Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-01-07

Keep the department promptly and full.
ly informed"
Before this telegram was sent, how.
ever, one was received from Consul
Malmros at Colon, running as fol-
lows:
Excitement Grows.
Revolution imminent Government
force on the isthmus about 500 men.
Their official promised support reyo-
luton. Fire department. Panama AL,
are we'll organized and favor revolu.
ton. Government vessel, Cartagena,
with about 400 men arrived early to.
day with new commander in chief, To-
bar. Was not expected until Novem-
Der 10. Tobar's arrival is not prob
able to stop revolution"
This cablegram was received at 1885
p. M, and at $40 p. M, Mr.. LOOMS
sent the telegram which he had al
ready prepared to both Panama and
Colon. Apparently, however, the con-
sul-general at Panama had not re-
ceived the Information embodied in
the Associated Press bulletin, upon
which the assistant secretary of state
based his dispatch; for his answer was
that there was no uprising, although
the situation was critical, this answer
being received at 8:15 p. IN. Immedi-
ately afterwards he sent another dis
patch, which was received at $50 D.
M, saying that an uprising had oc-
Cured, and had been successful with
no bloodshed. The Colombian gun
boat Bogota next day began to shell
the city Of Panama, with the result Of
killing one Chinaman. The consul
general was directed to notify her to
stop firing. Meanwhile, on November
4, Commander Hubbard notified the
department that he had landed a force
to protect the lives and property Of
American citizens against the threats
of the. Colombian soldiery.
Colombian Threats.
Before any step whatever had been
taken by the United States troops to
restore order. the commander of the
newly landed Colombian troops had in
dulged in wanton and violent threats
against American citizens, which Gre
ated serious apprehension. AS Com
mander Hubbard reported in his let
ter of November 5, this officer and his
troops. practically began war against
the United States, and only the for
bearance and GOODNESS of our officers
and men prevented blood shed. The
letter of Commander Hubbard is of
such interest that it deserves quota
ton in full, land runs as follows: 81
Hubbard's Report,
u. S. S. Nashville, Third Rate.
Colon, u. S. Colombia, Nov. 5, 1908.
"Sir:
Pending complete report of the
occurrences of the last three days in
Colon, Colombia, | most respectfully
invite the departments attention to
those of the date of Wednesday,, No
vember 4, which amounted to practic-
ally the making of war against the
United States by the officer in com
mand of the Colombian troops in Co
lon. Att O'Clock p. M, on that date
was summoned on shore by a pre-
concerted signal, and on landing, met
the United States consul.general, vice
consul and Colonel Shaler, the general
uperintendent of the Panama rail-.
road. The consul informed me that
he had received notice from the officer
commanding the Colombian troops,
Colonel Torres. through the project OF
Colon to the effect that if the Colombo
an officers, Generals Tobal and Amaya
who had been seized in Panama on the
evening of the Sd of November by the
Independents and held as prisoners,
were not released by 2 o'clock p. M,
he, Torres. would open fire on the town
Of Colon and kill every United States
citizen in the place, and my advice
and action were requested I advised
that all the United States citizens
should take refuge in the shed Of the
Railroad company, "a stone
building susceptible of being put into
good state for. defense, and that would
land such body of men.
with extra arms for arming the c.ti-
zens as the complement of the ship
would permit. This was agreed to
and / Immediately returned on board
arriving at 1:15 p. M The order for
landing was Immediately given, and at
1880 p. M, the boats left the ship with
a party of AZ men under the command
OF Lieut.. Commander II. W. Witzel
with Midshipman ]. P. Jackson as
second in command. Time being press
ing.I gave verbal orders to Mr.. Witzel
to take the building above referred to
and put it into the best stale Of de-
tense possible, and protect the lives
OF the citizens assembled there-not
firing unless fired upon. The women
and children took refuge on the Ger
man steamer Marcomania and Pana-
ma railroad steamer City of Washing
ton. both ready to haul out from the
dock if necessary. The Nashville I
got under way and patrolled with her
along the water front close in and
ready to use either small arm or
shrapnel fire. The Colombians sur
rounded the building of the railroad
company almost Immediately after we
had taken possession and for about
one and one-half hours their attitude
was most threatening, it being seem
ingly their purpose to provoke an at
tack. Happily our men were cool and
steady, and while the tension was very
great no shot was fired. At about
BIS p. M, Colonel Torres came into
the building for an interview and ex-
pressed himself as most friendly to
the Americans, claiming that the whole
affair was misrepresentation and that