The morning call., 1893-05-05
CUT INTO PIECES.
An American Butcllered in
Chile.
NATIONAL HATE THE CAUSE
Frank Mat.lewson Killed and James
Jerome Wounded Near Conception.
Dispatches Were Suppressed.

An almost parallel case with that of
American Engineer Farrell. who was killed
under the STARS and Stripes" near Concap-
cioD, Chile, during the late revolution, and
whose partner, Charles Unger, had a mar
row escape from death at the hands of an
excited rabbie, is reported from the same
district in letters which were received in
this city yesterday and documents which
are said to be EN- route to the Secretary of
State at Washington.
Frank Mathewson, an American surveyor,
has lost his life, and James Jerome. his as
sistant. is reported as being near deaths
door, and the Government of Chile has an
other case of mob violence to answer for to
this country.
The country near Conception is Inhabited
by rugged class of poems and muleteers
who are bitterly antagonistic to all foreign
ers and especially to Americans.
Mathewson and Jerome were employed
to survey a short line of road, some seventy
miles In The interior. and left Conception
some months ago for their camp. accom-
panied by party of natives.
Jerome dictated his story to the writer of
his communication as f0llows::
"Our men showed considerable dislike for
Mathewson. Upon one occasion | over
heard conversation in which it was
plOpuStu W SHOOl nun. l. informed MIN OIL
his danger, but he only laughed at me, say
ing that the Chileans would think well be-
fore attacking an American after the Balti-
more affair
ION the night of February % ne of our
muleteers, a man whom we had always
trusted, came to our cabin and cautioned us
To leave the country immediately as the
poems, miners and halfbreed r0ad-WUrkers
meant mischief.
"Mathewson decided to wait till morning
beT0 re returning to Conception, as the roads
are very dangerous at night.
"All night long we sat in the little
wooden shanty, which served US as ares
dence, with cooked Winchester rifles over
our knees. Once suriy looking fellow
came TO the door under pretext of wanting
some medicine for sick woman. He eyed
the guns charity and left without waiting
for the drugs
I'VE could hear whispering outside the
door, but 1t was evident that the crow was
AFRAID 10 attack US, knowing that we would
na Ike hard fight, having the advantage of
them in the matter of firearms. as most of
them were armed only with machetes.
"Mathewson explained to me that he
had rashly made mention in the presence
of one of our mule-drivers that he had sew
eral hundreds of dollars ip gold in the
CABIN with which TO purchase supplies.
Il presumed at the time that greed for
gain inspired the movement against onr
llve7 but subsequently | was convinced
that nothing but pure hatred for Americans
instigated the crime.
I'VE were unmolested till daybreak.
Then Mathewson proposed 10 leave the
cabin quietly and proceed to Conception,
leaving tile camp IN charge of Petos Dalaro,
Peruvian miner who appeared to be very
friendly toward us, and anxious 10 aid us to
escape.
1--WE proceeded down the road some fifty
yards when out of clump OF bushes a
dozen or more haifbreeds sprang aud COM
menced to hack away at us with their
knives. Mathewson was on mu!eback |
had not secured my animal and was on DOT.
I'VE were both armed with rifles and re-
yolyers and opened fire at close quarters.
Il shot one man through the breast with
Winchester, then reached for my revolver,
using the rifle as club 10 guard off blows
which rained thick and fast.
Mathewson fired one shot from his rifle
with the muzZle close to a peon's breast.
and almost simultaneously received cut
across the cheek and neck. which feled him
TO the ground.
The attention of the attacking party was
momentarily diverted to the prOstrate man
and L fired i've shots into the crowd with
great rapidity from my pistol, two of which
appeared TO take effect. My rifle had been
rendered useless by o cartridge getting
stuck in the magazine.
~ he lnfurated mob turned on me, and /
would have met with the same fate as
Mathewson had not Dalaro. the Peruvian,
anu io9dt cluplOScS come TO the
rescue. l was hustled away to Dalaro's
casa, where it was discovered that | was
bleeding from number OF wounds about
The hands. face and body.
"MathewsOn was killed outright and
badly cut to pieces
Il sent word by native to the nearest
telegraph station, but the dispatch was
never transmitted
'On the morning of February 27 was too
low 10 be moved, and my good Peruvian
friend was in momentary fear OF mob yio-
lence.
''On the afternoon of the 9th our old
cabin was entered by band of twenty or
more natives, who stole everything in it,
Mathewson's silken American flag was
torn into strips and distributed among the
crowd.
"On the morning OF the 2Slh small de-
tachment OF troopers arrived at camp, and
have been here since. Communications
have been forwarded to the American Com
sui and a full statement of the case TO the
authorities at Washington.
telegraph communications regarding our
case have been withheld by the Government
authorities"
The exact purport of the papers for
warded, as is stated to the capital, cannot
be learned, but as several prominent citi-
zens of South Chile indorse Jerome's letter
there must be something very aggrayatIng
about his case.
1t IS said that Jerome is in a very critical
condition, and probably by this time under
the care OF the American Consul. as the
letters were written soon after the trouble
occurred.
MathewsoD was native of Boston and
had been In Chile Tor year. He was a sur
veyor by profession.