The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-21
FROM FAR-OFF CHILE.
IL. f. Mcfarland, of Conception,
Writes of the Revolution.
THE BLOODY Ex-PREsIDENT.
Balmaceda Causes Innocent Women
and Children to Be Put to Death
Rivers Run Crimson.

ID. +. Mcfarland, at one time connected with
tae now defunet morning Journal of this city,
anu "no lett Tor Chile over year ago 10 engage
IN the lumber business, has been heard from.
ne went TO Chile before the revolution in that
country, and, owing to the fact that none OF his
friends or relations had heard from him, ii was
thought possible that he had been drafted into
army service and killed. letter received from
hhh yesterday by ]. l. Wells, OF this city, makes
known, however, that he is well and in excel
lent spirits. During the war all mail eommuni-
cation was suspended and this was the reason
why none of his letters ever reached their desti-
nation. His letter to Mr. Wells which was
dated Conception, september u. tells of the
decisive Chilean battle and also contains much
concerning the Chilean trouble that has not
peen published. In part il reads as follows:
;, ihe great revolution in Chile 10 over at last
II was brought 10 an end on August %, at the
s saaae OF Los Plaeiiia by the congressional
troops gaining complete victory over the gov
eminent army. 1t was a great battle, lasting
Ior nearly nine days. The exact number killed
anu wounded Is nor correctly known; but SO far
yNOJ bodies have been picked up of the battle
nelu. out OF the government army, which
numbered over $4,000 men, less than 10000 have
mus lar been accounted for. The rest were
Killed or had deserted many OF them went over
10 the victorious congressioualists.
The congressionalist army consisted OF 1880
men, OF whom less than 800 were killed and
wounded. The first battle was fought at Con-
con, and it Is said that the Aconcague river ran
red with blood for over tour days The greatest
slaughter was at the battle of Mra-deI-Mar. 1t
could hardly be called n battle. for i, lasted but
lew minutes. There were $3.50 men belong
ing to the government artillery and cavalry
urawn u p in line between the hills and the sea.
ABOUT that time three men-of-war. fying the
congressioualist coors happened along ana the
vessels turned their big guns on the gathered
army on shore. In less than fifteen minutes
there Was hardly man lett out OF the whole
number to tell how his companions died
Ii seems an almost imnossibility that 1890
men should secure victory over an army of
$4,000; but it was done however 1t was a
question OF quality and not quantity. The SOL
diers OF the opposition were nearly all yolun-
tcers, who believed they were fighting for the
good OF their country, and they were Differed
oy the best men OF Chile; whereas, on the other
side, the government soldiers had been drafted
into service, and in many respects the officers
who commanded them were not experienced
The reign OF the dictator, as "ex-Presidente
Baimaeeda de Chile has been called, will be
recorded as the bioodiest of all modern times
The full number of law-abiding people whom
he tortured will probably never be known, as he
took great pains to cover up his misdeeds.
cannot give you an account OF all of the dicta-
tors crimes, rs they would fill volume. En- la
cdBldrd de naerte en- Ia M0nedo is the room in the
executive mansion where the political crimi-
nals were executed by being shot. After the
war the floor was found 10 be covered with
human blood thirteen inches deep One of the
most horrible crimes perpetrated by the dictator
was the massacre at La Canas near Santiago, of
40 young men who were on their way to
Bslmacedian mob of murderers and
they were all shot dead. Their bodies were then
mutilated and were stacked in pile and
burned. Several leading men of the country, to-
gether with their wives and children, were put
to death by being shot for the most trifiing Of
lenses, the prisoners not even being given the
form of trial before military or civil tri-
bunal. Prominent men were logged and tor
tured in the most barbarous manner.
The war is at an end, however and everything
appears to be running along smoothly. The re-
port that Dictator Balmaceda had committed
suicide was received with great JOY by
the people, though they would much
rather have been given chance to put him to
death in manner similar to the way in which
he executed his victims