Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1891-06-10
PILED HIGH With DEAD
Hyppolits Orders General
Slaughter Of Haytian Rebels.
RELENTLESS CRUELTY EXHIBITED
Hundreds shot Do~s and the Gatfsrs
sI fsrt A. FEines kaa Red with
Blood - Thirteen Hundred
nlaia W iIas1t Mercy

NEW YORK y unc ~ 40 vest "a
dian steamer Orange Nassau. which
has Just arrived in port. brought the
Erss definite news OF the bloody
insurrectioa which occurred at Port
an Prince In uayti on May 2s.
The outbreak was much more serious
than was az frat reported and the
entire western department of the is
land is now under martial law. Presi-
dent Hippolyte. whose government
was threatened bv the insurreeiion-
lists. has taken the most vigorous
means TO put down the rebellion and
many OF the rioters have been executed.
The town OF Port an Prince Is said To
be in IN utterly demon allied condition
and business of every kind is suspend
ell pending the settlement of the
trouble. The law courts are also sus-
pended by order of Hippoiytc. and
private citizens. on whatever charge
they may be ARRESTED. arc tried by court
martial
The revolt occurred on the morning
of Thursday, May Is A party Of half a
hundred citizens, armed with guns
and other weapons, made an at
tack upon the prison at Port au
Prince. where more than 200 polite
al Prisoners were confined. The
mob was led by an ex-minister of the
Legitime government. The prison
authorities were not prepared for the
attack and the doors were soon broken
in and the prisoners released In a
short time the whole town was In an
uproar President Hippolyte himself
was at church when the outbreak &C.
CURED. and his followers, fearful that
the mob might attack him, locked the
doors of the building and he remained
there fo- some time in fear of his life.
Meanwhile news of the violence at
the prison had reached the barracks
where Hippolyte's soldiers were quar-
tered. and several regiments at once
turned ont and FASTENED to the scene of
the trouble. The rioters were still on
the ground when the troops charged
them. The first volley scattered the
mob and many persons were killed. A
hundred or more others were arrested
on the spot by the soldiers and arrests
have been going on ever since.
The outbreak seemed to have been
prccipitated by the killing of Ernest
Rigaud, the largest merchant at Port
au Prince. by order Of President Hip
polyte. Ri2aud. who alleged that he
was French subject, had been in Paris
some time and had only re-
Gently returned to Hayti. Rigaud was
suspected of being in sympathy with
xAa + aoi<;r,> n, rtv and ~ o;J;cor <y,.xx,
1t was believed that no had brought
from Paris q cargo of arms for the bells.
On Thursday morning, May IS. Presi-
dent Hippolyte went TO the house of
Rigaud. followed by detachment of
soldiers. Tho soldiers remained out
side. while the president entered alone.
He asked the merchant II he did
not have guns concealed In the
house. Rigaud answered that he
had no guns in the hous~.
Putting his hand on Rigaud's Shout
der the president said: Como with
me-" They left the house together
and stepped out in front of the wait
ing soldiers. Without another word
to Rigaud, Hippolyte stepped aside
and gave the order to fire.
Eigaud fell dead in front of his
houss. Hippolyte, no doubt. thought
this would frighten the friends of
Legitime. who contemplated an out
break. But it seems to have reused
them to fury, and the mob to attack
the prison and release the political
prisoners formed in few hours.
On Saturday morning, May So a
nephew OF Ernst Rigaud. who was as
sociated with him in business, called
at President Hippolyte's house to
ask about the killing of his
uncle. The young man did not
know that his uncle was shot by or
der of the president. He believed 1t
was done by the soldiers without or
ders, and he intended TO demand an in
vestigation. As soon as he addressed
the president and stated the object of
his visit Hippolyte ordered him shot.
He was at oEce dragged into the street
and shot dead
A bout the same time Alexis Rossig-
mol, an inoffensive and much esteemed
msn, was executed in the streets; an
other man was put up against the
cathedral wall and shot: seventeen
were executed IN batch. 1t is iusoos-
sible 10 enumerate in detail all the
murders that have been perpetrated
under the color OF law. 1t is estimated
from May es 70 June 300 persons have
been put TO death