The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-02
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N II II the handful Of inhabitants
\\A\F zof Punta Arenas, on the
WN Straits OF Magellan. de-
" " cisied TO run a cisrepu-
table character out u the
town, they dfd not dream that the act
would reach far over the world 10 every
port where there is ship that plies
around the Horn. or that this simple Iit-
tie performance OF local justice would
cause. complications that may lead to In
ternationai difficulties. and, perhaps end
in the AnEle-Saxon outposts befre ex-
tended 10 the southernmost extremity OF
South America
Punta Arenas DIETER known as Sandy
Point TO most sniIors) is one Of the lone
Hest towns I'm the world. IL stands In tho
bieakest country in which town ever
was built. There IL no land In which
nature Is so terrible and unrelenting. for
gale follows gale. and the only change
from tremendous winds comes IN the form
OF tremendous snow storms. Yet the
town has nearly 1000 inhabitants. II is
the frankest border town. Only three
years ago the Chilean governor sent out
q party OF the young bioofs OF the town
70 wipe out Fuegian settlement because
OF the massacre of a schooner's crew.
There was no pretense that any one was
to be arrested and brought into Punta
Arenas for trial. They simply jumper
the FIRST Fuegian village which they could
reach and killed as many as they could.
The man who was driven out OF this
mixed town OF Spaniards, stranded sail
ors. gold miners and degraded Indians.
was Black Pedro. II ever he had pos
sessed another name II was lost long
ago. He Il as vicious and degraded
specimen as the Antarctic circle could
boast. When at last Sandy Point got
too hot TO hold him he steered across the
straits In crazy canoe and landed sue
ccsafully on the rocks Of Terra del Fuego
opposite. There he found some friendly
Indians. men who had helped him and
men whom ne had helped In little deeds
OF deviiishness long before while he still
was a citizen of Punta Arenas in good
standing. He took two or three squaws
for wives ana settled down as the honored
subchicf of the particular village In which
he decided to set up his delightful house
hold.
For some time nothing more was heard
from him, and the governor. the Chilean
port captain Punta Arenas Is Chilean
coating station and the citizens nattered
themselves that Mr.. Black Pedro WAS out
Of their lives for good. The peace lasted
TIL one morning a bark came into Sandy
Point short-handcH and reported that her
longboat, which had been sent ashore for
water IN Famine Reach, only few miles
south Of Punta Arenas, had been set on
By n party OF e3Fd&ts, feu Uy n Wnlte
man. who massacred the crew and seized
the boat. An occasional massacre in the
straits was not an occurrence calculated
10 excite either the officials or the resi-
dents of Punta Arenas unduIy. But the
news that the band was led by a white
man did. They all knew who Il was.
And they knaw that there would be
trouble.
The trouble has been coming and keep
ing on a-comine ever since. BlacIs Pedro
u proving again TO the world that no
savage II one half so bad az a bad white
man can be- Under the renegade Span
lard the wretohed, haif-nakssd Terra del
FueEian Indianx who once feared to at
tack little sailing craft, have grown SO
bold that thay have not only attacked
large steamships. but actually have at
tempted TO set Chilean gunboat on fire.
30 regular have been attacks on ships
passing through the straits that 1t Is re-
ported now from England that a move
ment Is to be set on foot for united ac-
ton by tho shipping interests of all the
world to bring pressure TO bear on the
OF the waters and guarantee OF safety for
passing ships. As Chile has been patrol
ling the straits for many years with so
little success that the Indians have not
feared TO attack vessels that lie almost
In the harbor Of Punta Arenas. Il Is not
considered probable that that government
which asserts control OF tho straits and
OF Terra del Fuego win be able 10 satisfy
the requirements soon. And that opens
the chance that Great Britain and the