The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1899-03-15
Another Elephant.
Situation in Puerto Rico is Said to
be Alarming.

San Juan de Puerto RlcO, March l.
The real situation in Puerto Rice
is not understood. People in the
States generally regard Puerto Rico
as a sort of haven of peace. The
war department has just requested
of General Henry that heimmediately
report how many regular troops he
could spare from the island.
The One Hundred and Forty seventh
New York started home last Sunday.
The regular regiments that remain
are so scattered that in many places
where there is necessity for strong
force only corporal's guard can be
mustered, and territories where there
are continual mutterings and the
greatest evidence of discomfort at
the American rule are unguarded.
Gen. Henry is in a dilemma. He
has only three regiments of troops
the Eleventh Infantry, the Nineteeth
infantry and the Fifth cavalry and
two batteries of the Fifth heavy ar
tillery.
Il need twice the troops I have"
said the General, at his residence at
San Juan. because of the easy vic
tory of our troops here in the
war and the apparent friendli-
ness to the natives to the American
soldiers when they invaded the is
land notion prevails in the States
that there is little necessity for
strong force to maintain order in the
island. The idea is erroneous.
"The conditions here are alarming.
The people have been given every op-
portunity, but they have thrown them
aside. They are clamoring now for
local self government. They are no
more fit for local self government
than I am to run a locomotive. More
troops are needed in theisland. The
seeds of discomfort planted by pro-
fessional agitators are rapidly grow
ing and can be kept down only by
strong military force.
"The i'll feeling between the ma
tives and the American troops seems
to grow stronger and stronger every
day. The American officers have to
maintain the greatest vigilance to
prevent their men from wreaking
vengence on the natives, and especi
ally on the native police for acts of
violence that are continually COM
mitted against the troops"
At Caguay, small town on the
military road, twenty-five miles from
San Juan, soldier of the One Hun
dred and Forty seventh New York
was murdered last Saturday night in
q manner that illustrates the treach-
cry of the natives. Private Michel
Burke of company L had entered
the Puerto Rican literary club of
Caguay and was sitting at a small
table reading, when native slipped
up behind him and with one stroke
of machete, sharpened to a razor's
edge, severed the soldiers head from
his body and sent it rolling across
the floor. Another soldier happened
into to the club sometime afterward
and saw the dismembered trunk ofthe
dead man still in the chair, with the
head lying where it had rolled.
Several Porto Ricans were stand
ing quietly around discussing the
matter. No one would admit having
seen the murder committed. Sus-
picion finally fixed upon one man,
but when a provost guard went out
to arrest him he had fed and, al
though the entire country around
Caguay was thoroughly searched for
the murderer, he has not yet been
found.
Only four nights before the killing
Of Burke the bad blood between the
natives and the soldiers asserted it.
self in a brutal assault on Private
Fitzpatrick. The native police ar
rested Fitzpatrick without warrant,
and when he resisted beat him into
insensibility.
The soldiers of the four companies
Of the One Hundred and Forty
seventh stationed at Caguay waited
until night and then started out "to
police the town as they called it.
Three cafes were "policed' in the
most thorough manner, tables being
overturned and mirrors broken when
the officers of the regiment arrived
and quelled the riot, persuading tie
men to return to barracks. The
next chapter in the Caguay affair
was the killing Of Burke.
The troubles at Caguay have been
duplicated at almost every place on