The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-11-21
They Are Guarding the Rail-
road Property.
TRAVEL ACROSS THE lSTHMUS YET OPEN
No Fighting Has Occurred at Panama
Communication With That Point
Restored The Issue Now Depends
on the Result at Chorerra Where
Fighting is Now Believed to be in
Progress.
(By the Associated Press.)

Colon, Colombia, via Galveston, Tex,
Nov. 20.-The Liberals made an unex
pected attack on Colon at 8 o'clock last
night. The Governor was not prepared
and there was little resistance After
some fighting in front of the Quartet and
in certain strets for an hour and half
the Liberals gained possession of all the
public cifices and the town of Colon.
The Perfect, Guardia is a prisoner.
over twelve men were killed and
about thirty men were wounded.
On receipt of the news that General
Alban, the Military Commander of. the
Isthmus, had started to attack the Lib
erals at Chererra, near Panama, the
latter detached $50 men, under General
Patino to attack Colon. This force en-
barked on board train bounr from
Panama to Cooln yesterday evening at
Las Cascades station, previously cutting
off telesSaphic communication across
the Isthmus. On arriving at the out
skirts of Colon. where the Government
usually maintained a small guard, the
Liberals left the train in the initial
skirmish, which began soon afterward,
Patino was killed.
The command of the Liberals then de-
volved on Colonel FREDERICK Barrera
and they continued their march on
Colon, arriving there few minutes af-
ter the train, thus surprising the whole
town. The Government troops at Colon
were outnumbered by the Liberals.
Fighting Immediately began at the
Quartet barracks, which was soon taken.
There Senor Jaen, a judge of the Grim
inal court, was killed. and Senor Mus
kusus, the District Representative OF
the Department of the Interior was NOR
tally wounded.
Fighting subsequently occurred at the
town hall, which was also taken by the
Liberals. Among the prisoners captured
by the Liberals there were the Perfect
Guardia, and the Commandante of Police
Senior Parades, the mayor, managed
to reach the gunboat General Pinzon,
which sailed last night for destination
unknown, probably Carthagena.
The whole affair was over in less than
three hours.
Communication with Panama was re-
stored today. This revealed that no
fighting had occurred there, that every
thing was quiet, and that the city was
still in the hands of the Government.
u lie ISSUE nov depends upon the result
o fthe fighting, which is doubtless now
occurring at Chorerra, news of which is
anxiously awaited here.
The Liberals are busy raising rein
forcements locally. They are reported
to have several hundred men at differ
ent railroad stations between here and
Panama.
The United States gunboat Machias
landed a detachment of marines here
this morning. They are now guarding
the railroad station and other property
of the road
At a conference between Commander
McGrae, of the Machias United States
Consul Malmors, Colonel Shaler, Super
intendent of the Panama Railroad and
Colonel Barrera, the commander of the
Liberals, the latter was informed why
the marines had been landed from the
Machias. Barrera promised to guard the
city with his troops.
Trains will be crossing the Isthmus
susual tomorrow. There has been nc
obstruction of free transit so far.
The news of the capture of Colon
which reached Panama when commun-
cation with that city was restored this
morning was great surprise to the in
habitants of that city.