The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-03-23
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SIX AsrILLERYMEN ouElL RIOT
AMONG 4 CROWD OF.
PORTO s.cANs.
The Trouble Aros. ossr : .isssase-
ment Of Facts BY Girl Who was
Punished BY the Pedssosue-A
Court Martial Probable

SAN JUAN DE PORTO RICO, Mar
"a serious riot occurred here yes
| terday AT s O'Clock in the evening
| Eve artillerymen and a corporal OF
artillery named Hiscock lett their
guard post without orders. and charg
ed across the plaza into . street in
which mob Of people had assembled.
The soldiers fired a voIley into the air.
dispersed the mob and rescued School
Superintendent Armstrong. who was
besieged by the mob in q house situa-
ted about a block from the city CEN
ter For hours previous to the res
cue of Superintendent Armstrong the
city had been overrun by q riotous
crowd of probably 1900 persons. who
shouted Down with the Americans"
and other similar cries.
The excitement originated in a tri-
vial school incident involving Superin-
tendent Armstrong and illustrating
the excitable nature Of the Porto Rio
ans The Superintendent reprimand-
ed girl. 10 years of age, for disobe-
dience, and forcibly but harmlessly
marched her to the front from the
rear OF the schoolroom. Her dress
caught in a desk and was torn. and
the girl reported to her mother that
she had been kicked and abused.
This excited the girls mother and
sensational stories were circulated.
with the result that when the school
children were dismissed a plumber of
boys gathered and paraded the
streets They were Joined by many
loafers and full-grown men, and 1t be-
came necessary for the police to 1s-
cort Superintendent Armstrong from
the schoolhouse to his home. The
Superintendent and policemen were
stoned as they passed through the
streets. and. as the crowd constantly
increased in size, the Americans
sought refuge in the Independence
building. A number OF persons from
the crowd succeeded in entering the
building. but were elected by en-
ployes and others.
BY 5 o'clock affairs had assumed
such threatening aspect that Cover
nor Allen ordered the Mayor to dis
perse the mob. notifying him that he
should ask for Government assistance
if he was in need of it. The Mavor,
however, paid no attention to the Gov
ernor's notification, although the city
police were powerless. not being in
any way respected by the rioters.
whom they did not attempt to dis
perse.
At $50 p. m. the Offices were clos
ed, and Martin c. Brumbaugh. the
Commissioner of Education of Porto
Rico, asked Tor police protection of
his Office and hotel A treasury clerk
who was one of the men who elected
the rioters from the Independence
was attacked, stoned and disarme,
by mob.
The insular police. who have ne
Jurisdiction in the ,city except in case
of emergency and at. the call Of th~
Mayor and Governor, were not called
upon until o'clock At that time the
previously referred to
took the initiative without orders and |
dispersed the gathering. In the mean
time the city police had fired about
100 shots, mostly in the air, for there
we're no casualties.
Governor Allen deplores the unfor-
tunate occurrences. especially the ac-
ion of the artillerymen. Corporal /
Hiscock has been placed under arrest |
and is now in the guardhouse. 1t is
probable that he will be tried by court |
martial