San Francisco Mail News

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 992, 29 October 1881, Page 4

San Francisco Mail News

A CONSPIRACY DEFEATED. A comprehensive conspiracy was recently disclosed at the French Island of St. Pierre, situated at the entrance of Fortune Bay, near St. John’s, Newfoundland. The Colony is used as a penal settlement by the French Government, and has a population of 5,200 persons. The social and State offenders are known as disciplinaries, and the batch at present undergoing purgation are of unparalleled turpitude ; among them are several representatives of the aristocratic order in France. Their purpose was to burn the city, murder the officers and every one in their way, seize two vessels in port, and escape. The plan was well arranged and might have been successful had it not been discovered before full maturity: SLAUGHTER OF INDIANS IN GUATEMALA New York, Sept. 9th. —Panama dates to August Ist, say : In a fight at Matapas, between about 5000 Indians on one side, and a detachment of troops and some 15 citizens on the other, the Indians lost 500 in killed and wounded ; the other party had 28 killed and a number wounded. Previous to this fight the Indians attacked Esquipulas, and killed the captain in command and commissary, and a young telegraph operator, named Vega, who was stricken down while repairing a break in the Government telegraph line. The slaughter of various individuals followed ; some of these, Indians, who had refused to join the mal-contents, and horrible outrages were inflicted upon others, A SWISS VILLAGE BURIED BY A LANDSLIP. Berne, Sept. 12th.—A landslip occurred last evening near the village of Elm, Canton Glarus. 200 persons were killed and 30 houses destroyed. Geneva, Sept. 14th.---With reference to the landslip near Elm on Saturday evening last, it is feared the list of victims must include 40 men of neighboring villages who cams to assist when the first landslip occurred in the evening, and before the village was overwhelmed by the second slip, which took place at midnight. The river on which Elm is situted has been turned into a lake, and it is feared the valley below will be flooded. As the place is much frequented by strangers this season it is feared some perished. A fresh landslip at Elm is feared. OFFERING BABES FOR FOOD. Washington, Sept. 19th. — The United States Consul at Maracaibo, Venezuela, writes that owing to locusts and drought the Goazira Indians are driven to desperation by hunger, and the Government has sent troops to protect the frontier settlements. Mothers come to the settlements with offers of their children for sale, saying, “we are dying of hunger.” The Government is attemping relief, having decreed additional taxes and prohibited the exportation of all articles of food. In places the ground is covered with a thick layer of dead locusts. The people of Maracaibo are offering rewards for dead insects, and 8000 pounds have been collected in one day. The drought has been so severe that the grass and crops are dried up. Cattle are dying, and the rivers are without water. In Maracaibo, where they depend entirely upon rain for drinking water, great distress has been caused, the poorer classes being compelled to drink semisaline water.