The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-04-06
The Government Troops Deeoyed Into
an Ambush.
BUTCHERED By THE INSURGENTS.
The War Said to Have Become General Through.
out the Province Disappearance Of
Man-oi.War.
Special to THE MORNING. CALI.

NEW YORK, April 5-The Recorders
special from Caracas. under date Of March
20. says war has begun. The Government
Itself has announced it, and all things are
under the iron hand of martial law. There
Is no Congress; there are no courts.
and the Presidents word is the
only law. On the evening of
March 10 an official newspaper pub
lished IA official announcement that the
Minister Of War upon the Presidents direc-
tion, Dr. Sebastian Casanas. had been ap-
pointed general-in-chief Of the expedition
ary force against the Crespo faction.
Casanas is, or was, plain doctor, al
though in his youth be was said
to have little experience in the
army. Casanas is statesman.
not soldier. No one questions
his ability as Cabinet Minister or under
rates his skill lin advising the President.
Casanas promptly accepted the appointment
anu at once went to the front He made
his headquarters at La Victoria, an historic
town of 10000 inhabitants, about half
way between Caracas and Valencia.
Late at night, on March 20, there
came report that there had been fight
between the revolutionists and the Gov
ernment forces in the hills near La Vic
toria, and that the wounded were on their
way into Caracas. On the following day
about 20 wounded soldiers were said to be
in this city. From them the opposition
learned stirring news. The Government had
shipped to Los TequeS from Caracas by way
OF the German Hallway six carloads Of
American rifles aud Cartridges. At Los
Teques the stuff was loaded into carts aud
started along the road TO La Victoria under
a guard of sixty soldiers. Al lonely spot
about half way between Los Teques
and La Victoria some brigands rose up
from each side and fell upon the soldiers.
They were armed only with cruel macoco,
long machete, that Is, long pruning
hook. cOrnstalk-cutters, but, er knives and
swords. No shots were fired, although
the soldiers were armed with good
American repeating rifles. Besides
shots and frantic screams there was dull
crunch of n keen-edged macOco cutting into
the flesh and bones of the soldiers. II was
all over in few moments, and then the
soldiers fled into the brush. From that
day TO this no man in Caracas knows
what hes become of the six carts,
the six mules and six loads of arms.
The most startling event of the week was
the explosion Of a dynamite bomb, or Some-
thing OF that nature, in Plaza Bolivar,
only few rods from the front
Presidents official residence. 1t was al
o'clock at night, on March "a; the Govern
ment band was playing merry airs in the
plaza between the university and the south
front Of the capitnlio. Crowds of people
were walking back and forth listening 10
the music.
La GUAYRA. (VeneZuela), March 30-11
AMT has Just been learned here that
the Venezuelan man-of-war Reivindicado
and a Government tug have mysteriously
disappeared on the southern part
CT Gran Lago de Maracaibo. The
an-of-war, which was formerly au
American revenue-cutter, conveyed three
small steamers up the lake, carryino7 arms
and ammunition for the Government forces
in the mountains Of Los Andes. The three
transports returned 10 Maracaibo, but the
man-of-war did not return. The Govern
ment tug was thereupOn sent after the man.
of-war, but neither the man-Of-war EOr the
tug has been heard from since. A report
also is received that the Government man
of-war has been captured by the rev0lu-
tiOnists in q river tributary TO the Gran
Iago de MaracSibo.