Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-04-02
a Forgotten international Epi-
sode That Threatened War.
CAUSED BY A WATERMELON,
An American Emlsranl Train Attacked BY a
Soph American Mob--Assised
BY the Polioe--Ths
Story.

For The Sunday Gazette.
In the discussion of mobs and mob
| violence that followed the New Orleans
| lyuching and the killing of American
sailors In the streets Of Valparaiso, i Is
| singular that attention was not called,
In the public prints, 60 one Of the most
| serious outbreaks In which the United
| States has ever been concerned.
/ refer 10 the murderous attack made
at Panama Ia 1856 on an American en-
igrant train, and the dispute with
| New Granada tnow the Republic of
| Columbia) Tint followed.
AT that time there was no trnnscon-
| tlnental railways, and the lsthmus of
| Panama was the favorite route for
| persons going to seek their fortunes In
California To meet the demands for
transportation. American enterprise
had established the lannma railway,
which crossed the isthmus from Colon
on the Atlantic, to the city Of Pandma
on the Pacific. Along this line many
thousands made their way to the land
Of gold
On the morning Of April Is, 1886,
the steamer illinois" arrived at Colon
from New York with nearly thous-
and passenger on route for California.
Among these passengers were many
women ana children. Three trains
were made up and all the passengers
were transported TO Panama. where
the steamer "Toboga" was waiting
for. them. Arriving there, some be-
took themselves TO the two hotels near
the railway station, while many went
TO the ticket Office to have their tickets
registered.
was as trivial in It's origin as II was
tragic In its results.
JUST A SLICE OF WATERMELON.
An alteration arose between a drunk
on passenger and a Panama negro who
kept provision stall near the railway
station, over the mans refusal TO pay for
slice of watermelon, the price dime
"A companion of the passenger paid
the negro, but the disturbance did not
cease.
Either before or after the payment
OF the money, IL is uncertain which. q
pistol shot was fired. The pistol be-
longed 10 the drunken passenger but
whether he fired IL was n question never
determined. The evidence indicated
that IL was fired by 'light-colored ma
i've n companion Of the watermelon
vendor who took Il from the passen-
ger after the latter had drawn IT,
Right upon the shot the two negroes
ran along the beach TO the Cienngo, q
marshy negro settlement near the rail
way station. There they sounded an
alarm, and In almost an instant's time
were on the return with crowd armed
with stones, mnchettes and other weap.
ons. The whole force at once began an
nttnCk ON the hotels.
Among the witnesses Of this scene
was Captain Allan Mcl.anO, then agent
of the Pacific Mail Steamship company
mt Panama. lie was standing on the
company,s pier directing the discharge of
some freight
Seeing the rioters coming toward the
railway station, he fastened there. and
ON his way despatched q messenger
TO the chief Of police, calling him TO
bring out his force. The messenger.
n faithful native who had been In the
employ of the steamship company, was
shot by n ball In the neck, but he new
ertheless succeeded In delivering his
message.
Meanwhile the passengers in the rail-
way station were In state of great
alarm. Those who had families ia the
hotels hastened there. All others remain
ed to defend the station and the help
less persons imprisoned Ia IL, in case
IL should be attacked. An attempt to
organize force among the passengers
failed, since few We're armed and there
was general feeling of helplessness
and panic,
A small party Of men, however, found
an old cannon, and loading il with iron
boiler rivets hauled 1t outside of the
gate of the station. This gate command.
the street leading TO the negro settle
ment. They placed the cannon in charge
OF trusty man with orders not to
hire unless the natives should advance
on the station and could not otherwise
be restrained.
THE CHIEF OF POLICE JOINS
THE MOB.
The suspense was Of short duration.
n rtVass Nl,. -
turned their attention to the station
ihey. had previously been firing occa-
slonal shots. The fusiade now increas-
ed and an attack was imminent What
then took place cannot better be de.
scri6ed than In Captain McIane's own
words wa
Not sound went from the station,
doubtless each person there felt TINT
dreadful scenes of massacre. rapine ANA
plunder were inevitable unless the nm.
thouties Of the country could be brought
ana lnlefposed between the reckless md
maddened rioters and their innocent. un
armed and detenceless victims
AT TINS moment the long listened
LOT sound OF the bugle note was heard
ana Il brought relief to many an ach-
ing heart. We congratulated each 9th
or, and in moment more we would
nave been outside the enclosure To well
come our deliyerers, when there was
poured into the station yolley of mus
kerry accompanied by savage shouts
for blood. This voley was quickly fol-
lowed by others; tho dreadful reality
the mob. '''''N
In a moment the police, headed bv
Colonel Garrido, had crossed the clenr
space between the Cienaga and the
station houses, aud from under the win
dows Of the tick9t office and freight
room commenced firing into them.
AT the same time the outside mob
with some of the police In company
entered the station from the west end
along the track firing through II Ia
clear the way and broke into the yari-
Gus rooms, machettes In hand. and he.
der" N pun
Before the work OF murder md ID.
struction was stayed, about twenty ner.
sons were killed, only two of Svbom
were OF the attacking party. ana t,,,enl
ty-nine were wounded, thirteen al whom
We're natives The loss OF FOREIGNERS IN |
property also was great. claims ON tbat
score 70 the amount OF half a mIIlion |
dollars being preferred. 'O"
A WAR IMMINENT.
AS soon as the facts were oscor.
NWlnnH tho .N"NNAT