INSURRECTION IN JAMAICA.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 210, 31 January 1866, Page 3

INSURRECTION IN JAMAICA.

(From the Home News) A negro insurrection, which at one time threatened to be of a formidable character, has broken out in Jamacia; but the energy with which it was met happily crushed it before the full designs of the insurgents ceuld he carried out. The immediate origin of the outbreak is thus described in a private letter from Kingston, dated October 16 : — A special session had met in the Courthouse on the 9th, and the majority of the respectable inhabitants of the parish were present. This was the time chosen by the rebel leaders for the murderous outbreak, and accordingly large numbers of people collected around the Court-house with every weapon of offence and defence they could muster, and created a noise and riot. Baron von Ketelholt read the Riot Act, and the mob not dispersing, the volunteers fired a volley. This appeared to be a signal for a general outbreak, and with unearthly yells and shouts tore round the Court-house the now infuriated negroes ! The Custos, with magistrates and volunteers, retired into the Courthouse, and the armed force kept up firing through the windows. Unfortunately ammunitien was short, there being only two rounds each. On the shooting down of the people the mob separated, and during their absence Gfeorges and a few others escaped from the Court-house, but were seen and pursued. * The mob, now augmented and more furious, surrounded the Court-house, and put the fire-stick to it in order to drive ont or consume the people. Most of the inmates tried to make their escape by the door, but as each approached the entrance he was brutally butchered by the rufiianly insurgents. The baron was among the first to come out, and he was literally cut to pieces. His right hand was cut off joint by joint. His head was cleft in two. His brains were mixed with rum and drunk by his murderers. His bodjSy stripped of all save his socks, was left exposed in the street. Black Price, merely on account of his association with the white people, was subjected to the most horrible and appalling indignities. After his body had been cut up with cutlasses, he was held on his feet while the women cut out his bowels and strewed them on the street. Parson Herschel had his tongue cut out before the poor man was dead. Greorges escaped with two gunshot wounds in his leg. The insurgents took all the guns and ammunition from the murdered volunteers and police, and then, with yelling imprecations and anathemas on the white man and his race, commenced the work of demolition I and destruction. The following morning the insurgents pursued their course in two directions, gathering numbers in their cause as tiiey went along. One party went up Blue Mountain Valley, murdering every white and brown man they came across. All who could not escape met a terrible death. They also proceeded to Monklands, where they did much harm. The troops went from Newcastle by G-reen Valley to Arntuliy, and had anticipated further progress in that direction. The other portion of the mob took Morant and Plantain Gfarden river district) and fearful and heartrending accounts had reached from that quarter. Destruction and demolition have been made of ail they came across. A latter account says : — The insurrection seems to be a premature outbreak, resulting from the arrest of Bogle, one of the conspirators who was to figure in the general rising of natives on next Christmas-day. A number of men, some of influence, had been travelling the country for some time, addressing meetings on the subject of negro wrongs, telling them they were opprssed and ground down by taxes, This excited the poeple, and they determined to seize the land form the landowners, white and coloured, and, after killing all the males and children, to share the lands and woman amongst themselvs. A leading man of the party was wanted for some crime, and on an attempt being made to arrest him he raised a revolt iv his district, fortunately for the people of Jamaica, prematurely, Had the natives risen all over the island at Christmas, the whites »»d better class

of coloured people would - have all probably been murdered. The volunteers and troops fought well, and by vigorous measures put down the rebellion. Upwards of 200 rebels have been shot or executed. Some accounts give 400 as the number of rebels executed. Some most barbarous murders were preperated by the rebels, they having, in the remote and rude districts, almost gone back to their savage state. Many of the bodies of their victims were terribly mutilated. Paul Bogel, the head of the rebel party, was captured on October 24, and brought in by the Maroons, a reward of 200 dollar having been offered for his head, dead or alive. He was tried by courtmarial on the day the steamer sailed, and he being known as their leader, will without doubt be executed. Gordon, the instigator of tbe rising, was tried and condemned to death on the 21st, and hanged on the 23rd. Several arrests have been made in Kingston. This disaffection, j from the latest and most reliable account, has not only been prevented from spreading, but the rebellion in a great measure subdued. The majority of rioters, including most of the ringleaders, have been killed or taken, and peaca and good order is expected to reign through out the island by next packet. Five hundred troops had arrived from Barbadoes and gone up to the disturbed districts. The Auroa and Galatea left Dominica for Jamaica on the 25th October. All was quite at Kingston when the mail left. A despatch, dated October 20, addressed by the Lieut. -Governor of Jamaica to the Colonial Secretary, has been published. It conveys the first official information of the most startling revolt which has occurred in any portion of the British dominons since the Indian mutiny. " The whole outrage." "Writes Governor Eyre, " could only be paralleled by the atrocities of the Indian mutiny. The women, as usual on such occasions, were even more brutal and barbarious than the men, the only redeeming trait being that, so far as we could learn, no ladies or children had as yet been inquired." The punishment visited upon the culprits has been signal and terrible.