The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-09-01
A CAPTAIN WITH STAMINA.
President Ezeta, of Salvador, Refused
the Possession of Passengers.

the Possession of Passengers.
SAN JOSE DE GUATEMALA, Aug 18.-The
incident which occurred at the port of La
Llbertad, in the republic of Salvador, ten
days ago, bore some resemblance to the
Bermuda affair, which happened on the
steamer Acapulco in San Jose de Guate-
mala during the late war between Saliva
dor and Guatemala. One of the parties
concerned in this case, however, was an
American citizen, and the result might
nave been the same as IN the Barrundia af-
iair, had it not been for the prompt and
oecislye action of the captain of an Ameri-
can steamship
The Pacific Mail Steamship Company's
steamer City of Panama. which runs be-
tween Panama and Acapulco, Mexico,
stopped at Corrinto, Nicaragua, August 5,
on her regular northbound trip, and among
the passengers whom she took on there,
were Patrick Brennan, an American citi-
gen residing in Salvador, and four native
caiVadorians, all former officers of the gov
eminent. These men had incurred the
dispieasure of President Ezeta, and
were regarded by him as revolution
lists. August the steamer stopped
at La Libertad. There she was boarded by
ofneers acting under the direction of Presi-
: dent Ezeta, who demanded of Captain T.
I. White, commander of the City of
Panama, the surrender of Brennan and
. his four companions.
captain White refused to comply with
his demand. and the officers returned to
shore and reported the result of their visit
TO the commandant of the port The COM
mandant Immediately went to the steamer
with a boat load of armed men and in
formed Captain White that the latter could
consider himself under his orders, as he
had come to take possession of the steamer
and to arrest the men.
Captain Whites Indignation was aroused
at once, and without waiting to discuss
the matter at all, he told the commandant
that if he did not leave the steamer at
once he would throw him overheard. The
commandant evidently perceived that the
captain was prepared to carry out his
threat, for he withdrew from the steamer
without any further discussion.
A short time before the steamer sailed
from La Libertad Captain White was in
formed that President Ezeta had been
notified OF the occurrence on the City of
Panama, and that he had gone with large
armed force to Acajutla, the next
port in Salvador at which the
steamer was to stop. The captains in
formation was to the effect that Ezeta in
tended to await the arrival of the steamer
at Acajutla. and to take off the refugees at
all hazards. Captain White accordingly
determined not to go to Acajutla at all,
and as there was no other port in Salvador
at which the steamer was scheduled to
stop, he proceeded to San Jose de Guate-
mala arriving there August IL. Captain
White and Mr.. Brennan went at
once to the city of Guatemala
and laid the facts before United
States Minister Pacheco. The men whom
President Ezeta desired to capture are now
on Guatemalan territory, and Ezeta has
requested the authorities of Guatemala to
surrender them. The exact details of the
charges made against the men by Presi-
dent Ezeta are not known here Bren-
nan has resided in Salvador for some time,
and is railroad contractor. He
is said to be a man of means and
of some prominence in the country.
During the late war with Guatemala his
business operations were interrupted, and
it is said that at President EZeta's request
he accepted position in the army of Sal
vador, enlisted his railroad employees in
the service, and was instrumental in win
ming one or more battles in which he was
engaged. At the close of the war he re-
tired from military service, and when
revolution was threatened in Salvador
some time later il is said that Ezeta again
desired Brennan to enter his SER
vice and enlist his railroad en-
nIoves Brennan declined to do so and
it is supposed that in this way he incurred
the displeasure of Ezeta. The four Saliva
dorians whom Ezeta wished to seize were
Don Ayala, legally elected president of
Salvador, but who mad been deprived of
office; General L. Letona. commander-in-
chief of the Salvadorian army in 1855, but
who has been in exile for the past five
years; General L. Hernandez, a wealthy
exile, and Colonel N. Rivas. of the Saliva
dorian army, nephew of General Rivas
who was executed by Ezeta's orders for
the part which he took in the late insur-
rectioQ