The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1891-07-02
WE'LL CALLED TYRANT
IS BALMACEDA. THE GILLIAN
DICTATOR.

A Veritablo Reign OF Terror Said to Exist
in Chili-Rorriblc Punishment Inflicted
-SO-Called "volnntecr.' in Handouts
Rebel Force-Weak Point of tho Rovolu-
tionists.
Many startling facts In connection
with the revolution now raging in Chilli,
which throw light upon the ferocity and
The public by three gentlemen, two OF
whom are (hilians, who arrived last
week. The stories show that BaImaceda
is well ten cd "the tyrant" In Santi-
dares to utter word against him. IIo
has caused a cross of red to be tainted
on the houses of al people whom he su>
poets of being not in sympathy with him,
lice and soldiers go at any hour of the
day or night. They ransack the rooms
on the ground that they are looking for
revolntionists who are suppo cd to be
hidden there. The soldiers demand wine
and food, and after having as good a
time as they wish der art only to repeat
the offcnSe at some other marked resi-
dcncc.
If lahorcr is caught on the street
go ng to or from work without tay
showing for whom he is working he is
gobt5led UP Ly the soldiers of Balma "cda
and impressed into his service. This
system exists in Valparaiso ais. Ono
of the gentlemen re erred t. was walk
ing along the street past Jail yard lie
heard some terrible shrieks from some
one on the other .ide of the wall. He
inquired of soldier the cause and was
told that some of Balmaccda's soldiers
were Furnishing 4 man who had refused
to work for h III by driving tacks and
pins into his hands and fingers
The next day he saw a horrible pun
ishment meted out to CHILEAN who had
been overheard TO say that he was
| willing to work his hands off for the
revolutionists. The poor fellows hands
were placed on book and his fingers
pounded to a jelly by a big mallet in the
hands of soldier. He was then told
| that he could go and work his hands any
| way he wanted to for any one.
The New Yorker denounced the affair
| to friend a resident of Santiago who
| was with him. The next day his friend
was missing. nor did he slow up again.
| The New York man returned 10 Val
| paraso, and just before he sailed he re-
| ceived message from his friend saying
! that he had been locked up by Balma
| ccda'S men, accused of being revou
| zionist sympathiZer.
The weak point of the revolutionists
| is the lack of arms and ammunition.
| The forces of the rcvolutionists number
| at present 5000 men, fully armed and
| <1a 1,n
| secured the number would ut once be in
creased to 10000 men. There are now at
| Huas ., Valenar, Frairina and Carrizal
bodies of men-in al some 9.00O-who
| are only waiting to get arms and am
munltion befc:s they take up the march
against Bamaceda. At the smaller
| places on the coast as far north as africa
| are similar bodies of would-be soldiers.
| The arms for these men were On the
| Itata, and had they secured them. with
what ammun :on the Itata carried, the
| CHILEAN revo ution would have been S t.
| tcd in short order.
| Balmaceda's army consists Of 25.00G
men, well equipped. OF thrse only 1900
| are of the Old regular standing army:
the rest are recruits forced into the
service.
"Balmaceda," said one the gentlemen
| from whom these details arc obtained.
"calls these men volunteers. To give
you an idea of law voluntary the ser, ces
of these men are have seem patches of
them numbering from twenty-five to fifty
each brought into Valparaiso tied to
each other and surrounded by soldiers
with fixed bayonets. This have seen
more than twenty times l also saw a
letter from tho intendente Of one of the
southern provinces written to Balmace-
da. in which the intendente said: 4 re-
greet being unable to send you larger
number of volunteers. owing to the
scarcity of handouts: so you can see
what sort of fighting material Balmace'
da has to count on. He pays the officers
of his army extra wages to keep them in
good humor and to have them rule the
troops with an iron hand.
Before we left Valparaiso l was al
most convinced that Balmaceda would
win tnc fight, so great did his power
seem, but the further north We got tho
more / was impressed with the number.
and determination of the revolntionists.
The generals OF Balmaceda's army. as
well as the principal officers, are said t.
be superior i'll military training to those
of the revolutionary forces.