Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-09-17
SAFE At LAST
Under the Protection Of the
Stars and Stripes. o
Ex.PreSident Balmaceda Makes His
Escape From Chill.
All the Time Hidden in the City
OF Valparaiso. ta

Disguised ms Drunken United States
Sailor He staggers by Scores of Men
Who Would Have Been Delighted 20
Turn Him Over to the Polics-His
Flight Arranged by Admiral brown.
The Grimes of Political Prisoners Not
Recognized by Uncle Sam.
New YORK, Sept. IA Herald spe-
cial cablegram from Valparaiso, under
date of Sept. ii, says:
Balmaceda has escaped from the
clutches Of his enemies and is now safe
on the high seas under the protection Of
the United States flag. lHt
In Valparaiso All the Time.
All the time the soldiers of the junta
were guarding the snowy passes of the
Andes to prevent his getting into the Ar
gentine Republic, and the police of the
new provincial government were search
ing the monasteries III and around San
tiago for the fugitive ex-president, he
was In hiding in this city. Here he was
more apt to escape detection than any
where else, for his opponents never
dreamed that he would dare to return
to Valparaiso, they being assured that
he had fled from it. Balmaceda chose
his refuge wisely, for he was enabled to
throw himself upon the mercy of Ad-
miral Brown, of the flagship San Fran
cisco, and beg to be saved from the re-
venge he feared from his foes.
In the Name of Humanity.
Admiral Brown did what all other
foreign admirals would have done under
similar circumstances. In the name Of
humanity he consented to afford Balma-
ceda the shelter of his ship and the pro-
lection of the stars and stripes.
To effect the ex-presidents escape ii
was decided to have Balmaceda dis
guise himself as drunken United
States sailor The clothing was sent
ashore in market boat last night, by
order of Admiral Brown. 1t was
smuggled by one of Balmaceda's faith
full adherents into the house where the
ex-president was in hiding. He care
fully donned it, and, after close in
spection Of his new and strange attire,
to see that there was nothing about the
get-up which would arouse suspicion,
he stole out by a rear entrance into the
street. Nightfall favored his disguise,
and he had studied his part SO well that
he feigned drunken tar to perfection.
On his way toward the water front he
rolled by many men who would have
been delighted to have had the chance
to seize and turn him over to the police
authorities In time he reached tho
spot in the harbor that had been ar
ranged upon. There he found boat
awaiting him. 1t was manned by
sturdy United States man-of-war's men.
Balmaceda, still maintaining his dis
Euise, made his final drunken stumble
aend I'll into the boat. 1t pushed off at
once, and in short time the ex-presi-
dent, all signs Of inebriety at an end,
clambered swiftly up the ropes and was
saved. He went at once to one of the
cabins aft of the San Francisco, and did
not again show himself above deck. The
part Of the vessel was reserved solely for
Its prominent guest Nobody was al
lowed to visit his cabin. The officers of
the San Francisco were questioned about
the matter, but refused to discuss it.
The San Francisco left Valparaiso this
evening for Callao Thence it win sail
for California. Balmaceda may elect to
land at Callao, where many Of his lead
ing partisans have already been taken by
foreign ships, on board of which they
sought refuge after the fall of Valpa-
raiso.
Admiral Browns actions will un-
doubtedly, for time at least, increase
the bitter feeling here toward the
United States government, although
the admirals of other foreign vessels
have taken prominent Balmacedists
aboard.