The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-09-25
Minister Miner Alleges Treaehery
on the Part of Guatemalan
Officials.
His Complaint Not Confined to the
Barrundia Case by Any
Means.
Synopsis Of tho Diplomatic Correspond
ence Relating to the Surrender Of
General Barrundia,

WAsHNaroN, Sept. A.-The official re-
port of Minister Miner. together with all
the attendant facts connected with the
shooting of Gen. Barrundia on board the
Pacific Mail steamer Acapulco, have been
received by the state department. Minister
Miner says in his report that several of
fetal dispositions are lacking and he has
made applications for them to tho Guate-
malan government and expected to for
ward them to the United States by the Liv-
ingston mail, which left Guatemala Sept. 3.
Miner tells the story of Barrundia's at
tempt to raise force in Mexico against
Guatemala, his imprisonment and release
under promise to leave the country. He
continues with the story of the first at
tempt to take Barrundia at Champerioo,
which failed because Captain Pitts, of the
Acapulco, refused to give him up. After
this letter was sent by the Guatemalan
minister of foreign affairs. Senior Francisco
Anguiano, to the United States minister,
reporting the refusal of Captain Pitts to
deliver up Barrundia while in Champericc
and asking Minister Mizner to direct Pitts
to give up his passenger upon the arrival of
the Acapulco at San Jose.
Miner sent no immediate written reply
to this letter, but called upon the Guate-
mala minister Of foreign affairs at the gov
ernment palace, and had long interview
with that official. He told the Guatemala
government that it would be time enough
to give a categorical reply to the letter
when the Acapulco arrived SIS San Jose. He
asked for further explanation of the rea-
son why Barrundia should be arrested, and
called attention to the fact that Guatemala
was then under martial law.
DR.. Anguiano assured Miner that Bar
| rundia would have a fair trial and be
| Justly dealt with. He was assured that the
| government of Guatemala had no treachel-
GUS designs against the life of Barrundia.
and that they had no desire to put him to
death nor would they do SO.
/ But" continued Senior Anguiano, 'syou
must know, Mr.. Minister, that Guatemala
is sore beset with enemies on all sides just
now, and she must do ali she can to protect
herself against them. Barrundia is an en-
emy Of his own country, and this govern
ment would fail in its duty were it to allow
him to continue his Vaccinations against
Guatemala, while IN their power to prevent
it. The United States have been doing ali
they can to preserve peace in Central Amer
lea, and it hardly seems probable that they
will allow that peace to become again jeop-
ardized by allowing Barrnndia to escape
by obstructing our efforts to protect our
selves.''
Mlzner accepted the assurance of the
Guatemalan government and said the mat
ter would have his attention when the
Acapulco arrived at San Jose. The
Acapulco arrived at San Jose the next
| morning and Miner received dispatch
| from Captain Pitts, appealing to the minis
! ter for advice and protection. Minister
Mizner replied to Captain Pitts, telling him
| that his vessel was in Guatemalan waters
and, in all that was lawful, within the juris-
dlction of Guatemalan authority, Il the lat
ter had demanded the arrest of any one
charged with having offended against the
laws of Guatemala, they had the power to
exercise their right to arrest such offenders.
The laws of nations placed the Acapulco in
Guatemalan jurisdiction from the moment
she was within one marine league of Guate-
malan soil. If Captain Pitts choose to re-
sist the legally constituted authority of
Guatemala he would have to do so at his
own pleasure and thus render himself
amenable to prosecution and punishment
by the Guatemalan authorities for resisting
the execution of Guatemalan law while
within the jurisdiction of that country. He
minister Mizner) knew Of no law which
prevented the arrest of Barrundia under
the then present circumstances.
While these kilograms were passing be-
tween Captain Pitts and Minister Miner,
the Guatemalan minister of foreign affairs
made formal demand in dispatch to
Mizner for Barrundia's arrest. To his dis
patch Minister Miner replied that
the Guatemalan government knew their
own laws, and it was not neces-
sary for him to make any suggestions upon
matters within their own jurisdiction. If
the Acapulco was in Guatemalan waters the
Guatemalan authorities could exercise their
legal rights, and if in order to do 90, it
should be found necessary to arrest Gen.
Barrundia while on board the Aca-
pulco there was no need for the
United States minister to raise any objec-
ton to the enforcement of Guatemala's
laws by the officers of that government who
have been duly authorized. But, while 30
doing, he (Mizner) would remind the gov
ernment of its promise to accord full and
complete Justice to Barrundia, and to avoid
extreme measures with him, as we'll as their
guarantee of his life. This letter was shown
to Captain Pitts, who also received one of
the same tenor from Miner.
Then the report tells of the shooting of