The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-12-06
KILLING OF BARRUNDIA.
THE OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE
SENT TO THE HOUSE.

MINERS Last Report-The Minister
Advice TO the Captain OF the Steamer
The Part Played by the United
States Man-of-War in the Harbor.
WASHINGTON, Dec. j.-The President TO-
day transmitted to the House the CORE
spondence growing out of the killing 81
Gen Barrundie by Guatemalan officers on
board the Pacific mail steamer Acapulco
in the port Of San Jose de Guatemala. The
respondence was called for BY q
resolution of Sept. "a, last.
Secretary Blaine, In his letter laying
the correspondence bsfore the President,
says il will be observed that the last report
of Minister Miner contains matter essential
TO full and accurate understanding Of the
case. 1t was dated Sept. p, aud not re-
ceived at the department until Oct 9. sew
eral days after the adjournment OF congress.
The correspondence consists OF ten en-
closures, tie first of which was a telegram
from Minister Miner TO Secretary Blaine,
dated Aug % and last letter from Secre-
tAry Blaine TO Minister Miner. dated Nov.
IS, announcing that he can see no Justlf1-
cation for Minister Miners course, that
this government disayows his action, and
directing him to turn over the affairs of the
|
turn to the United States
MINERS FIRST LETTER.
In Minister MINERS first letter TO Sec
rotary Blaine dated Aug %, be quotes
Communication to Capt. Pitts dated Aug
q, stating that Guatemala, like any other
nation, has right co arrest a
person On neutral ship in It's
own waters in time of war for any cause
deemed an offense under international law.
/ la a later telegram To Capt. Pitts, timed
! 1890 o'clock at night. Minister Miner
says: If your ship is within one league Of
the territory OF Guatemala and you have
| on board Gen. Barrundia it becomes your
duty under the law of nations TO deliver
him to the authorities Of Guatemala
upon their demand. allegations having been
made TO this legation that Gen. BarrundIa
10 hostile TO and an enemy TO this republic.
| Guarantees have been made to me by this
! government that his life shall not be in dan
ger or any punishment inflicted upon him,
except for the charges against him" The
guarantees OF Gen. Bsrrundias personal
safety, Minister Miner says were at his re-
| quest promised the night before by the
! president.
REITER's ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
Subsequently, he received q telegram from
Commander Reiter of the navy acknowl-
edging Guatemala's right over the steamer
mission from the government 70 return Gen.
Barrundia to Mexico in the Thstis. The
minister of foreign relations
positively declined TO accede to this
| request All the circumstances
and Gen. Barrundia's well-known
hostility to the public and his attempted
invasion from Mexico, Mr.. Miner says
decided his course. and he accordingly in
| response ~ request for written and not
teIegrapnic orders, sent Capt. Pitts letter
advising the captain TO submit to the arrest
| or his passenger.
! The following day Commander ReIter
| telegraphed an account OF Gen. Barrundia's
death while resisting arrest.
The minister then continues: The minis
Ter of foreign relations informed me yesIer-
| day that Gen. Barrundia feared violence
from mobs on account of his many cruel
| Ties when secretary OF war under r eSident
| Barrios rather than any serious punishment
| by tho government, and that he was
| secretly buried for the same reasons. The
minister, however, said the government
could have protected MIN from violence"
REFERS ACCOUNT
Ga Aug. % Commander George c. Reiter
| dispatched 10 the navy department his re-
port of the Barrundia affair. IL is IN har-
lnony in its preliminaries with Minister
Miners report. Following is an extract
stating how the naval officers learned OF
| the shooting "At about =. IN. it was
| thought that number Of shots were heard
| on board the Acapulco, and at 2l3 O'clock
the Guatemalan flag was hauled down
| from the toretop aud the United States hag
| hoisted in its stead, when | supposed the
| munster was on board. Bur al 2:29 o'clock
when whale boat came alongside with
Llents. Bartlett and Halsey, Who had been
| visiting the Acapulco, Lieut. BARTLETT re-
ported to me that the commandant was
aboard and that pruniscuous firing had
been going Oh on board the ship, and til at
they desired protection, the United States
flag having bean hoistea to signify that
desire. | immediately left the ship i'll gig
to go alongside the Acapulco and ordered
| Lieut.. Harris 10 follow me at once with an
| armed party OF marines in the whale boat
On my arrival on the Acapulco found all
quiet and no necessity for any protection. SO
that on the arrival of Lient. Harris a few
moment afterward | directed him to return
10 the Ranger
WOULD HAVE SUNK TIE saIP.
Under date Of Sept , is letter from
Minister Miner to Secretary Blaine which
was received Oct. 9. and in which the min
lister justifies his course He says he called
on the 18th on the minister of foreign rela-
tions for an explanation of the affair In
this interview the minister stated with
emphasis that his government had
| given pOsltlve orders to take
Gen. Barrundia from the Acapulco
even to sinking the ship, Notwithstanding it
might have involved conflict with our two
war vessels. ,fhis, he said, would have been
in the exercise of the undopbted right of his
government over its own waters, in which he
was confident the laws of nations would
have sustained him. Minister Miner says
he had never heard Of these orders before.
BLAIYE's LETTER OF RECALL.
Secretary Blaine's last letter, Nov. IS
recalling Minister Miner, reviews the case
at length IN all its bearings and says that
The more the question is examined in the
light Of important facts. tardily disclosed
the deeper becomes the regret that you SC
far exceeded your legitimate authority as
to sign the paper which, in the hands of the
officers OF Guatemala, became their war
rant for the capture OF Gen. Bar
rundia." in the course of his de-
tailed review of the case, Secretary Blaine
writes: Zone other feature of the case yet
remains to be considered. That is your COM
muncations to Commander Renter Of the
United States steamship Ranger, and your
failure to avail yourself of the presence OF
that vessel. As has already been shown
you Gent him two kilograms which yor
failed to report to this department Tine
occasion Of your sending the frs
one does not appear; but il