Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-03-11
Porto Ricans are Ready to Break
Into Revolt.
TIRED OF AMERICAN RULE.
People want Local seif.Gosernn,sn nj.
or Falling that. Entire tndepen-
denee- Soldier Assas.insted.

chicago March i0.-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 IL not
understood. People In the States gem
orally regard Porto Rico as sort NJ
haven Of peace. The war dcpnf ,ment
hes Just requested OF General Henry
that he Immediately report how many
regular troops he could spare from the
islands The one Hundred and Forty
seventh New York started home last
sunday. The regular regiments that
remain are 50 scattered that In many
places whore there Is necessity for a
strong force. only corporarH guard
can be mustered. and territories where
there are continual muttcrinFs and the
greatest evidence Of discomfort at
American rule are unguardcd.
General Henry IL In dilemma. lie
has only three regiments of trcop--ihc
Eleventh Infantry. the Nineteenth and
the Firth cavalry two batteries Of
the Fifth heavy artillery.
~ need twice the troops I have" said
the general at his residence In San
Juan. because Of the easy victory OF
our troops here In the war and In the
apparent friendlincss OF the natives to
the American soldiers when they invad-
ed the island. notion prevails In the
states that there IL little necessity for
strong force 90 maintain order In tho
island. The idea IL erroneous.
"Thc conditions here are alarming.
These people have been given every OPP
portunlty. but they have thrown them
aside. They are clamoring now for To-
cal sclf.governmcnt Thcy are no more
iit for local Heif-govcrnmcnt than l am
TO run q locomotive. Motc troops ar.
needed In the island. The H"cda OF
discomfort planted by professional agi'
taiorn are rapidly growing, ana can bc
kept down only by strong military
force
The nl.foeilng between the natives
and the American troops seems 10 grow
stronger every day. The American OF.
ncors have TO maintain the greatest
vigilance To- prevent their men IRON
wrraklng vengeance ON the natives, cn'
peclaiiy on the native police. for acts
on vloicnce that are continually com
mitted against the troops
SOLDIER MURDERED.
Al casuay. a small town ON the mill.
tary road twenty-five miles from sar
Juan. a soldier of the one Hundred aud
Eorty.rcyenth New, York was murdered
last Saturday night In manner thh'
illustrate. the trcnehcry ut the natives
Private Michael burke " company
had entered the Porto lllcan LITERARY
nj u
small table reading when native
Slipped up behind him and at one Htfok'
of "A mnchetc. rhnrpsncd to razor tdsr
severed the soldiers head from M
body and sent n rolling acruHn the hop,
Another soldier happened into the clul
some time nft.rwnrd. aud saw the dln
membcrcd trunk ~ the dead man SUI
In the chair. with the head lying wher'
Il had rolled Several Porto llcnni
were standing quietly around discus
sing the matter, No onr would hdfhl
having seen the murder committed
Suspicion finally fixed on one man bu
when n provost guard went out Ia ar
rest him h. had He'd. and although TN
entire country around caguhy wa
thoroughly searched for the murderer
he has not yet been found.
only four nights before the kllllns
Burke the bad blood between the ma
tivea aud soldiers asserted itself In
The native police arrested Fitzpatrick
without a warrant, and when he ~
sisted, beat him innenslblc.
The soldiers OF the four companies .
the one Hundred ana Forty'ncventh
stationed at cnRuny, waited unit
might and then started out to none
the town" as they called u. Thre
cafes were 'policed"in u most thorouE
manner. tables being overturned ana
mirrors broken. when the officers @
the regiment arrived and auellcd W
riot. persuadlng the men Co return
barracks. The next chapter In the AZ
fair was the killing ~ Burke IN
withdrawal OF the regiment To BROOK
Ign for mastering out prevented NOR
serious encounters between the Noluil
tcerH aud the natives.
Tho troubles az caguny have bee
duplicated at almost every place
the island. At Guaynmn n soldier wa
stabbed In the back by natiN
the same night Private burke wa
killed
THE condition of Ponce since III
clash between the soldiers ana the ~
tive police. In which several fnrl
nlcnna were killed. have been borde'
Ing on open battle between the trooI
aud the natives.
Things nr0 strained 10 the snapplii
point. General Henry's face took ON
griinace that his troops used 20 see
the old DAYS out on the western plain
as he concluded his remarks about col
ditiOna In the island.
~ have given them too much rein
he said. Nov I'm going to take
the slack"