Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1896-04-30
READS LIKE A ROMANCE.
An Interesting South American Let
ter from an ex-Las Vegan
to a Friend Here.

Dear Mr.. Monahan:
A fortnight or 50 ago l sent you a
letter asking for information about my
brother Tai, (Charley). l then told
you that / had heard some tine pre-
vious!y from my other brother, who
was then in California. Since writing
to you / have received another letter
from Arthur. He was then in Peru!
This news naturally astonished me,
having heard bat 8 short time before
that be was In the States. At first
could not understand the matter, but
on referring to his previous letter, !
found that it was dated, January, 1895.
This solved the mystery, of curse.
That letter had been written over twelve
months before it reached me, and had
evidently been delayed a year or SO on
its journey here.
And now let me give you a few items
from his last letter. | am sure they
will astonish you as much as they did
me. 1t seems that he left California
about the beginning Of last year, with
the intention of calling upon me, soone
or later. Coming southwark along the
Pacific coast he was Induced to land in
Peru, where he expected to secure a
berth OF some kind, and there he APP
pears to have remained. Asanguinary
revolution broke out there about that
time, and in that movement he
seems to have taken a prominent
part. His communication to me is
brief, but it contains a recital of
hardshirs, hair-breath escapes, terri
BILE experiences and scenes of blood
and disaster enough to make ones
hair stand on end. He arrived in
Lima three days before the city was
attacked, having travelled for two
weeks through rocky wilderness and
dense forests, over salt deserts and
lonely mountains with very little to eat
aud less to drink. He says the priva-
tions he endured during this terrible
journey affected him much more than
his subsequent bloody experiences in
the smoke and din OF battle ia the
streets of Lima.
There, as a born fighter, he was in
his element. On the day of the siege
he shouldered a rifle and soon received
his baptism of blood. Towards even
ing, the fight had resolved itself into a
bloody hand -to.hand encounter in the
streets. The combatants fought like
6ends. The cutters ran with blood,
and the walls and sidewalks were
splashed a CORY red The carnage was
fearful No one thought OF quarter
until the streets were filled with
mounds Of the valiant dead and dying.
Arthur, in company with several other
blood -stained warriors, was captured
by the victorious forces and confined
in the fort, where, a few days after
wards, they were condemned to be
shot. Before the fatal sentence was
carried out, the prisoners mutinied
and attacked the guards. The latter
seem to have resisted like tigers, but
Arthur and a few Others managed to
cut their way through to liberty. A
re ward was Immediately offered for
their capture-alive or dead!
For a long time my brother re-
NAMED hid in the house Of a trooper,
life he had saved, but I'M
cautiously ve%nturing forth one day be
was recognized and re-taken prisoner.
Matters were comparatively calm by
this time, and as he was able to make
out a good case in defence of his pre-
vious conduct, he was simply SEN
fenced to be confined for a period in
the fort. How he managed to get his
letter struggled through he does not
say, but be tells me that his time is
nearly up, and he hopes soon to be
Tree again. He is however deter
il an opportunity presents
tself in the meantime, to make
another dash for freedom, at whatever
cost, trusting that Providence will en-.
sble him to find refuge on board an
American or English ..man-o'-war." /.
Such is his story, Mr.. Monahan.
lie regrets that bis recent experiences
lave prevented him from writing to
'ou and asks me to forward you and
drs. Monahan the enclosed as an as
urance that he still thinks of you and
lis many friends in Las Vegas. For
he sake Of the latter, perhaps it would
lot be an unwiss plan to send this (
etter to THE OPTIc. My brothers.
Id acquaintance will probably be in
to hear Of his startling adven-
ures in South America. As soon as
ear from my brother again, / shall |
Irop you a line to keep you al I
auunt. Yours very sincerely, /,
s. EDMUNDs. I