The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-07-02
THE HALF NOT YET TOLD.
Stories Of Barbarity are Told of Bal
maceda That Almost Tram
scend Belief
Prominent Citizens Imprisoned and
Butchered at the Will of
a DespOt.
Torture Inflicted on a Father in the
Hearing of His Son-No Prisoners
Taken Alive.

Torture Inflicted on a Father in the
Hearing of His son-No Prisoners
| Taken Alive.
NEW YORK, July 1.-The stories which
have been published of the cruelties prac-
ticed by President Balmaceda's party in
the Chilian war are shocking enough for a
civilized age and country, but, according
to prominent citizens of Chill, who have
lately arrived in New York. not half the
horrible truth has been told yet. These
citizens came here last week on the steamer
City of Tara, most of them bound for
Europe. The most distinguished among
them is senor Pedro Montt, accredited rep
resentative of the revolutionary party and
a brother of Admiral Montt. With him
came Senior Santa Cruz. who commanded
the ironclad Huascal; Senor Varas.
prominent revolutionist, and sew
eral English merchants who have re-
sided in Chilli for years. Flom these
gentlemen the incidents here given were
obtained. Senior Montt said that the actual
truth far exceeded the published account.
The whole of Chill was in dire distress. as
the result of the war. all classes, whether in
city or country, losing their property. He
had no doubt of the ultimate success of the
revolutionists, as the Chilians were almost
unanimously with them. Senor Montt did
not care to talk for publication at present.
He preferred to state his case later on and
let the American people judge as to which
was the just cause.
Senior Jose Gonzales, an arrival from
Chilli, with Senor Pedro Montt and party,
told of the horrors of the revolution.
"Balmaceda is practicing cruelties un-
heard of in the history of Chili,' said
Senor Gonzales. "a friend of mine who
was q prominent citizen OF Conception,
Senior Zerrano, and his son were put in
prison because they refused to obey the die
tates of the tyrant. Being imprisoned
failed to break their spirit, so Ralmaceda
had the father taken into Jail and meroi-
| essly tortured. After being brutally
fogged, the tendons of his arms and leg q
were severed to render him helpless for
life. This horrible cruelty was purpose ly
practiced within earshot Of his son, who
was afterwards subjected to the same treat
ment before the gaze Of his father, ow
fast dying from loss Of blood and his suf-
fering. Neither of them survived the hor-
Iors Of the torture.
another of Balmaceda's atrocities came
to liQ hit by the merest accident. Since the
beg inning of hostilities several we'll known
citizens of Santiago have mysterious ly dis
appeared. In some cases they have left
their residences to be gone an hour or two
and have never more been heard of. Their
fate was, however, discovered before l left
Santiago. Three bodies were taken one
Sunday to the principal cemetery for burial
The burial permits being irregular the cem-
etery authorities would not admit them.
The bearers Went back to town to get the
necessary changes made in tho per-
mits. While they were gone the men in
charge of the cemetery, suspeoting that
something was wrong, opened the collins
and discovered that all the bodies were head
less. OF course, this created great excite
ment and the news spread rapidly through
the town. Examination of the headless
corpse showed from marks on the bodies
that two of them were prominent residents
of Santiago. The third was never identi-
fed. II was afterward learned that these
men had been arrested and executed by
order of Balmaceda."
Senior Gonzales said that in all the fights
that had taken place in the province Of
Tarapaoa Balmaceda had not taken sin
gle prisoner. His orders to his officers
were to shoot all prisoners rs fast as taken,
as they had no time to bother with them
nor food to give them. People of the best
blood i'll Chilli, Senior Gonzales said, had
cast their lot with the revolutionists. To
escape the constant surveillance of Balma-
eeda they had to resort to hiding and dis
| guise. Some went north on steamers in
| tho capacity of stokers. Others slowed
themselves away on vessels that were going
to touch at ports occupied by the revolu-
tlonists. One party of young men who
were known in Valparaiso as dudes, or rich
mems sons, rowed from Mollendo to africa
} in open boats. They were exposed to the
hot sun and the elements eighty hours and
| arriu lr,n tnh hln Hhnv
subsequently taken to lquique and enlisted
in the ranks of the revolutionits.
Many young club mon and society exqui-
sites of Santlago'left there when the revo-
luton began and went to lquique. Thence
they went ON the war ships to take africa
and Tscna. They landed Mt Port Vito
, and marched from that point across
, the country to AFRICA, undergoing terrible
hardships, going ten hours without
. food or water under a scorching sun
. and climbing steep hills, but they never
ilinched. They carried their cannon in
sections on this difficult march. A priest,
Padre Hisboa, who accompanied them,
worked the same as the rest. When they
> arrived at africa they found the people flee
. ing on trains to Tacna. There was no loot
ing of houses or rioting of any kind. The
revolutionists' transports Aconcagua and
T Magellanes bombarded the town, while the
land force attacked from the rear. On
{ board these transports many ladies, wives,
sisters aud sweethearts of the dudes of the
land force, ladies who had never expert
+ enced rough labor of any description. rem
dered valuable assistance to the men who
worked the guns. The crews were short
handed, and these ladies brought shells and
cartridges from the magazines to the gun
ners.
In Pisagua some laborers who had been
on shore went through the streets hurrah-
ing for the revolutlonists. They were at
ouce arrested by Balmaceda's soldiers and
thrown into prison. Every night for Il
week two of these laborers were taken out
and shot and their bodies thrown back into
the room occupied by their comrades, who
! were told that such WAS to be the fate of
two of their number each night. In San
tiago Balmaceda had thrown open the
prison doors i'll order to make use of the
conyicts to carry out his projects. When
I the ships of the revolutionists were lying at
Caldern in apparent safety, which was guar
anteed by tho armistce with Balmaceda.
suddenly Balmaeeda's cruisers. Lynch and
Condell, appeared and without warning
opened fire upon them with the disastrous
result already known.
Another California Candidate
CHICAGO. July III. Delarth Shorb, ono
of Californis's candidates for the chief
fancy of the horticultural department, il