Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1897-05-12
TWICE A PRISONER OF WAR.
Interesting Experience Of chas. b. Johnson
In the Repsbiic OF Honduras.

Mr.. II. J. Weir received last week |
two letters from Chas. b. Johnson,
duras, the letters detailing accounts
of his experiences in that country and
his return to America, the last letter
being written from New Orleans on
April 18th. Although the accounts
are too long for publication entire. a
summary of his trip will interest his
many Fergus county friends.
Mr.. johnson left Lewistown March
Sth and after brief stops in Helena
and Kansas City, reached Dallas,
Texas, where he remained for three
weeks visiting his brothers and on
April 4th sailed for New Orleans on
the Clearwater, the fasteststeamship
between that port and Puerto Cor
tezon the northern coast of Hon.
duras. The ship sighted Honduras
the second day out, but sailed along
the coast for two dayslanding cargo
and on the fourth day, Mr.. johnson
disembarked at Puerto Cortex, a
beautiful town, the business district
of which is limited to one street, but
which, nevertheless. is one of the
most important ports of that Re
public.
There he met several Americans,
using the term as it applies to the
citizens of this country alone, and
found the American consul a very
accommodating and affable gentleman,
willing to assist him in every way.
Mr.. Johnson shortly learned, how
ever, that his visit to Honduras was
very inopportune for an insurrection
had been started a short time pre-
vious and the country was in a state
| of war. Learning that the insurrec-
| tionists were about to make an at
tack upon the town, he left by train
for San Pedro Sula, a town distant
inland about 80 miles. His departure
was very fortunate for the contem-
plated attack vas madeimmediately
after he left and the train on which
he Travelled was the last TO go south.
At San Pedro he met other Ameri-
cans, but was left in peace but "a
short time, the insurrectionists at
lacking the town and capturing il
after N desperate struggle in which
10 per cent Of the garrison wa killed.
Mr.. Johnson was made "A prisoner of
war and while in custody addressed
one of the letters to Mr.. Weir. which
was SO delayed in transmission that
il did not reach its destination until
the same day as one written some
time later from New Orleans. At
the time the letter was written MIR.
Johnson says, every few people are
left i'm San Pedro, although "a few
days before the town had "a popula-
ton of about 4.5OO, nearly everyone
not captured having escaped to- the
mountains or the swamps.' The
insurgents, so far as he had seen,
were gentlemen and not inclined to
pillage, prefering to pay for all they
got. They are men who were ban
ished from Honduras at the time oi
the last Instruction, about two and
one-half years ago and are led by
Gen. Soto, who mas made his home
in New York and is a great friend o1
Americans, giving the latter assur
ances that they will be well treated
and given every opportunity for in
vestment if his party succeeds, which
seems very probable. The army il
ly.,. ,,-I Tho .al nnI
contemplates placing Soto in the
presidents chair and adopting re
forms in all government matters
The government de facto has beer
very jealous of Americans.
Finding himself in the midst OF wal
and circumstances altogether un
favorable for an investigation of the
agricultural interests of the country
Mr.. johnson determined to return tt
America as soon as possible ant
await a more opportune time, but
: this determination was not easy tC
carry out. Securing his release IN
started for the coast but was agaiI
captured and only after much hard
ship did he get aboard of a vesse
bound for New Orleans and arrived
there on April 18th, after about
month of exciting adventure, during
which, he says, he faced 300 cooked
W~inchesters, a Krupp and a Gatlinl
gun"
Mr.. johnson writes that he IL
very ~favorably impressed with thu
country and it's climate, nothwith
standing his unusual experiences
and contemplates returning to Hon
duras, in the company OF his brother
from Dallas, just as soon as condi
tions are favorable for travel and in
vestigation. Among persons he me-
We're Mr.. and Mrs. Van Blarcom from
Neihart, Montana.