The San Francisco call., 1899-03-15
REBELS ACTIVE
IN COSTA RIGA
Loyalty of Troops Saves
iglesiaS.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

NEW YORK, March 14.-Passengers
on the steamer Altai. which arrived
here to-day, after touching week ago
at Port Limon, had much to say about
the recent attempt to overthrow the
rule of President Iglesias of Costa Rica.
This occurred on February 25 at San
Jose, the seat of government. 1t was
briefly reported by cable several days
later, but owing to the vigilance of the
censorship maintained the causes were
not given. According to the general
opinion of the passengers Of the .Altai,
the condition of the Iglesias govern
ment is by no means assured.
A passenger apparently well able to
judge the conditions in Costa Rica. but
who refused to allow his name to be
used on account of his large business
connections in that republic, after re-
ferring to the continued absence
abroad of Iglesias, which he attributed
to the Presidents desire to put Costa
Rica on a gold basis, described the re-
cent outbreak somewhat as follows:
'Iglesias left his aged father, Senior
Don Detrio, in charge, while he himself
came to the United States and thence
went to Europe, where he now is. The
ma1contents took advantage of the
Presidents absence to hatch few
plots Dr. Flores Is an open aspirant
to Presidential honors. His military
sponsor, General Velardo, on the 25th,
followed by about fifty armed men,
gained an entrance to the artillery bar
racks at San Jose. One of General We
.Iardo's sons was in charge of the guard
at the time when the insurgents en-
tered.
There. were 300 soldiers in the bar
racks. It was understood that the adj
mission of the rebels was to be followed
by the surrender of the government
forces and the turning over of the arms,
but the plot miscarried and the rebels
walked into an ambuscade. Colonel
Antilon, who was in command of the
government force, headed his men and
fight ensued. General Velardo was
wounded, one of his sons was killed and
two other sons were made prisoners.
The son who had endeavored to turn
over the barracks to his father was
tried by court-martial and shot. The
other brother is now in prison awaiting
trial for treason. In the fight at the
barracks several other soldiers were
killed, including Colonel Antilon.
General VeIardo and his chief sup
porters escaped. The rebels are now
reported to be preparing to attack San
Jose, and are getting arms from the
neighboring republics. The people of
Nicaragua, vexed at the stand taken
by Iglesias in opposition to the canal
grant to the Grace syndicate, are sup
| porting the Costa Rica rebels.
THE signal for the outbreak of the
revolution was the assassination of
Colonel Arryo, one of the military COM
manders of the place, who was killed
| in the public street. General Velardo
| until recently owned a large silk shawl
factory, which was mysteriously
burned. He charged that incendiaries
in the employ of government officials
| destroyed the factory. AS a result of
this attempted coup detat the 200, 000
inhabitants of San Jose are now under
martial law.
''Dr. Flores is under surveillance and
may be arrested any moment. If such
a radical step is taken it is quite likely
that fierce revolution will ensue. The
loyalty of the troops saved Iglesias
last month, but / doubt whether that
loyalty will stand too many tests"