St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-01-21
The Brazilian Capital Once
More the Scene Of Intense
Excitement.
Prisoners Mutiny and Seize
Three Forts With Little
Trouble.
Troops and Men-of-War Put
in Action to Subdue the
Insurgents,
Who Quit Fighting in Short
Order, Surrender and Are
Locked Up.

Rio JANEIRo, Jan. 20.-After a sea-
son OF comparative tranquility, this city
has again become violently disturbed,
and the citizens have been thrown into
a state of excitement approaching the
feeling which prevailed here during
the uprISingS which resulted in the de-
thronement and Punishment of the late
Dom Pedro and the overthrow and re-
tirement to private life of the dictator,
Gen. ola Fonseca.
The trouble began yesterday evening,
when 100 prisoners confined for various
offenses i'll Fort Santa Cruz, on the
east side of the entrance to the harbor
of Rio Janeiro, and two miles south of
the city, mutinied and succeeded in
overpowering and disarming the guards
and soldiers stationed at the place EN-
boldened by their success, the prisoners
resolved to extend their scope of opera
tiOns.
Captured Two Forts.
armed with the weapons taken from
their former guards, they advanced upon
Forts Pico and Lage, overcame the SOL
dlers 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 per-
1ecting all their arrangements for
guarding the forts against the attacks
which they knew the government would
surely make to dIslodge them. boldly
demanded the restoration to power Of
the deposed dictator, Gen. da Fonseca.
The government officials, when they
became aware Of the gravity of the stu
alton, hurried all their available forces
to the scene of the uprising. The
troops were so placed as to surround
the forts held by the rebIes on the land
side, while the Brazilian war ships
which were in the vicinity were sta
toned so as to guard the side of the
forts which faced ON the harbor. The
rebels were very defiant and kept up a
deSultOry fire while the government
forces were making preparations for
the attack. The insurgents, however,
we've evidently
Without Discipline
or organization, anu the shots fred from
the forts were i'll directed. and did no
harm to the troops. Matters continued
In THIS state until this forenoon, when
the ARRANGEMENTS for taking the forts
by storm were perfected. The order ia
advance on the rebels was at length
given, and the troops at once moved OH
to the attack, while the guns of the war
vessels in the harbor began to thunder
forth and hurl their death-dealines Shells
through the air. The efforts of the
soldiers were directed against Fort
Plco. They made a combined grand
assault on the works, and. after show
of resistance by the rebels the troops
carried the fort. and the government
was again placed in possession In the
meantime gunbOatS were bombardinff
Fort Santa Cruz, and so effective was
their work that the rebels were soon
forced to throw down their arms and
surrendered in Body
to the authorities. The troops event.
ually obtained possession of all the forts
which had been seized, and the prison
erS, after their brief and intensely eX-
citing period of freedom, were again
placed in cells and strong guard was
detailed TO watch over them to prevent
repetition of the stirring scenes which
followed 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-
edly befall him should he be captured,
resolved to take his own life, and when
the soldiers reached the place where he
had been fighting they found his dead
body lying on the ground.
The firing duringS the attack on the
forts was plainly heard throughout the
city and caused the greatest consterna-
ton 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 their doors and windows.