Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-03-08
SCHOOL RIOTS
IN PORTO RICO
WILD SCENES WITH STONES
AND GUNS.
CAUSED BY AN UNRULY Girl
SUPERINTENDENT MADE HER
BEHAVE AND A FRANTIC
MOB RAIDED THE CITY.

San Juan de Porto Rico. March S.-A
serious riot occurred here yesterday.
AT o'clock in the evening five artll-
lerymen and a corporal Of artillery
named Hiscock left their guard post
without orders, and charged across the
plaza into So eet in which a mob of
people had assembled. The soldiers
fired voliey into the air, dispersed the
mob and rescued School Superintend-
ent Armstrong, who was besieged by
the mob in a house situated about
I block from the city center.
Four hours previous to the rescue of
Superintendent Armstrong the city had
been overrun by a riotous crowd of
probably 1900 persons, who shouted.
Down with the Americans and other
similar cries. The excitement originat-
ed in trivial school incident, involving
Superintendent Armstrong, and illus
trating the eXcitable nature of the
Porto Ricans The superintendent rep
rimanded a girl 10 years of age for dis
obedience, 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 re-
ported to her mother that she had been
| kicked and abused. This excited the
| girls mother and sensational stories
We're circulated, with the result that
when the school children We're dismissed
a number of boys gathered together
and paraded the streets. They We're
| Joined by many loafers and full grown
men, and it became necessary for the
police to escort Superintendent Arm
strong from the schoolhouse to his
home. The superintendent and police
men We're stoned as they passed
oh, ha CT
| constantly increased in size, the Amer
| leans sought refuge in the Inaepend-
ence building. A number of persons
| from the crowd succeeded in entering
the building. but We're elected by the
| employees and others. 90
| BY o'clock affairs had assumed such
| a threatening aspect that Gov. Allen
| ordered the mayor to disperse the mob,
notifying him that he should ask for
government assistance if he was in need
| of it. The mayor, however, paid no at
| tention to the governors notification,
although the city police We're powerless.
| not being in any way respected by the
rioters, whom they did not attemr: to
| disperse.
At $40 D. m. the offices were closed.
and Martin c. Brumbaugh. the COM
missioner Of education of Porto Rico.
!
| and hotel.
A treasury clerk, who was one of the
men who elected the rioters from the
Independcia, was attacked. stoned and
| disarmed by mob.
| The insular police, who have no juris-
dictiOn in the city except in cases OF
emergency and at the call of the may
or and governor We're not called upon
until o'clock. AT that time the artil-
| lerymen previously referred to took the
initiative without orders and dispersed
the gathering.
In the meantime the city police had
fired about 100 shots, mostly in the air,
for there We're no casualties.
Several other Americans besides the
treasury clerk We're stoned from roofs
ana balconies.
At 8 o'clock last night the city pre-
serted it's usual tranquil appearance.
Up to the hour of filing tlss dispatch
today there has been no further dem
| OnstratiOn.
Governor Allen depIores tae unfortu-
nate occurrences. especially the action
of the artillerymen. Corporal Hiscock
has been placed under arrest and is now
in the guardhouse. It is probable that
| he will be tried by court martial.
, The teachers who have been ques-
toned on the subject have made state
ments agreeing with those of Superin-
tendont Armstrong, to the effect that
the girl was not harmed
| 1t is probable that four fifths of those
who took part in the rioting did not
| know why they We're mobbing the
Americans. The rioters mostly belong
ed to the unemployed workmen of the
| populat ation.