is tightening his shiny
coils about the capital and the whole conn
try is suffering SO bitterly because Of the
strife fOmented by fcw-that the men
must die. That would have been 4 foregoue
conclusion III any other country, even mad
our own prOverbiauy soft-hcarted Lincoln
been at the helm; for when q government
vessel deliberately turns traitor IN time OF
war and goes over TO the enemy. the de-
serters. if captured, expect nothing less
than the death penalty. But it was sad
nevertheless. IS executions always are,
however much the condemned may deserve
their doom; and in this instance ii was par
ticularly narrowing because not one tremb-
ling wretch, bu: many We're sent into
eternity by their own countrymen.
lies living in the city. Most OF them were
personally known TO many people both in
Santiago and Valparaiso, and ii was whis-
perad that among the Shdrp-shOoters who
We're detailed to fire the fatal voIey were
mora than one brother, cousin and intimate
friend OF men to be killed
THE DFsERTERs
had been kept some time in the Santiago
prison, but the stories that rebel sympa-
thizcrs have circulated in the North, 10 the
effect that they were logged, starved and
tortured are entirely false. This | can
vouch for, on the authority of relatives
of the condemned men, who visited
them. often during their incarceration.
The prisons of Chill at best are horrible
MI q klaT1-Tss If L-1 of a,
of their class the word over. are not the
most refined and tenderhearted individuals.
Indeed, | believe that in all countries. Jail
erS. as Il rule are not selected with a view
TO those virtues, since prisons are espec-
iajlE designed as places Of punishment, for
persons presumably meritinG the same.
Al daybreak on the morning of the 30th
the dcSerters We're led out i"rO the plaza.
where troops were already formed in a hol-
low square: those about to die were ranged
il liuc with their faces toward the bright
ening east. prayers were said and eachman
kissed the crucifiX; then, while their hands
were being tied. a company of infantry
stepped quickly 10 the front; presently the
word of command rang out sharp and clear,
a quick rattle Of muSketry was heard,
AND AL WAS OVER.
OF course the insurgents characterize
this awful but necessary proceeding as
infamous butchery" on the part of Bal
maceda; but il IS precisely what would have
happened. under similar circumstances, in
countries far more civilized than This. and
il is nothing TO what may he expected
should the rebel horde succeed in their mad
design of capturing the capital. ovprt,,rIIing
he Federal government and CARRYING ont
their oft-rppeated threats of hanging the
president his cabinet and the most prorui-
nent loyal citizens 10 the lan,p Dosts
OF Santiago Should that dies ira
arrive. may none of nv coun.ry-men. or
commencement. be mere 10 see! The regu-
Ian, army of Chill is bad enough. heaven
knows. Int the responsible riff-raf. com
nosed of advent1Irers Of every class. rlIra-
way criminals. and the o4f-scofrino of the
country that would naturally cast in their
lot with srch a scheme for the overthrow
of law and oder are a thousand time mora
TO be dreaded.