A BRITISH VICE CONSUL RECEIVES TWO HUNDRED LASHES.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 372, 11 July 1874, Page 3

A BRITISH VICE CONSUL RECEIVES TWO HUNDRED LASHES.

EXCITIM-psSOBNES ATSAN JOSE DE GUATEMALA .: -^ : — THE pOMMANDANT SHOT, BY OALEFOBN- - ' IAN PASSENGEBS.

(From the "New York Times. ")' • ' J Panama, 'Sunday, May 3, 1874. The arrival of the Pacific Mail Steam-ship Company's steamer Arizona brings to light a piece of official babarity in Guatemala that has rarely," if .ever, been' exceeded, on the Pacific coast. A British Vice Consul has received 200 lashes, and narrowly escaped death by shooting, and the foreign residents of the coast, without regard to nationality, are deeply incensed. They take some consolation in remembering that there are several English war vessels on the coast, and they are confident, -therefore, that the wrong*' will be amply and speedily avenved. 1 The Arizona left San f rancisco April 11, and at noon of , April 24 she arrived at San Jose de Guatelama. f-oon after coming to anchor, news was brought that Mr. John Magee the British Vice Consul, had been arrested by order of- the • Commandante, Colonel' G'on.zales, and sentenced to receive 400 lashes at 4 pm. The runior was not believed until Mr." Moncriefe, Agent of the Pacific Mail Steamship. Company,- came on board later in the afternoon and gave the details of the arrest. ' It appears' that Mr. Magee holds a semi-official relation to the Government of Guatemala • that rendered him independent of the Commandante. Hence there arose violent jealousy onthepart cf the latter, and a personal dislike -that finally became murderous. Col. Gonzales summoned Mr. Magee before him, and that gentleman excused himself on the ground of having a very lame foot. The Commaudante then sent a party of armed soldiers to fetch him, dead or alive. They.parried Mr. Magee on a cart to the Government office, and there the Commandante insulted , him outrageously, struck him re-., peatedly in the face, and attempted to shoot" him." Prevented" "from doing this by his' friends; ' he> issued orders that Mr/ Magee should receive 400-lashesat 4- o'clock. * The victim claimed in vain the protection of his' flag,- and Mr. James,, Consular Agent' of the United States, presented an official protest, under, the. consular seal. The Commandante would listen to ho reason, but ordered the soldiery to proceed, announcing .that Mr. Magee should nqt only be flogged, but should be shot at eight o'clock the next morning. Moved by common humanity the surgeon of the port suggested that the stripes should be divided and destributed over several days, as otherwise, the victim, would die undSr the lash. "Let him die," siid Gonzales.

„ The .soldiers than began their work by; throwing their victim to the ground and partially; stripping him. One of them sat on bis head and four others on hig hands and feet. Four soldiers then administered fifty lashes each, the Commandante -keeping tally himself. .Before 200 lashes had been administered 3lr,' Magee became insensible, and he was tEen placed upon a rude couch and' stimulants were administered. Here he lay all night; suffering iatensly.< . From time to time Col. : Gonzales came into the room. Besides heaping insults upon his victim, he repeatedly placed .the mu^a of his pistol to lnV head' and asked whether he " would like to be shot;" or if it would be best to " shoot him out of misery." In the meanwhile,' with his soldiers, he'held a drunken orgie all night long, and plundered the houses of such goods as were accessible." - '

While the flogging was going on, Mr. Mon-. criefe made his escape,, and sent a special' courier to the capital asking for Government interference Gonzales had seized the tele- J graph at San Jose, but a dispatch was sent from the nearest station, and relief 'was sent at once.

. Eight o'clock of April 25. came, and Mr. .Sjagee was about' to receive his, second 200 stripes,' when the pickets caught sight of a force of a hundred, Government soldiers, under command of, Gen. Solano. Alarmed for his persenal safety, G-onzales was about to shoot his victim and flee, when Magee adopted; a 'ruse toi-save his live. He promised the commandante a letter to the Gaptain of the Arizona which should insure his safety on board and a safe conduct to Salvador. G-onzales caught at the chance, the letter was written, and he left in a Jsmall boat just as Gen. Solano entered the town. Bis t last order to his soldiers was to shoot Mr. ■ Magee, but they, refused. In this interval all had been excitement on the Arizona. Mr. Magee is personally one of the most popular gentlcmea on the coast, and the outrage on his person, was resented by all tho passengers. Those who had arms were anxious" to be set on shore and go to the relief of the . victim ; but Capt. 11. G. Morse, who commanded the Arizona, refused to permit it. .He counselled moderation. While agreeing to receive 'CdlonelGon'zales, it was his determination to seize him as soon as ho came on board,, and compel him at once to write' an order for the release of Mr. Magee. Then he" would have protected all parties. In view of this event his officers and crew were armed, and had their orders to act promptly,, so a& to prevent bloodshed. Only the determination of Capt. Morse prevented a desperate and fatal affray. The vessel lay at anchor within range of a couple of field ■pieces on the wharf. ,To Lave attempted a landing, or to have drawn the enemy's fire in any way, ; ,might have proved very destructive: When Col. Gonzales reachod the Arizona in the small boat .accompanied by Mr. James, the United "States Consular Agent, the latter stepped on board and the Commandau*e at tempted to follow., But jdst as he stepped upon the gangway shot from, an unseen band took effect in his abdomen, tind he fell back into .'the boat. /Two other shots from different sources -followed, but it was impossi--ble-tto tell r whether.they-didahyi.execution-. One shot sraa /returned from the

boat. ' Gonzales recovered himself immediately/seized an oar, 'and helped to row himsejf ashore. Ho was, seen to walk after landing/ biit was a'fterNvards'made a prisoner by his successor. Gon. Solano nornnv'orii to tho Cai'iiun oL the.^-rizona that lie should not allow Goni'uk-s to die of his wounds, but would havo thorn healed so that ho might be , shot for bis 'crimes. > , , { ; The shootiug of the brutal Comniandanto was much regretted by tho more moderate of • the Arizona's pdssengei'3. It was th<j sequel of a night of deep excitement and anxiety. Nono -were more sorry for the occurrence than those* who ha<l fired the shots.

■Mr. Magee camo on board the -Arizona before she sailed, and though suffering severely was full of life, He no doubt owes his escape from, death, by t flogging to the fact that the soldiers were more merciful, or less drunk, than their leader. The British authorities will, not be Blow -to take vengeance for his maltreatment. They have several crusiers in those waters, one 1 of which was passed by the Arziona on the morning of the 24fch. It ia 'not ' unlikely ftliat' Col. Gonzales will be' punished by death, as the Government of President Barrios is prompt as well as just. The following memoranda of "the occurrences ,of April 24 and 25 appear on the " log-" of the Captain of the Arizona : April 24. — By request of the United StatesConsular, Agent at San Jose, de Guatemala. (Mr. James),, the, ship remained over night, in order to endeavor to save the life of the British Vice Consul, Mr. Magee, whose life was iruimininent peril ; also to afford ;an asylum to foreign residents if compelled to leave

April 25. — Completed discharging cargo at 7, a.m. ,At 8 a.m. I received the following from the United States Consular Agent : — ' "Please delay the r steamer a little till I can get on board. It is a matter of life and death, I shall not be ten minutes. The Commandante accompanies me, and goes to Acajulla with you "

jLbaufc Half an Jlour later, fclie Consular Agent and. the Cominandante, accompanied by three men, came alongside. I went to the gangway to recepe them, first ordering "the officers to arm themselves, and, plhcjng an armed guard" in the main gangway topre vent any disturbance and preserve order. The United States 'Consulatr Agent was first' to board. When he reached the deck, the Commandante (Col. Gonzales), ascended the ladder, and when about half way ; uj) some unseen hand among the passengers discharged a pistol at him, the; ball taking effect in the abdomen. I made every effqrt to get him on board but he refused to come, and returned to his boat and proceeded to the shore. 'At the moment two other shots were discharged at him by parties also unknown. The parties in the boat retuniedone shot, but,-for.tunately, without effect. The whole affair occurred in a momentj and was 1 edtir'ely unanticipated. The passengers in the guards were mostly ladies. One shos was fired from the hurricanedeck almost immediately over where I stoodbut.by.whom I am junable to ascertain". .• About ten minutes after the above occurr«nrie I repclwod tHe following from Gen. Solano :—: — "I -have just arrived here from Guatemala, by order of the President, .to put a stop to the barbarities committed illegally here.' I have 'instructions to* make a prisoner of , C6l. Gonzales, ,who has: just .gone on boa«d your ship, and have to request you will secure him' on shore, or await my orders. " (Signed) • Gfusoo SoTjAso, " Q-eneral of Division.'

To this I roplied, expressing regret at the rash act aud disdaimk.g any connection with the affair, or responsibility, having taken every precaution to provont disorder of any kind.

Fifteen minutes later I received tlwj following telegram from G-uatemela : — ■

".You will ptaase detain your vossel until receiving* farther orders from me. . •' (Signed,) G. Williamson. •• •' United' States Minister." .

To which I replied tbct delay would be very detrimental to the company aud'paasengci'B, and requested permission for immediate departure, and that; ia the event of receiving no reply I'sfrould consider myself at liberty to •ideparfc'<affcer -the e^piratioa of twenty-four hourß .

At 10 ; a.m. the- United- States Consular Agent, accompanied by Sir. Magee and Mr. Mouci'ief, tlio company's agent, came on board. After conferring with these gentlemen who advised me, a3 the detention 'was. only ordered for the safety of Mr. Magee and the f oreign residents, and as the danger had passed away, to resume my voyage. In accordance with this aVlvice which these gentlemen, riz.', M,i\ Magee and Mr. ifoncriefe, handed'me in' writing, I determined to sale. I wrote to the United SLatea Minister- that as tho object for which I wti3 detained had been accomplished* and I- had been advised to depart, I had concluded not to await his reply to my telegram but to depart at once. • I therefore sailed at 12.40 p.m."

. , Ax ; 'EcpisifTEic Moon. — Thos. Brown was employed at tho Bank Theatre, a few years ago, as a kind of utility man, and one night the manager; put r him behind the scene at the rear of the stage to .take, care of the joioon. Brown had a candle on" the end of along pole, and it was his duty to hold the light behind the moon, which was < merely a round, unpainted space iv the curtain, and to pull the , curtain . slowly up to represent . the rising of the moon. Brown seated himself on a piece of baronial castle, and "while waiting 'for the order to go to work he fell asleep. Presently the tragedian on the stage said to the heroine, " Swear by yon bright moon," etc., etc., and turned to point to it, but the orb of night was'not there. The stage manager flew around and gave Brown a kick, and in a frenzy ordered* inn, to ;' to hist that moon quick!" Brown was bewildered, and without waiting for further orders, he ran the curtain clear up ■■with 'one- jerk, when the cord broke, and down it came again. Another string was hurriedly rigged on the "pulley, and the moan began to rise properly ; but Brown's nerves were so unstrung by fright "that he" couldn't hold the; candle steady behind it, so that there were fifteen or twenty eclipses during the ascent, the light meanwhile wandering all •vep'the curtain, to the infinite amusement of the audience. However, the luminary got Safe 1 at last, and the tragedian again observed, " Swear by yon bright moon," but before the words were fairly out the cord snapped again, the curtain rolled with velocity j and broke loose from the roller, revealing Brown, the lunar elevatorj roaming round in his shirt sleeves, with a candle on a stick. ' ' A moment later the manager was fumbling amongst his hair, and that very night Mr.' Brown" closed his theatrical' career. Themanager remarked to a confidential friend that while a man was capable of making the moon rise three times in one night, and of getting up any number 1 of eclipses and other astronomical phenomena, might be valuable for' some purposes,' he was about as fit.for a theatre as a wall-eyed mule' was for singing hymus. — Max Adeler. A bill has been introduced into the Sydney Legislature for the abolishment of all pensions "and annuities to any person in consideration of sei vices rendered by him as a member of the Executive Council, orsas a member of the General Assembly or Legislative Council, erin consideration o£ services voluntarily rendered by any person in the^promotion of any measure political and social, haying professedly for its object the public good. In other words, pensions are to be abolished for political offices ;,, and ministers who have "herejof ore ' looked forward to a comfortable retiring annuity for life,, after a few brief years of Executive duties, during which they have t bepn in receipt of salaries, wUI, so far as J New South Wales is concerned, ,haye to depend tipo'n some other source" than'the" consolidated rereuue to support thei%r !