Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-15
PORTO R|CAN TROUBLE
Rioting Strikers Attack the
Police.
AREQUICKLY OVERCOME
FoRTY-F -FOUR RIOTERS ARE SENT
TO JAIL.
Calm Succeeds Disorder Owing to
Firmness Of the Government
and It's Officers.
AREQUICKLY OVERCOME
Special Correspondence Of The Star.


SAN JUAN, P. R.. August 8, 1905
So unfortunate and peculiar were the cir
cumstances which led few nights ago to
| a clash between the police of San Juan
and an excited rabble that the American
| people should be clearly Informed as to the
conditions before assuming that Porto Rico
| Is hotbed OF rioters. Nothing could be
further from the truth. A great injustice
| is done to the insular administration and
| to Americanized natives when distinction is
not made between the sincere lovers of law
| and order, whatever their nationality and
| the undisciplined masses which exist here
| as they do in all Latin countries Pri-
| marily. the stevedors' strike caused the
| recent riot, but the strikers disclaim the
| responsibility and their leaders had coun-
| seled them to respect the law and the
| police. The facts as to the tumult were
| these:
For several weeks, as has already been
published, the striking longshoremen and
teamsters and their sympathizers have been
| In an ugly mood. The police protection
properly and promptly furnished by the
| government incensed the workingmen still
more, as did the presence Of the strike
breakers imported from Ponce by the New
York and Porto Rico Steamship Company.
| The police were instructed to be tolerant
and daily suffered all sorts Of insults in
consequence. The strikers simply sneered
at such consideration as an indication Of
| weakness and fear the part Of the au-
thorites. The latter were patient until pa
thence ceased to be virtue.
A salutary Lesson Taught.
Then. in two hours. salutary lesson was
| taught to the law breakers, during a night
Of terror to the timid, following a day of
disorder. Numerous minor disturbances
took place during the day and in the after
h,,ci in, fhra Ctrn tic
were closed by nervous shopkeepers and
shots were frequent, Though aimed at
nothing in particular. The city, patrolled
by police with carbines. wore curious air
of expectancy as to what would come next.
At 6 o'clock a mob of a thousand people
gathered in the north side streets and held
sway, many Of them hurting rocks, bottles
and other missiles from roofs at the ponce.
| When the police fired. Ramon Gonzales.
| bystander, was killed, and eleven others
were wounded. During the day and night
| thirty were more less seriously injured
| The night trouble was partly precipitated
| by a guard relief of Porto Rican regiment
soldiers interfering with the police capt.
| Decker of the regiment appeared at an
| opportune moment and ordered the soloiers
! away. The crowd that had consresaleu
! then attacked the police.
Lieut. Col. G. ]. Crane, commanding the
! native troops, at once co-operated with GOV.
| winthrop to maintain order ana on the
morning after the big riot issued the ioilo"-
| ing circular to his troops:
Col. Cranes Circular.
"The occurrences of yesterday, the culml-
nation of the strike which has been going
| IN in San Juan for several weeks. made
| necessary the definition Of the attitude or
| the army. In order to prevent any errone-
ous impressions being entertained by any
| one here.
limited States troops have never been
ordered out to assist strike or its sup
porters. but on quite number Of occa-
| sions they have put down all opposition 10
law and order, which opposition interfered
| with the general government or NAG passed
| beyond the control of the local authorities.
And IL the present disturbance should
| reach a stage where 1t cannot be controlled
| by the municipal police, We may possibly
| be requested by the governor to render as
sistance in the maintenance or peace ana
good order in San Juan.
When properly called upon for such as
sistance it will be given under the reguia-
| lions which govern the army In such cases,
and then we will be working side by side
| with the police, who are the natural guar
dams Of organized society, and opposition
| to whom is now undoubtedly violation or
| the law.
every officer and enlisted man who may
| be present at any disturbance of the peace
which is in the nature of riot Will imme-
| diately repair to his quarters or barracks
and remain there ready for instant DUTY.
1.-The people now in active and violent OPP
position to the municipal police are rioters
who have violated the law and broken the
peace, and in case we should be called out
to preserve order they will be the object
of our energy.
enlisted men are forbidden to attend
meetings where excited orators harangue
the people on the subject of strikes. and It
| is made the duty Of every officer to report
and bring to justice any violation or this
order.
On the same day Private Flor Velez. who
disobeyed Colonel Cranes order to keep
off the streets. was promptly court-mar-
tailed. convicted, sentenced to loss of two
months pay and to two months conhne-
ment at hard labor. with fourteen days
corporal who interfered with the police was
reduced to the ranks In order to punish
him, declaring him to be unworthy of
wearing chevrons.
for their moral effect and not because
there Is any reason to doubt that the ma
tive soldiers would obey orders, even to
firing upon their fellow countrymen, If nee
essary. The two men punished were iSo-
lated cases, and their apparent sympathy
with the lawless element is in reality no
reflection upon the soldierly character, pa
triotism or splendid discipline Of the Porto
Rican regiment
Gov. Winthrop's Declaration.
Gov. Winthrop, replying to current ru-
NOR that he had prevented the police from
firing at rioters, said. banging his fist on
his desk:
II am determined that law and order
shall prevail in San Juan II have to bring
every insular policeman into this city. and
| If that does not suffice will call upon Col.
Crane for troops and ask Admiral Dunlap
for marines.
II have no objection to the laborers
striking. They can do so as often as they
like but just as soon they resort to
| lawlessness will order the most extreme
measures taken.
1.-The next time that a riot occurs the
police have plain orders to shoot straight
not in the air nor with blank cartridges
but into the mob, and every cartridge will
contain a bullet
"As long as am governor of Porto Rico
lawlesSnesS shall not obtain and will use
every means at my command to put down
any attempts at defiance of the law, either
by the destruction of public property the