Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-01-28
A REVOLT IN BRAZIL.



Escaped Prisoners Capture Government
Forts, But Are Defeated--The Leader
Kills Himself Rather Than Surrender
RIO JaNEIRo, Jan. 20.-After a season ol
comparative tranquility this city has again
become violently disturbed, and the citi
zens have been thrown into a state of ex
element approaching the feeling which
prevailed here during the uprisings which
resulted in the reinforcement and Danish
ment of the late Dom Pedro and the over.
throw and subsequent retirement to pri
vate life of the dictator, General da Fonseca
The trouble began yesterday evening,
when l60 prisoners, confined for various
offences in Fort Santa Cruz, situated on
the east side of the entrance to the harbor
OF Rio Janeiro and two miles south of the
city, mutinied and succeeded in over
powering and disaraling the guards and
soldiers stationed at Nc place
Emboldened by I success, the prison
erB resolved to exteii.a ...eir scope of opera
tons. Armed with the weapons taken
from their former guards, they advanced
upon Forts Pico and Lago, overcame the
soldiers on duty, and took possession of
the two forts and all the munitions of war
which they contained.
Flushed by their victories, the prisoners,
after ,perfecting all their arrangements for
guarding the forts against the attacks
which they knew the government would
surely make to dislodge them, boldly de-
manded the restoration to power OF the
deposed dictator, Gen. Da Fonseca. The
government officials, when they become
aware of the gravity of the situation,
hurried all their available forces to the
scene of the uprising. The troops were so
placed as 70 surround the forts held by the
rebels on the land side, while the Brazilian
warships. which were in the vicinity,
fuf aad SO. e.. .u1 i -
the forts which faced on the harbor.
The rebels were defiant and kept up
desultory fire while the government forces
were making preparations for the attack
The insurgents, however, were without
discipline or organization, and the shots
fired from the forts were poorly aimed and
did no harm to the troops at whom they
were directed.
Matters continued in this state until this
forenoon, when the arrangements for TAX
ing the forts by storm were perfected The
order to advance on the rebels was given
and the troops moved on 10 the attack,
while the guns of the war vessels in the
harbor began to thunder forth and hurl
their death dealing shells through the air.
The efforts of the soldiers were directed
against Fort Pico. They made combined
grand assault on the works, and after
show Of resistance by the rebels the troops
again placed in possession.
In the meantime the gunboats were
bombarding Fort Santa Cruz, and so
effective was their work that the rebels
were soon forced to throw down their arms
and surrender themselves TO the author
tiles. The prisoners after their brief and
exciting period of freedom, were again
placed in cells and strong guard was de-
tailed to watch over them to prevent
repetition of the stirring scenes which fol-
lowed their outbreak from the fort.
The leader of the rebels. when he saw
that further resistance was useless, and
knowing the fate which would undoubt-
eddy befall him should he be captured, re-
solved to take his own life, and when the
soldiers reached the place where be had
been fighting they found his dead body
lying on the ground. The firing during
the attack on The forts was plainly heard
throughout the city and caused the greatest
CONSERVATION among the residents. Many
timid persons sought places of safety until
the fighting had ceased, and a number of
storekeepers and others closed their places
Of business and securely bolted and barred
the doors and windows.