The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-01-29
HAITIANS RESTLESS. ,
Revolution Almost Precipi-
tated by a Fire at
Jeremie.
HYPPoLITE's ACTIVITY.
People Dissatisfied, Times Hard,
Coffee Crop a Failure, and
Much Misery.

PoRT-AU-PRNcE, Jan 90, 1S94.-Consider-
able excitement was caused in Port-au-Prince
on Tuesday last by the news that a big fire
was raging at the town of Jeremie. 1t was
thought at first that the conhagration was
started by enemies of the Government and
that it was the Inauguration of a revolutions
ary movement. President Hyppolite,
therefore, with his accustomed prompts
tude, took immediate steps to meet
and suppress revolution But before any
action could be taken second report came
| to hand stating that the fire was the result
of an accident and that the disturbances
caused by it was over.
The fire was a very extensive one, over
one hundred houses, including many large
business houses being burned to
the ground. 1t commenced at night, and
was caused by the overturning of lamp
in a private dwelling house. The
water supply at Feremie is very limited,
and once the fire was fairly started. all the
inhabitants could attempt to save was
| their household effects. To add to the
excitement the people living up in the
hills along the coast thereabout
and who look upon fire or shipwreck as
an especial blessing from the Almighty, came
down in numbers, armed and prepared for
| looting.
COULDN'T PREVENT LooTING.
| All efforts by the police to prevent looting
were unavailing. Those who were
towards midnight as of the widest character.
| Hordes of country people, half eraZed with
| excitement and liquor, and ran up and
down the streets assaulting whom they
met, and stealing what they found.
Some who were under the impression
that a revolution had broken out COM
menced firing upon the police. By daylight
| quiet was restored, but such excitement con-
| tinued for about two days afterward thas
steamers calling at the port were unable to
secure sufficient labor to land cargo.
Though it is not known that the tre was
| the result of accident and not designed it
was at first, as before intimated, thought to
| have been the signal for revolution, and
had it not been for the wromptness of Presi-
dent Hyppolite in doubling his guards and
arresting his offenders, an uprising might
| have occurred throughout the South As 1T
was, on the night following the confagra-
| tion at Jeremie, similar disturbances took
place at Leogafc and Petit Goave.
The spirit of incendiarism also manifested
| itself at Port-au-Prince. Night before last
| a house was set fire to in the lower portion
of the city. but before any damage was done
i the flames were put out The President
next morning sent out squads of soldiers to
capture the incendiary, but he had fed to
| the hills.
WANT ANOTHER REVOLUTION.
That the country is ripe for another revo-
| luton is fact of which Hyppolite himself,
| judging from the strict regulations which he
| is enforcing seems fully aware. The people
are discontented and restless The coffee
crop has not been a good one, trade is dull,
times are hard and want and misery, par
| ticularly in the towns prevail in an unusual
degree. Still, Hyppolite is as watchful, and
is SO stern with offenders when they are
| caught plotting, that no one appear to have
| the courage to make an open move.
| One precautionary measure that the Presi-
| dent is now having enforced is the searching
| of all parties landing in Haiti.
/ There may be some necessity for making
| this search with respect to Haitians coming
/ here from Kingston, Jamaica, but in the
| case of foreigners it only results In annoy
ance and inconvenience. When steamer
/ arrived at Port-au-Prince, say at five o'clock
| in the evening, no one is allowed to go
ashore until nine o'clock the next morning,
/ and even then you are never certain whether
YOU will be allowed to land at all. A full
| list of passengers by any steamer IS always
sent up to the President, who examines the
| list and sends permit to land.
/ SEARCHED.
Port-au-Prince has no wharf for landing
| and passengers go ashore in boats When
1 YOU land you show your passports to the
| General of the port. That officer turns you
| over to another who goes through all your
| pockets After being searched at the port
you go to the customs and see your baggage
searched. 1t is the rule to open all trunks In
| the streets instead of inside the Customs
House, and crowd always gathers around
to inspect whatever the trunks may contain.
The customs officer makes a most thorough
search. Every article in the trunk is taken
out, shaken out and then thrown down in 8
heap ON the pavement in the dustiest possible
spot. Even silk ties and handkerchief go
down in the dirt together to the evident
amusement of the crowd. When the ex-
animation is finished you are left TO fold
and repack your clothes whilst the GUS
toms officials stand and scowl at you be-
cause they failed to find anything of a susA
picious nature.
About four months ago, according to in-
formation received Mr.. Durham, the late
Minister General for the United States rep
resented this matter for searching American
citizens very strongly to President Hyppolite
with the result that the obnoxious custom
was discontinued until Mr.. Durham was re-
lieyed from office