The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-05-04
BLACK MAN WAS
ALMOST KILLED
Policemen at Puerto Cortez,
Honduras, Nearly Do for a
Louisiana Negro.
OFFENDERS UNDER ARREST
MAY HANG FROM YARDARM OF
THE PADUcAH.

Puerto Cortez, Honduras, April %.
via Mobile, Ala, May 3.-The chief of
police and several policemen of this
place are in irons aboard the American
gunboat Paducah, charged with muir
derous assault, and must face a trial
by court-martial and possible hanging
from the yard arm of the Paducah.
They were arrested on orders issued by
Commander Fullam of the Marietta for
attacking a Louisiana negro named
General Davis here on April %, and
perhaps fatally injuring him. A num-
Der of Nicaraguan officers and men
also were arrested in connection with
the affair These were delivered to the
custody of General Estrada, who was
advised by Commander Fullam that
he would be held responsible for their
safekeeping.
Beaten Almost to Death.
Davis, who is an inspector for the
Thacker Brothers Steamship line, was
talking with some negro companions
today when he was threatened with a
maehete by a drunken soldier. Davis
Wrested the weapon away from the
man and went into house nearby.
Soon a squad of police and soldiers ar
rived and arrested him. While being
dragged to the cuartei Davis was
beaten into insensibility. Thinking Da-
Wis was dying, they took him back to
the place of his arrest and threw him
down on the ground, refusing to allow
his companions to remove him into the
shade. Physicians arrived and found
him perhaps fatally hurt.
Within ten minutes the blue jackets
of the Marietta under Ensign Rora-
sach were on the spot.
Commander Fullam's orders were
sharp and decisive:
ARREST the chief of police" he said
''and the policemen engaged in the as
sault; put them in irons and send them
aboard ship. Arrest the Nicaraguan
officers and men engaged in the assault
and hold them for orders"
Guns Trained on Town.
1t was thought possible that an at
tempt would be made to release the
soldiers and police captured by the
blueiackets, and additional men were
landed from the PaduCah and the Ma
rietta. The Paducah moved to posi-
ton fronting the Nicaraguan cuartels,
while the Marietta covered the cuartels
in the port.
Commander Fullam, finding that the
civil authorities were incapable of
maintaining regulations or order; that
the government of Tegucigalpa was
mere provisional agreement of certain
leaders that so far gave no evidence
of stability, decided to ignore the au-
thorities here and recognize the only
organized and disciplined force under
General Estrada, commanding the Mic
araguan forces, who had in the mean
time returned from an outing.
Notice has been served on the Hon.
duran and Nfcaraguan authorities that
reparation would be demanded and
punishment should be inflicted upon all
of the perpetrators of the outrage.
Commander Fullam says If Davis
dies the perpetrators will be tried for
murder, presumably by court-martial,
and the guilty ones hung at the yard
arm in front of the port. The Paducah
was ready to sail for Ceiba and Truxil-
10, but will remain here for the present.
Commander Fullam has placed Cap
tain WHITEWATER in command of the
land forces, and he is conducting a Wig
orous investigation of all the details of
the Davis affair.