The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1891-06-11
4 HORRIBLE MASSACRE.
Hyppolite The Leader in The
Bloody Work.
None Are Respected. Not Age Sex or
Condition an Excuse.



ByAssoeiated Press to The Comet.
PORT Az PRINCE, June 8.-For the
last two or three weeks there have
been rumors that revolution
against President Hyppolite was inn
minent at this Capital, and this having
reached the ears of the chief executive
he caused the arrest of about 80 sus-
pected persons, and put them in irons
in prisons.
Among the suspected, was Gen.
Sull, who hearing he was awanted"
hid himself Failing to secure the
General, himself, his wife was taken
instead and::thrown into prison.
At Corpus Christi, Thursday May
2S, was national holiday and it was
reported that on that date, Hyppolite,
in order to effectually terrify the popu-
lance, had ordered gatling gun to be
taken down to the prisoner and the
eighty prisoners to be summarily exc
cuted. Friends of the prisoners
among whom was Gen. Sully, met in
council, and while the President was
in the Cathedral, they forced open
the prison doors and freed all the pri
soners, about 250 in all.
Then by order of the president, be-
gan series of assassinations, perhaps
unequaled in annuls of civilization
and to which the massacre of st. Bar
tholomew sinks into insignifcance.
The first victim was Earnest RigauC
a respected merchant and hard work
ingman, who occupied himself exelu
| sively with his business and was pos
itively known to have been perfectly
innocent of conspiracy of any kind
He was sitting on a balcony with hi
wife, when the president passed and
ordered him out and sent him to tht
cemetery to be shot. He asked to be
allowed to take his hat Che was un
covered) and the presidents OWL
words were: ''you won't require a hal
long" His nephew a boy of fifteen
or sixteen, followed him to place o
execution, and returned with the news
to the afflicted wife who was still hop
/ ing to bring influence to bear to save
her husband He told her .'it is use
less my poor uncle has been foully
murdered"
These words were reported to the
president, and twenty minutes late
the boy was brought before him.
Being asked if he had made th'
above statement, he did not deny it
but said
president, I have never conspire(
against you by word or deed" Th'
boy was shot at once.
About the same time, Alexis Rossig
mol, an inoffensive and much esteemed
man was executed in the streets. An
other man was put up against the ca
thedral wall and shot. Seventeen wer
executed in a batch, and even at thi
date, an occasional volley tells tina
another poor wretch has been sent Il
his doom.
There is no fighting in the streets t.
excuse this massacre. Every execu
ton is carried out in most COLI
blooded way, the executioners beini
soldiers belonging to a most DEGRADED
type of men, who seem to enjoy hi
bloody task.
It is impossible to enumerate il. de
tail all the murders that have beer
perpetrated under color of the law.
It is estimated that from May % t
May 81, at least fifty persons have beer
been put to death and figures ar
placed as high as one hundred. N
one can say how long this state of al
fairs will last, or what the result vii
be, nor can anyone who has not beer
an eye witness of the scene of horro
enacted have any idea of the terrifiet
condition of the people of the Port al
Prince.
TpU