The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-23

Domingas Martius. who led the attack on
the town. Is man Of mixed Indian. Portu-
guese and negro blood. and had always been
a peaceable labOrer up TO the time that the
wave of religious frenzy began 10 sweep
over the northern provinces OF Brazil IT is
said that he IS now demon incarnate. and
reveis in blood and slaughter, while many
Of the women who accompany. him are
furies who take delight in torturing prison
ers and killing the wounded.
PRISONERS TORTURED.
When the insurgents were approaching
Jacobina they captured a party of soldiers
who were guarding the main road to the
town. about ten in number. OF these six
were killed on the spot Four others were
tied to trees in full view of the garrison
and tortured in a most barbarous manner,
the cries of the sufferers being distinctly
heard by their comrades who did not dare
to go out to their rescue. Finally Domin-
COS Martius caused wood to be piled up
around the wretches and they were burned
to DEATH while the women insurgents
shrieked and daced with JOY at the spec
tacle. The rebel chief then took peasant
whom he had captured and sent a message
TO the garrison TO the effect that unless
they surrendered at once every one taken
alive would be treated just as the poor
captured soldiers had been. Some of the
soldiers were in favor of surrender, but
the officer in command, Major Pessoa,
would not listen to any such proposition,
and threatened to shoot any one who spoke
of it,
On receiving no reply to their demand,
the rebels made an attack on the post II
being then about 10 o'clock in the morning.
The women led the attack, armed with
knives, hatchets and other similar weapons,
the firearms being mostly in the hands or
the men. The troops fired on the lnsuf-
gents, whose approach was disorderly, and
more like that of a mob than Of military
force. Many of the rebels fell, and they
retreated to a distance, maintaining des-
ultory fire without much accuracy An
other charge in the afternoon was also re-
pulsed, and the troops began to hope that
they would succeed in maintaining their
defense. The second attack was more de-
termined than the first, and one woman
was shot down almost at the very door of
In a third attack the rebels carried torches,
which they tried to throw upon the build
ings to set them on fire, but without sue
cess.
though the republican government has de-
prived them of many privileges and virtual
ly diseStablished the Church, they show no
sympathy with the rebels in their outrages
and crimes, although the latter profess that
they are fighting the battle of the Church
against it's enemies. When the village of
Pilao Arcade on the Rio San Francisco,
was taken by an insurgent band, they
ordered the priest to celebrate mass in
honor of their victory but he refused and
shut the doors of the church The in
surgents were very much incensed, but did
not dare to do any violence to the priest.
They massacred all the inhabitants of Pilao
Arcade who refused to Join their standard,
except the priest and his household.
The chief danger to the republic, so far
as the insurrection is concerned, is the
dense ignorance of the lower classes. The
vast majority do not know how to read or
hear from parties interested in melting
them to discomfort and violence.