Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-24
HAITIANS ON A VISIT.
TWenty-SiX of Them Arrive in New
York for a Short Stay.
EI-MINISTER FIRMIN AMONG THEM
He Talks of the Affairs of the Unfortunate
Little Island.
MANY INHABITANTS THINK OF LEAVING

NEW YORK, July 23.-When the Atlas
line steamer Prins Frederik Hendrix ar
rived at Pierrepont Stores, Brooklyn, yes
terday, shortly after noon, &c passengers
came ashore and 26 distinct sighs of relief
wefe breathed. All the passengers were
Haitians, or at least residents in Haiti.
Most of them came from Port au Prince.
None of them were ready to say much about
the state of affairs in Haiti's capital except
to reiterate in a sort of scared chorus that
all was quiet and that Hippolyte was very
widely esteemed within his domain.
Of greatest prominence in the party was
M. Outenor Firmin, ex-Minister Of Finance
to Hippolyte. NJ Firmin had his wife and
several childaen with him and is full
blooded negro, a man of great intelligence
and thoroughly conversant with the politi-
cal situation in Haiti. In fact, the other
arrivals in the Prins Frederik Hendrix
say that NJ Firmin was probably nearer to
Hippolyte than any other man in the ad-
ministration. NJ. Firmin was found at the
Hotel Dam last evening with his wife and
children.
Ex-Minister Firmin's Statement.
According to M. Firmin the most import
ant question of the day in Haiti is the
and San Domingo, as those Governments
are at loggerheads over the location of the
boundary line between the two countries
and the regulation of the amount of money
paid annually to San Domingo to insure
proper interchange of commerce between
the two countries.
1t seems that for some years past Haiti
has paid to the Dominican Government the
sum of $50, 600 year to assure certain
trade between the two countries without es-
tablishing custom house duties. When M.
FirmIn was Minister in Haiti he refused to
continue this payment, alleging that the
imports from San. Domingo were insignlti-
cant to the commerce of the country.
Since that event the relations between the
Governments of Haiti and San Domingo
have been strained and President Hippo
lyte has sent NJ. O. Thoby as q special en-
voy to San Domingo to arrange matters.
NJ. Firmin, however, unlike the other Hal
tians who arrived yesterday, does not seem
to attach much Importance to the dissen-
sions existing between the two Govern
ments, and inclines to the opinion that NJ.
Thoby has been sent to San Domingo by
Hippolyte for the purpose of giving him
something TO do
Many Mysterious Deaths.
NJ. Thoby was an old supporter of Legi-'
time and a member of his Cabinet, but so
strong in resources that he was conciliated
by Hippolyte when he came into power.
NJ Firmin was inclined to be reticent
when it came to discussion of the number
of persons killed since the 28th of May,
when the first and only uprising against
occurred, according to his mar
rative.
Since the shooting down of the enemies of
Hippolyte on May % last, however, there |
have been numerous sudden deaths in Port |
au Prince where well constituted Coroners' |
iuries in New York would have found that |
the deceased came to their deaths from gun
shot wounds administered by unknown per- |
sons.
On May % 100 persons are alleged to |
have been killed at the instigation of Hip |
polyte, but since that date it is alleged that |
many Haitiens who reside in Port au Prince
have seized the opportunity to remove each
other for private motives, and all these re-
cent murders have been set down to Hippo
lyte.
The total number of the persons killed in
his way, since May 2S, is something over
fifty NJ. Firmin expects to leave for Paris
IN Saturday by the French line.
A prominent Haitian, who is q resident
IF Port au Prince, says that the local papers
print nothing concerning the real state of
affairs, but that there is a wire overland
from Port au Prince to Mole Saint Nicho-
as by which the Haitian news printed
every morning in New York is transmitted
pack to Port au Prince at the expense of the
merchants.
Others Have Little to Say.
Among other arrivals by the Prins Fred
Il L., q l. II I