Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-12-03

a NIGHT OF PlLLAGE.

A NIGHT OF P1LLAGE-
Port Au Prince, Dec 3, $ a m.-Tie
stirring events of an exciting and his
torical day that saw President MORO
Alexis driven from his capital with an
Infatuated mob ut his heels were fol-
lowed by Il night Of looting ana pliias
ing in Port au Prince.
The passions of the populace had been
aroused, and after being defeated II
their endeavors to do bodily harm to-
Alexis, they turned their attention to
Well stocked storehouses and the rest
dences of the supporters of their lhte
president
They were rapidly getting out of hand
when the authorities succeeded in con rs
trolling the situation. Twelve men We're
killed before order was restored.
The trouble began shortly after the
president had been escorted to the
French cruiser Dugay Troulr by NJ
Carteron, the French minister.
People from the 3elair and Salines
sections Of the city invaded the bust
ness quarter and lost no time In turning
to the work of pillage and robbery.
| They divided into bands and worked 7
| their way down one street and UP an
| other, breaking into the stores that Of
| fered the best chances of loot. The;
\ locks of doors that barred their Sfart,ttst
/ gress were broken with rifle bullets
| The pillagc was well under way by y
| o'clock, and by 10 o'clock il stores had
been completely looted, nine of which
were owned by syrians and two BY
Haitiens.
The proprietors stood by helpless
witnesses of the destruction of their
property.
DIVIDING THE GOODS,
Goods were hauled out into the
. Il a a "a h n
AS was to be expected. the crowd J
became enraged over the division Of
the spoils and were soon fighting
among themselves. In these en-
counters four men were killed.
At 10 o'clock the situation was
very threatening. The looters We're
increasing rapidly in numbers and " b
was feared that the disorder would
spread over the entire city. me
people were rapidly getting out when
General Pidevin appeared on the
scene and saved the situation. He
went first to police headquarters and
ordered a detachment of men to fol-
low him to the scene of the trouble.
The police. however, refused The
general than got together number
of courageous citizens to whom he
issued arms and rounded up also a
small detachment Of loyal soldiers. and
at the head of this body ofmen he
| marched against the hooters.
PILLAGERs FIRED ON.
The pillagers were unaware of his
approach and the first intimation that
they were to meet any opposition
came to them in the shape of a.vplley
from Gen. PideVin's command. Eight
Of the hooters fell at the first fire. This
onslaught broke the spirit of the mob
and as the general threatened to
shoot again. the crowd quickly dis
pnrSnfl safer nlInrters
While this was going on IN the
business district, another mob was
looting the rich residential section
of the city. The residences of Gen.
Coicou, Gen. Gabriel, Gen. Guillaume.
NJ. Lefentant. Gen. Marceln and Gen
Leconte were broken into and plum
dered. The success seemed to satisfy
the crowd in the surburbs for they dis
persed without committing any further
depredations,
At II O'Clock the seminary of the
priests was surrounded by n 1nenacfnp
crowd demanding that Gen Coicou be
turned over to them. The priests made
reply that the general was not there.
Word reaching Gen. Pidevin of The
threatening situation at the seminary.
he hurried forward at the head of his
detachment of citizens and soldiers
and on his arrival the crowd dispersed
AT midnight the city was compare
lively quiet, but from that hour till
daybreak there was occasional rifle fir
ing.
Had the disorders broken out In the
day time it is probably that armed
forces from the American cruisers Ia
| coma and Des Moines and the French
cruiser Duguay Trouin would have
been landed; as II vas no foreign SOL
diers were sent ashore.
PIDEvTN SAVED CITY.
Gen. PIdevin has been highly recon-
mended for his firm stand which l,n-
doubtedly saved the city from a gen
eral outbreak of pillage and incendar-
| ism. The committee of public safety
held a meeting early this morning. and
| with the concurrence of NJ. Carteron.g
| Gen. PideYin was made military gov
| error OF Port all Prince. A force suf-
| ficient to maintain order in the ca pital
| viii be placed at his disposal. Should
q serious situation again arise. how
ever. and it appear that the mob might
| get the upperhand. the committee
| promises to ask the foreign cruisers
to send landing parties ashore
| Gen. Simon the leader of this sue
cessful revolutionary movement, has
! been informed Of the occurrences of
| yesterday. AT the head of his army
| of 5000 men, he is making forced
| march for Port All Prince and probabl,.
! viii arrive here this evening.
The British cruiser Scyia and the
/ American gunboat Eagle came into
| port at daybreak today. Their arrival
1 gives Port aua Prince the protection Of
/ a II, - a u