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TEXAS STATE LIBRARY
in that port they were taken on board the man of war Santiago and put in irons on a charge of being fillibusters. They were seen in this con- dition on board the Santiago by an american gentleman who .inter- ceeded with the commander for their release. The latter replied, that he would be glad to accede to the request but he had orders from his government to send them to the Capital, A couple of months subse- quently Knote informed the same gentleman that he had released them. This proved to be false. By order of the Guatamalean commander Lilley and Yates were taken down into the hold, while in irons, where a volley from five marines, commanded by a sergeant was fired into them. Lilley fell dead at the first fire but Yates who was a very power- ful man, was not immediately killed, and in his agony he dashed his manacles at the head of his dead companion and scattered his brains about the hold. Yates was finaly dispatched, and then the vessel raised anchor and went out to sea to sink the bodies. Commander Knote sold the coffe for his own benefit and likewise robbed Lilley of the fifteen hundred dollars in cash which he had with him. The French Consular Agent in La Union has given the following information relative to this transaction: · Consular Agency of France, ) La Union, Sept. 1, 1857. ) Personally appeared before me at my office JOSE MARIA BARRERA, who, being sworn, deposed that he is a native of Acapulco, Mexico, and. that his age is 25 years; that he had been employed on board the Guatemalian war brig Santiago, from the 19th of January up to the 11th of June of the present year, as a mariner of the second class; that on the 16th day of February, he saw the American citizens CHRIS. LILLY and --YATES shot in the hold of the aforesaid ship by order of the commander of the squadron, wc1r. KNOTE, and that immediately after the vessel set sail to take in water. JOSE MARIA BARRERA. Witnesses: VICENTE L.AT~OUE, WM. DROWN. I, the undersigned, Consular Agent of France, certify that the fore- going signatures are genuine. B. COURTAD. Since the departure of Walker from the country the a [sic] constant system of petty tyranny and espionage has been adopted by the governnumt and 'its' officials towards the few americans left here. On the. 31st. of August hu;t a decree was published expelling from th11 countrey all who had been commissioned with Gen Walker, but not only these but a number of industrious and pains-taking citizens have likewise been driven out, their interests suffering sewrely by the tyrannic act. There could not possibly be an excuse for such ha1:sh measures for all the americans in the country whither adherents of Walker formerly, or otherwise, are to my knowledge honest law abiding men whose presence here is by no means. calculated to injure the coun- try. In the last few months americans have on various occasions been imprisoned without the shacldow of a cause, and attempts to assassinate them by government officers have gone unpunished and uncondemned.
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