The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-03-11
Spirit of Discomfort Pervades the
Little Island.
TIRED OF AMERICAN RULE
GENERAL INsURRECTIoN Is
CERTAIN TO COME.
People Demand, Local self-govern-
ment or Independence-Genera1
Henry Needs Double the Number
of Troops--Anerican Soldiers As
sassinated By Treacherous Natives

Chicago, March 10.-The Tribune will
tomorrow print the following special
correspondence from Porto Rico, from
a Tribune correspondent:
San Juan de Porto Rico, March l.
The real situation in Porto Rico is not
understood. Pecele in the states gen.
orally regard Porto Rico as a sort of
haven of peace. The war department
has just requested of General Henry
that he Immediately 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 a
strong force, only corporals guard
can be mustered and territories where
there are continual mutterings and the
greatest evidence of discomfort at
American rule are unguarded.
General Henry is in dilemma. He
has only three regiments of troopS-the
Eleventh Infantry, the Nineteenth and
the Fifth cavalry-and two batteries of
the Fifth heavy artillery.
Il need twice the troops 1 have" said
the general at his residence in San
Juan. Because of the easy victory of
apparent friendliness of the natives to
the American soldiers when they invad-
ed the island, q notion prevails in the
states that there is little necessity &or
strong force to maintain order in the
island. The idea is erroneous.
'The conditions here are alarming.
These people have been given every op-
uortunity, but they have thrown them
aside. They are clamoring now for To-
90 ont nre
fit for local government than 1 am
to run a locomotive. More troops are
needed in the island. The seeds of
discomfort planted by professional agi-
tators are rapidly growing, and can be
kept down only by strong military
force"
The ill-feeling between the natives
and the American troops seems to grow
stronger every day. The American Of
ficers have to maintain the greatest
vigilance TO prevent their men from
wrealIing vengeance on the natives, es-
pecially on the native police for acts
of violence that are continually COM
nitted against the troops
SOLDIER DECAPITATED.
At Caguay, a small town on the mill
tary road twenty-five miles from San
Juan, soldier of the One Hundred anS
-SeNtHln New OFk was lluTQSF6U
last Saturday night in manner that il
lustrates the treachery of the natives.
Private Michael Burke of company
had entered the Porto Rican Literary
club of Caguay, and was sitting at a
small table reading when native
slipped up behind him and at one stroke
of a machete, sharpened to razor edge,
severed the soldiers head from his body
and sent it rolling across the floor. An
other soldier happened into the club
some time afterward, and saw the dis
membered trunk of the dead man still
in the chair, with the head lying where
it had rolled. Several Porto Ricans
were standing quietly around discus
sing the matter. No one would admit
having seen the murder committed.
Suspicion finally fixed on one man, but
when a provost guard went out to ar
rest him he had fed, and although 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 had blood between the natives
and soldiers asserted itself in brutal as
sault on Private Fitzpatrick. The native
police arrested Fitzpatrick without war
rant, and when he resisted, beat him in
sensible
The soldiers of the four companies OF
the One Hundred and Forty-seyeDtb. sta
!
then started out to police the town, as
they called it. Three cafes were "policed''
in most thorough manner tables being
overturned and mirrors broken, when the
officers of the regiment arrived and
quelled the riot, persuading the men to
return to barracks. The next chapter in
the affair was the killing of Burke. The
withdrawal of the regiment to Brooklyn
for mustering-out prevented more serious
encounters between the volunteers and
the natives.
The troubles. at Caguay have been du-
Dlicated at almost every place on the
island. At, Guayama a soldier was
stabbed in the back by a native the same
night Private Burke was killed.
The condition at Ponce since the clash
between the soldiers and the native po-
lice, in which several Porto Ricans were
killed. have been bordering on open bat
tie between the troops and the natives.
Things are strained to the snappine
point. General Henry's face took on a
grimace that his troops used to see in
the old days out on the western plains as
he concluded his remarks about condi-
tions in the island.
II have given them too much rein" he
said: Now I'm going to take in the
slack