The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1890-09-24
MURDER OF BARRUNDIA.
THE STORY OF THE KILLING AS
TOLD BY an EYEWITNESS.

TOLD BY AN EYEWITNESS.
An Account that is not Calculated to add
to the Lustre OF Old Glory or Make the
American Eagle Flap his Wings will
Pride.
NEW YoGK, September 16.-Tht
Pacific mail steamer Colon, which
reached this port Friday brought from
the Isthmus some Of the passengers
who were On board the steamer Aca
pulco at the time Of the killing Of Gen
Barrundia by Guatemalal officers while
the Acapulco lay in the harbor Of San
Jose. The Associated Press is indebted
to an eyewitness of the tragedy forthe
following narrative.
The steamer Acapulco left San Fran.
cisco August 13. On her arrival at
Acapulco, Mexico, Gen. Barrundia, ex,
minister of war of Guatemala, came on
board from the Starbuck, sister ship
He was known to be hostile to the pre-
sent Government of Guatemala, and it
was understood that he was on his way
to Salvador. He was attended by two
men as body guard. When the ship
arrived az Champerico, Guatemala, the
authorities, who had been warned that
Barrundia was en- board, at once sent
off two boat loads of soldiers and de-
mandel that the General be surrender
ed to them.
Capt Pitts peremptorilv refused to ac-
ceed to this demand. An attempt was
made to coerce him by withholding the
clearance papers; but after detention
of twenty-four hours, Capt Pitts per-
sisting in his refusal to deliver Bar
rundia without an order from his Gov
ernorment; the vessel was permitted
to resume her course. This was on Au-
gust II, and on the evening of the same
day the steamer arrived at San Jose.
No sooner had the Acapulco cast an
chor than two boat loads of soldiers
were sent off from shore to keep close
watch that no one without proper Gre
dentials should leave the vessel for the
shore.
Within pistol shot of where the Aca-
pulco lay were two United States gun
boats, Capt Pitts had telegraphed to
their commanding officers from Cham
perico requesting assistance, but MS
dispatch was not delivered. Now he
made a personal appeal to them for
help. The response was that the men
of-War could do nothing without an Or
der from the port captain. Next day
the ship was again invaded BY the COM
mandant of special force of men, ac-
companied by another boat load of SOL
diers, This time Guatemalan officers
came furnished with an order of arrest
signed by American Minister Miner.
Alter being politely introduced to Capt
Pitts the commandant produced his pa
pers and made formal demand for the
delivery of Barrundia. Then the COM
mandant directed that all cabin passen-
gers be ordered below. When this or
der had been executed the entire force
of Guatemalan officers proceeded to
Barrundia's room, Capt Pitts going
with them.
AS soon as the room was reached
Capt Pitts, after deprecating thenecessl-
ty of surrendering his passenger to the
authorities, began to read the order tor
the Generals arrest. Barrundia had
quietly met them at the door, but, at
once diyining that all was over, he
reached into his room for his revolver,
and, making the remark, VERY good"
ired. The ball Just missed Capt Pitts
who, together with the commandant,
ran leaving the man hunting the spec
ial officer. Barrundia was a short
sighted man. and, being very nervous,
was unable to do any damage, though
he chased them all out Of the Saoon,
firing wildly. At last the officers drop
ped him from different points, riddled
with shot, on the hurricane deck.
The brave commandant there upon
came from his hiding place, walked up
to the dead man and fired into his skull.
The dead body was rolled upln piece
of canvass. Aid being summoned, the
other boats conveyed the gallant per
petrators of the deed, their revolvers
openly displayed in their hands. They
made a.detour By the United States
war ships on their way to shore. AS
they left the ship some smllllngly
waved their hands and one placed his
thumb to his nose and extended the
other fingers in a familiar and we'll
known way.
Still the incident was not over. The
Guatemalans had to wipe their feet q
little more on the suffering ship, and
she was not allowed to proceed until
the baggage belonging to Burrundla
had been searched, presumably for eVl-
dence incriminating others. This was
submitted to, the gunboats still silent
and sleepy not one hundred yards away.
Indeed at the time Of The tragedy an
officer from one of them was aboard the
Acapulco.
When Gen. Barrundia had first come
aboard his baggage had been searched,
and his arms, consisted of two revol-
vers, sword and dagger, had been taken
charge of by the captain. But some
how after the affray six other reVolverS
and about forty rounds Of cartridges
were found. His body guard at the
commencement of the fighting had run
below and been locked up for safety.
About forty shots were fired in al.
Finally the disagreeable affair was at
an end, at least for the time being, and
the steamer was allowed to proceed.
The Americans on board We're full OF
Indignation and shame at the whole al
fair. Ugly rumors were alloat about
blood money, as though money had had
influence somewhere in securing the
surrender of the man. Many passen-
gers openly expressed regret that the
American flag was theirs. Capt. Pltth
it was generally held, was partly excus-
able for his action, seeing that heads,
applied in vain to the war ships for as
sistance and that he was confronted
with an order from the minister. At
the same time a feeling prevailed that
had the captain shown the same llrm-
ness at San Jose as he did at Champer-
leo the man would not have been
shot.
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