Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-07-03
THE DICTATOR OF cu7]
GROSS CRUELTY OF w.
RALMAcEDA HAN

ton Practiced on Pslatic., ~. 'nqal
Fingers Of Victims Pouns.a eade,
Place to Talk. "os-P,
Many startling facts in ~.
with the revolution now rapinn oIihect
which throw light upon tho fasso "a Cd
despotism of Balmaceda ara ,oeity
the public by three gentlemoas given
whom are Chilians, who arriS , we
week. The stories show that Ra Iea
is we'll termed "the tyrant. y af n
ago, where his headquarters arm ~ sat
dares to utter word against b,. 10
has caused cross of red to h a'. u.
on the houses of all people WHOM lam la
poets Of being not in sympathy w, us
and into these marked residences i hii
lice and soldiers go at any hom, us
day or night. They rausack tha o.
on the ground that they are loas s ro
revolutionists who are Sumo 1 oa
hidden there. The soldiers dem.ua' 70
and food, and after having as ~
time as they wish depart only to s wv
the o1fense at some other markod
dence.
If laborer is caught on tbo
gong to or from work withon,
showing for whom he is WORKING
gobbled up hy the soldiers Of Balm.
and impressed into his service =
system exists in Valparaiso ais,
of the gentlemen re erred to was ".
ing along the street past Jail ward
heard some terrible shrieks from 8,
one on the other side of the wall
inquired of soldier the cause and
told that some Of Balmaceda's solo
were Furnishing man who had rein
to work for him by driving tacks
pins into his hands and fingers.
The next day he saw horrible
ishment meted out to a CHILEAN who
been overheard to say that he
willing to work his hands off for
rcvolutionists. The poor fellows h,|
were placed on a book and his Gns
pounded to jelly by big mallct in
hands of a soldier. He was then }
that he could 60 and work his hands
way he wanted to for any one.
The New Yorker denounced the Al
to a friend-a resident of Santiago !
was with him. The next day his hi
was missing, nor did he show up 40
The New York man returned 10 J
paraiso, and just before he sailed hal
ceived message from his friend SAIL
that he had been locked up by RI.
ceda's men, accused of being q rey1
zionist sympathizer.
The weak point of tho revolution
Is the lack of arms and ammunt
The forces of the revolutionists nun
at present 5000 men. fully armed
equipped. Could the necessary arms
secured the number would at once Id
creased to 10, 900 men. There are non
Huasco, Valenar, Frairina and Carl
bodies of men-in all some 9,OOo-
are only waiting to get arms and
munition before they take up the nj
against Balmaceda. At the sm
places on the coast as far north as
are similar bodies Of would-be sold
The arms for these men were On
ltata, and had they secured them,
what ammunition the Itata carried
CHILEAN revolution would have beg
tied in short order.
Balmaceda's army consists of
men, we'll equipped. OF these only\
are of the old regular standing al
the rest are recruits forced into
service.
sBalmaceda, /" said one the gentle
from whom these details are obtai
"calls these men volunteers 10
you an idea of how voluntary the ser,
of these men are 1 have seen batche
them numbering from twenty-f five to
each brought into Valparaiso tied
each other and surrounded by sod
with fixed bayonets. This have
more than twenty times. l also sa
letter from the intendente of one of
southern provinces written to Balm
da, in which the intendente said: 4
greet being unable to send you a la
number of volunteers, owing 10
scarcity of handcuffs'; so you can
what sort of fighting material Balm
da has to count OH. He pays the Off
Of his army extra wages to keep theT
good humor and to have them rule
troops with an iron hand.
before we left Valparaiso was
most convinced that Balmaceda We
win the fight, so great did his po
seem. but the further north we got
more was impressed with the nunl
and determination of the revolutions
The generals of Balmaceda's army
we'll as the principal officers, are sail
be superior in military training to ii
Of the revolutionary forces.