Sacramento daily record-union., 1890-09-13
EAST OF TIE ROCKIES.
An Eyewitness Gives a Fall Account
Of the Killing Of Barrundia.
THE FLOODS IN PENNSYLVANIA.
President Harrison Taking an Active
Interest in Matters for
Public Benefit.
lsrBclAl DISPATCHES TO THE aEoop.uslos.
THE KILLING OF BARRuND1A.
An Eyewitness Pictures the Scenes on
Board the Acapulco

Board the Acapulco.
New YORK. September 18Th The Pacific
Mail steamship Colon. which reached here
to- day, brought some of the passengers who
were on board the steamship Acapulco at
the time of the killing of General Barrun-
aia. One of the witnesses of the trag-
edy told the story 10 the Associated Press.
1t appears that General Barrundia came
on board OF Acapulco, Mexico. He was
understood to be on his way to San Saliva.
dor. He was attended by two bodyg1ards.
When the ship arrived a. Champerico
Guatemala, the authorities there demanded
that Barrundia be surrendered. Captain
Pitts peremptorilv refused to do so. they
withheld MS clearance papers for twenty
four hours, but finally allowed him to pro-
ceed.
When the vessel arrived at San Jose two
boat loads of soldiers were sent off from
shore to see that none without proper Gre
dentials should leave the vessel. Within
a pistol shot of her were two United States
gunboats. Captain Pitts had telegraphed
their commanding officer from Champerico
requesting assistance, but the dispatch had
not been delivered. Now he made per-
sonal appeal for help. The response was
that he could do nothing without an order
from the Port Captain.
The next day the ship was again invaded
by the Commandante with a special force
of men and another boat-load of soldiers.
The Guatemalan Commandsnte produced
an ''order of arrest" signed by the Ameri-
can Minister, Miner, and made formal
demand for the delivery of Barrundia.
Then he directed all the cabin passengers
to be ordered below.
When this order was executed, the entire
force proceeded to Barrundias room, Cap
tain Pitts with them. When the room was
reached Captain Pitts. after deprecating the
necessity of surrendering his passenger,
read the order for his arrest. Barrnndia
had quietly met them at the door, bat at
once divining that all was over, reached
into his room for a revolver, and making
the remark VERY good" fired The ball
Just missed Captain Pitts, who, together
with the Guatemalan Commandante, ran to
his room, locked the door and hid under
the bed, leaving the man-hu1ting to the
special officers.
Barrundia was short-sighted man, and
being very nervous, was unable to do any
damage, though he chased the men out
inio the saloon, firing wildly. At last they
dropped him, riddled with shot, on the
hurricane deck. The brave Commandante
thereupon came from his hiding-place,
walked up to the dead man and fred
bullet into his skull.
The dead body was rolled up in a piece
of canvas and conveyed on shore in one of
the boats. The other boat, conveying the
gallant perpetrators of the deed, with re-
volvers openly displayed. made detour
around by the United States war-ship. As
they left the Acapulco some smilingly
waved their hands, and one placed his
thumb to his nose and extended his fingers
in a ell-known manner
"Still the incident was not over said
the gentleman, who told the foregoing.
The Guatemalans had to wipe their feet
little more on the suffering ship, and she
was not allowed to proceed until the bag
gage belonging to Barrundia was searched,
presumably for evidence in eliminating
others. This was submitted to, the Amerl-
can gunbeats, still silent, not loo yards
away Indeed, at the time of the tragedy
an officer from one of them was on board
the Acapulco. The Americans or board
were full of Indignation and shame at the
whole affair.
Captain Pitts was generally held partly
exculpable for his action, seeing that he
had applied in vain to the warship for as
sistance, and was confronted with an
order from the American Minister. The
passengers condemned the action of the
men-of-war, tor they maintain that in any
event they might have taken charge of
Barrundia until some definite expression
of will had come from Washington. They
also condemn the action of Minister Miner,
who. they thought, had no right to sign the
mans death warrant (for they submit that
at the time he did it he knew it amounted
to that)."
AN INVESTIGATION ASKED.
WAsHINeroN. September 12th.-In the
House tomorrow Governor McCreary of
Kentucky will offer the following resolution:
Resolted, That the killing of General Barrun.
din on the steamer Acapulco by authorities of
Guatemala, while on board an American ship
and while under the protection OF the d ig OF
the United States, demands an immediate in
vestigation, aud the President Is requested, If
not Incompatible with public interest, to lay be-
fore the House of Representatives all informa-
ton ia his possession concerning this transac-
tim