Considering all the circumstances of Mr. Wheelock’s case, his impatience at
the seeming unnecessary delay at its settlement is but natural. The
Department’s instruction to you, No. 208, of the 24th of February last, will
have thoroughly acquainted you with its views upon the subject, and I need,
therefore, only now remark that in carrying out that instruction you will
exert every proper effort to immediately secure for Mr. Wheelock some
measure of justice, which he and this Government have every reason to expect
should be accorded by that of the Republic of Venezuela for so gross an
outrage.
[Inclosure in No. 215.]
Mr. Wheelock to the
President.
10 Willow Street, Brooklyn, N. Y.
,
February 22, 1883. (Received March
13.)
Sir: More than three years ago, while engaged
in business in the Republic of Venezuela, I was the subject of a
horrible outrage, probably exceeding in brutality anything [Page 903] ever perpetrated upon a
citizen of these United States, and which has permanently injuured me
both physically and mentally, and the particulars of which are fully set
forth by Secretary Evarts in the volume of Foreign Relations, 1880,
folio 1042, and partially in the inclosed slip from the New York
Sun.
I have endeavored to obtain justice through the State Department at
Washington, but the Venezuelan Government, which thinks only of
enriching its members while in power, apparently treats with contempt
all the requests of that Department. I most humbly and earnestly beg
your excellency to request Congress to take such measures in the matter
as may seem proper.
Your obedient servant,
[Inclosure.—Extract from the New York
Sun.]
a story from venezuela.
John E. Wheelock, of 66 Willow street, Brooklyn, lately superintendent of
the Eureka” gold mine, in the Caratal mining district of the Republic of
Venezuela, returned to his home on Wednesday last. He was thin and worn,
though he was a robust man when he quitted his home; and he had but
little use of his left arm and hand, but rest and plentiful fare have
mended his appearance, and restored strength-to his disabled arm.
He gives an account of almost unexampled ill-treatment on the part of
Venezuelan authorities. “I am a native American,” he said last evening.
“I was born in Ithaca, and most of my relatives still live there. I am
fond of adventure, and have had for years a fancy for mining. I have
been connected with many mining companies in the United States and South
America. I went to the Caratal mining district of Venezuela in 1876, and
was much pleased with my experience there. I returned to the United
States, but made several other visits to the mining district.
“I set out from New York to make my last visit in May. In the city of
Bolivar, Venezuela, I was engaged by the company operating the Eureka
mine, in the Caratal district, as superintendent of the mine. The
company is composed of native Venezuelans and Italian merchants engaged
in business in Bolivar. I reached the mine and began my work on July 1.
On September 5 the working of the mine was suspended, the company
concluding that the ore that the mine yielded was not rich enough to
encourage them to continue work. I was paid off in full, and had about
$800 in my possession. Giovanni Patroni was put in charge of the mine,
the peons being discharged. Patroni invited me to spend several weeks
with him before I set out for Bolivar, whence I proposed to sail for New
York; Patroni was very friendly, and I became very confidential with
him; I told him how much money I had, and showed it to him. I intended,
as he knew, to set out for Bolivar on September 13. My baggage was
packed and ready on the evening of the 12th.
“I got up early the next morning and drank coffee, the uniform habit in
Venezuela, with Patroni. He was as bland as usual. I walked to Chili, a
mining town about one mile from the Eureka mines, to make some parting
visits. After I had made several visits, I was arrested in the street by
General Sotillo, commissary of the district. He is a negro and was
attended by a guard of negro peons. My arms were tied behind my back,
and Greneral Sotillo and the escort Began to march back to the Eureka
mines. I asked one of the peons why I was arrested. He told me that I
was charged with stealing $1,200 from a safe in Patroni’s house. I was
taken into the room in Patroni’s house in which was the safe that I was
charged with robbing. General Sotillo ordered that my baggage and the
clothing that I wore be searched, but of course nothing but what was
known to belong to me was found. Then Henry Smith, a negro, who has
worked in the district for years, and is a British subject, was sent for
to act as interpreter. Through him General Sotillo called upon me to
tell where I had hidden Patroni’s money. I averred my innocence, but
General Sotillo, as I understood him, said that he would find out the
hiding place of the money or do away with me. Patroni had been sitting
beside the general, speaking excitedly to him in Spanish, but when the
general expressed his intention towards me he went out. The general
ordered that the rope be tightened about my arms, and then I was raised
up until the rope passed over a peg in the wall. Then I was allowed to
hang down in agony. I was frequently told by Smith, the interpreter,
that the general would release me if I would tell where the money was
hidden. As I could give no satisfactory answer I was taken down.
“But I was not allowed to escape from my tormentors. A rope was wound
once round my chest, and then the ends were rolled upon pegs until I was
raised from the floor. I cannot give an idea of the pain that I
suffered. I could hardly breathe. I must have died of suffocation, but
two of the peons, at a signal from the general, raised me up
occasionally in their arms, and I recovered my breath. When I was [Page 904] almost exhausted I was taken
down and then forced to walk—my arms being still pinioned behind my
back—about half a mile away from the house. Then, in a thicket, two
slip-knots were made in a rope. A knot was put upon each of my bare
ankles, and the rope being tied to two trees far apart, I hung head
downward. I became dizzy and almost unconscious, and was then let down
roughly to the ground; water was dashed in my face, and I recovered
consciousness. The rope was taken from my ankles, my knees were bound
together, and I was carried by four of the peons to the mouth of a
prospect hole, usually about sixty feet deep. The peons threw me down at
the side of the hole, where I could look into it. I was told that unless
I divulged the place of concealment of the money I should be cast
headlong into the hole. I was utterly regardless of the danger, having
suffered until I was almost crazed, and I begged them to throw me into
the hole, so that I might die at once. When General Sotillo saw that the
effect that he desired was not produced, he ordered that I be hung again
by the ankles. This torture was repeated several times.
“General Sotillo came to the conclusion that he could extort no
confession from me. I was then taken to the nearest jail and locked in a
cell. Patroni offered to have me released and cleared if I would pay him
$600. Three days afterward a magistrate of the district gave a hearing
to my case. Patroni, with increased bitterness, probably due to my
declination of his offer in my cell, pressed the charge against me, but
I was discharged.
“I made a sworn statement before United States Consul Dalton, in Bolivar,
and he drew up a communication and forwarded it to President Dalla
Coasta, at Venezuela. The President, who is a very well-informed and
liberal gentleman, acted promptly. Here is a copy of the E Colaborador,
the official organ, containing ah order for the suspension of General
Sotillo from office and imprison ment pending an investigation in regard
to his treatment of me. I came to New York direct from the South, where
I landed, and have retained ex-Congressman Elkins, formerly of New
Mexico, to make an appeal to the State Department.”
