The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-28
Captain Perry's Refusal to Permit
General AIban to Use Trains Has
AnSered Conservatives.
TROOPS MARCHING EASTWARD
SOLDIERS DROWNED IN THE
SWOLLEN CHAGREs.
Details of the Fighting at Barbacao-
Liberals Accused of Using
Explosive Bullets.

COLON. Nov. Pit was learned on the
highest authority this afternoon that Gen
eral keffries is with General Alban on the
Colon side OF Barbacoa, and that 800 men
from Panama are now marching TO Join
them.
The following dispatch has been received
from Panama: THE olombia gunboat
Boyaca was dispatched Tuesday, having on
board about fifty soldiers, for Chamo or
its vicinity, where it was claimed a party
Of Liberals under General Torras had re-
ceived quite a fresh supply of arms and
ammunition.
San Paola and Barbacoa are known here
to be Liberal ~strongholds and places very
easy to defend, while to cross the bridge
spanning the Chagres river, now swollen,
was next to impossible for an attacking
force. The feat was accomplished, how
ever, but the reason the Liberals aban-
doned Barbacao is not made clear. The
death rate on the government side was
very great, many bodies falling into the
river. An attempt was also made to make
a detour on the river in boats, but the
Chagres was swollen, the boats were cap
sized, and many men were drowned. Cen
eral Castro commanded the government
forces at Barbacoa. General Albsn tried
to get a train yesterday morning TO con-
vey 200 men to the scene of the engage
ment at Barbacoa, but Captain Perry, of
the Iowa, said that not a single armed
man would be allowed to entrain. The
feeling here against foreigners, particularly
the Americans, runs high.
"A special train at Panama to convey
General Alban alone and unarmed awaited
the arrival for hours of the morning train
from Colon, but on the arrival of the latter
here, at 6 o'clock in the evening, bringing
forty wounded men, among whom were
several officers, with the news that the
the bridge at Barbacoa, the special train
was not dispatched, and General Alban
remained at Panama all yesterday.
AT $3.50 d. m. yesterday a large process
sion, headed by a band of music, marched
in an orderly manner all over the city of
Panama, shouting General Adams praises
and prOclaiming that the death blow had
been given to the Liberal cause in this de-
partment.
An American named Murphy relates the
following story, corroborating the report
that the Colombian gunboat General Pin
zon fired on Porto Bello: "On Monday
morning Murphy was in an open boat,
bound for Plyadonna, on a mining excur-
sion. Besides himself there were three
Chinese and a negro in the
boat, which was commanded by the col
ored man. When hey were passing Porto
Bello, a boat containing soldiers from the
General Pinzon, then at anchor off Porto
Bello, captured Murphy and his compan-
ions. After they had been made prisoners,
and while on their way to the gunboat, the
General Pinzon fired many shots at Porto
Bello. On arriving on board the gunboat
Murphy learned that no less than fifty
shots had been fired at the town. He also
says that from the gunboat one or two of
the largest houses of the place could be
seen to have been wrecked. Men from the
General Pinzon who went ashore at Porto
Bello said the town was evacuated. Not
a single Liberal was to be seen anywhere,
all having fled on the arrival of the Pin
ION. Murphy asserts that explosive bullets
were used by the Liberals as one bullet
brought on board the General Pinzon was
subsequently exploded. Murphy was
handed over to the officers of the United
States gunboat Marietta, when the General
Pinzon returned to Colon.
1t was persiStently rumOred this morning
tina the government troops had been driven
back over the Barbacoa bridge. But the
rumor turned out TO be incorrect. The facts
in the case are as follows: In a skirmish
troops lost ground somewhat and retreated
ridges. The government forces now occupy
Tabernilla, which is on the Colon side of
Barbacoa.
General Sotomayor with $50 men, COM
manded the Liberal forces at Barbacoa
bridge. Good authorities hold that twenty
men should have been able TO prevent the
government troops from crossing the
bridge. Sotamayor's conduct is everywhere
decried. He seems to ave sheltered him
sonaIly, hence the reckless waste of am
munition which caused the eventual re-
treat of the Liberals, who lost less than a
dozen men. Generals Domingo Diaz and
Lugo lave been unable as yet to arrive
here with their troops.