Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-08-26
IN A STATE OF SIEGE.
TROOPS At GRANADA READY FOR AN
EMERGENCY.
Further Particulars Of the Recent Riot
Alleged Party Leaders Arrested
and Exilcd.
(By telegraph to The Dispatch


United States to tho effect that there had
been riots there on Sunday last, that the
Chief OF Police and six men had been
killed. and that three important personages
were to be expelled from Nicaragua, with
the warning that they would be shot If they
returned. is correct. Fuller details are
now accessible.
Granada on Sunday was the scene of q
coup de man, by which President Ro-
Derto Sacasa tried to rid himself of hrs
most prominent opponents, and at the
same time nip in the bud n possibly grow
ing, revolution. The gentlemen arrested
include two ex-Presidents of Nicaragua
ana the editor and owner of the most I'M
portant daily journal in the country.
TROOPS IN READINESS.
Grenada is practically IN a state Of siege
ana the troops here ut the capital are con-
nned TO the barracks. In addition the
opposition 10 President Sacasa is growing
uaiiy and affairs are assuming critical
position. For many years vigorous rivalry
has existed between the ancient city of
Leon and the most modern Grenada,
ana between the Procressists. whose
headquarters are at Grenanda, and
the iglesistas, or Roman Catholic Church
party, whose strongholds IRE Leon
and Ianagua. Granada, for many terms
past, has furnished the country with the
PRESIDENT. but al the last election, by un-
due means. the Progressists clam, Sacasa,
Leon man, was chosen President. Sacasa
had previously been a senator. and on tho
somewhat mysterious death of President
CaraZo, two years ago last October, Sena-
tor SacGsa was duly chosen to till out the
unfinished term. This was not approved.
Inc Progressist party and President sacasa
became more and more unpopular as it be-
came known that he. backed up b. Leon,
or the Church party. had determined 10
leave no stone unturuod To bring about hrs
election to the presidency after he had
filled out Caracas unexpired term. In
spite OF the opposition party and of the in
ereasing unpopularity OF his administra-
ton. Sacasa succeeded in his am
bilious plans, and IN November last was
elected President. Naturally this only
served still further to enbitter the feeling
existing between the Progressists aud the
Church party. IL was whispered that al
attempt would be made by force of arms
TO Dust Sacasa from the presidency, and he
apparently determined to do his utmost to
prevent the Progressists from bringing
about his downfall. But no trouble was
anticipated until the elections. which are
to be held In November, and very few poo-
pie anticipated that Sacasa would attempt
coup dc nam In Granada itself.
HOW THE POLICE FIGURE.
One of the great complaints made against
the Leon party and their representative,
President Sacasa, Is that they hold the po-
lice or troops tor the police act both as
police and rs soldiers and carry q rifle and
bayonet though they wear no shoes) in
their power and use them to control the
elections. Moreover, one of the reforms
promised by oacasa while candidate for
reelection was thorough reform in the
police system-people were TO be able
to walk in safety in the streets at night and
the police We're not to interfere at cleo
tons. The spies employed by the admin
lstration seem to have pointed out ex-
President General Cbamarro, ex-President
General Joaquin Zavala. Don Anselmo
Kiyas, editor and proprietor of the D,driO
Nicmdguense Of Granada, the organ of the
Progressive party and the leading news
paper of Nicaragua; Don Enrique Guz-
man. son of General Guzman,
and Don j. ID. Rodriguez. former
ly attached to the Nicaraguan Legation at
Washington, as tho most dangerous lead
ers OF the Progressist party in Granada.
Consequently, after taking every precau-
ton 10 meet revolutionary outbreak,
President Sacasa determined suddenly to
arrest these gentlemen and exile them,
under pain of being instantly shot should
they return. This plan was executed Sun
day. The men above named were most
Unexpectedly arrested Oh the charge Of
consp!ring against the Government and
were taken to Quartet.
ATTEMPTED RESCUE.
Their arrest caused great excitement in
Granada and vigorous attempt to rescue
them was made. The quartet was attacked.
the soldiers were fred upon, the latter re-
Il - Al.
side were killed and wounded. The exact
number of casualties is not known. but il
is reported that the chief officer OF the po-
lice and at least six soldiers were killed
and that some fifty citizens were shot.
General Chamorro and the other pr-
soners were subsequently brought to
Managua under a strong guard, and
Granada was placed III state
of siege. pending the subsidy of popular
feeling. The important prisoners yester-
day were sentenced to be escorted across
the frontier and ordered never to return
under penalty Of death. The prisoners
will be secretly taken TO the frontier, but
to what point and whether on the Hondu-
ras or Costa kica line. is generally known.
Possibly the prisoners will be allowed to
embark on some vessel ut Corlnto.
The Chamorro, Zavala. and Guzman
families are among the most wealthy and
important in Nicaragua, and consequently
the arrest and expulsion of the gentlemen
named causes intense excitement 1t is
known that, in addition to the arrests
lust made. other persons are under sur
yelllance. Persons would not be astonished
if some member of the Cardenas and of
the Lackaya families were also TO fall
under the Presidents displeasure. Gene
raj Zavala was succeeded III the Presi-
dency by DR.. Cardenas;. the latter was
succeeded by President Carazo and he. as
already explained, by Sacasa. 1t would
thus appear that the ex-Presidents OF MICA
ragua are not III favor wish the present Ad-
ministration.
General Zayala Will be remembered by
Americans as the cause of the abandon
ment of the banquet which was to have
been rendered to ex-senator Warner
Miller while the latter was in this country
recently.
To such an extent does the General carry
partisan feeling that when he was informed
that members of the Church party had
been invited to the proposed entertain
ment, he announced that he would not SIT
at the same table with them. This lead to
heated discussion and the abandonment
of the banquet. The present political
troubles do not effect the progress of
the work on the Maritime canal.
though Don Rodriguez. one of the
gentlemen expelled is known to have been
a bitter enemy of the American enterprise.
This opposition. however, is said to have
grown from a snubbing which Don Rodri-
guez thought he received from the Ameri-
can Secretary of State while he was at
Tackled to the Nicaraguan Legation at
Washington.
Americans in this country will feel much
more comfortable when the new United
States Minister. Colonel Richard G. Shan
non, of New York. reaches here. 1t is re-
ported in American circles that Minister
shannon will arrive at Greytown shortly
on board the gunboat Petrol, and that the
vessel named will remain on the coast for
some time.
Mr.. Youns's Sermon In Ashland.
Rev. Mr. Young, pastor of the Methodist
church IN Ashland, Va, preached an exceeding