The Indiana State sentinel., 1891-06-24
President Hypolite Report
ed to Be Killed.
Great Excitement at the
City of Jacmel
Over the Killing OF Six Leaders
OF the People.
General Slaughter OF Political
Prisoners.
The Man-of-war Kearsarge Reported
to Have Gone to the Island.

New YORK, June 1.-THE Atlas line
passenger steamer Alvo, which arrived
here from Haytian ports this morning,
brought news of continued outbreaks of a
somewhat milder character at the Hsytian
capital. and of the wholesale slaughter of
political prisoners in all parts of the island.
The Alvo also brought news of their
rumored shooting of President Hypolite.
This rumor was being freely circulated in
Jacmel and outlying towns about Port Au
Prince when the Alvo left the former port
on June 6, and had even crept into some
of the newspapers. William Bishop, chief
mate of the Alvo, gave the information
which follows to reporter, and showed
q paper called the Cleaner, published in
Kingston Jamaica, containing news of the
outbreaks at Port Au Prince. and of the
reported assassination of Hypolite. The
rumor could not be confirmed by the peo-
pie on the Alvo before she left JacmeI, as
she remained there only few hours, and
owing to the excitement in the town the
passengers feared to go ashore. From
what the passengers could learn on the
return of the officers, however, the rumor
was discredited.
Among the ports at which the Alvo
touched before starting finally from this
city was Jackmel, where the populace was
in high fever OF excitement over what
they termed an outrageous murder which
occurred in that city the day before Hypo-
lite's order. The news of the troubles
at Port Au Prince travels somewhat
slowly into the interior towns in
Hayti and frequently is unknown in
the inland cities for weeks after their
occurrence. Consequently the slaughter
of l60 citizens of Port-au-Prince was not
known at Jacmel until several days later,
although Jacmel and Port-au-prince are
only about fifty miles apart. When the
news did finally come, though the people
Jacmel became frantic with excitement
and loudly and publicly denounced Hyp-
polite and his government. There is
small garrison at Jacmel and six of the
leaders of the crowd who were the loudest
and bitterest in their denuncistIons of
their rule were arrested and thro wn into
prison.
News of the event and of the arrests
was Immediately carried to Hypollite, and
as the sun was rising on the morning of
June half dozen soldiers rode over the
hills about the city and came into town
on horseback reporting at the garrison.
Many of the people of the city were about
early and seeing the approach of the visit
ors circulated the news that the prisoners at
the garrison were about to be put to death.
Within one hour every man and woman
in the city was on thestreet and hundreds
surrounded the Jail. The six prisoners
handcuffed together were then led out of
the prison and were marched to the open
square in the center of the city and in the
presence of their friends and relatives
were mercilessly executed, each soldier
firing at one man. AS soon as 1t was de-
cided that the soldiers had done their
duty according to orders they mounted
their horses and returned to Port au
Prince to report the success OF their mis-
sion.
After leaving Jacmel the Alvo touched
at Navassa Island between Port Au Prince
and Jacmel. There it was learned that
steamer had touched the day before and
had brought in news of the assassination
OF Hypolite This rumor had it that the
assassination was the result of a conspiracy
formed Immediately after the killing of
Riguad the merchant of Port Au Prince.
At Navassa, the Alvo met the .. S. man
oi.war Kearsarge, and it was there under
stood that bad news had Just been received
from Port Au Prince and that she was
about to start for that place.
Minister Hannibal Price denied this
evening that President Hypolite had heen
shot.
At the Office of the steamehip company
it was stated that there was no truth in
the statement of Hypolite's death; that
the company had authentic information
that Hypoiite is alive and had not been
shot at.