Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-31
NO BARRUNDIA DEED I
Was Permitted on His Steamship by
Nelvy Captain White.
THE MURDEROUS PLOT OF EzETA.
True Inwardness of His Recent Attempt to
Seize Steamer.
SEVERAL REFUGEES WERE TO BE SHOT
rsprc1AL TELEGRAM TO THE DrsrAroH. ]

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPArcH.1
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 3O.-A good
story comes up by Panama steamer, which
shows the true inwardness of the att empt
by President Ezeta, of Salvador, to seize
five Salvadorean refugees on the Pacific
Mail steamer City of Panama in La Union,
and to confscate the vessel when this
scheme failed. The cable has brought an
outline of the story, but it gave no details
of the reasons for the attempted seizure,
which was precisely similar case to the
Barrundia affair, except that in this case
Salvador was the aggressor and tried to
capture exiles, whom President Ezeta
hated.
The leader among the five refugees on
board the City of Panama was General
Letona. He, with others, bought tickets at
Corinto, Nicaragua, for San Jose del Guate-
mala. He knew the vessel touched at Sal
vadorean ports, but after the Barrundia
affair he never dreamed Ezeta would try to
initiate that atrocity. Letona has spent
five years exile in Nicaragua. Ezeta's ami
mostly against him is due to the fact that
when Commander-in-Chiefo of the Salvado-
rean forces Letona ordered one hundred
lashes laid on the back of Ezeta, then a
private in the army, because he was de-
tected of theft.
PLAN TO KILL LETONA.
Ezeta, of course, never forgave this and
would have shot Letona if he had any ex-
cuse. He knew Letona's courage, and his
scheme, it has since leaked out, was to de-
mand his surrender, and then when he
showed fight, shoot him down as Barrundia
10 nr,1
Rivas, the other Salvadorean refugees, have
all incurred the wrath of Ezeta, Ayaly being
the President legally elected, whom Ezeta
forced out by intrigues, and Rivas being
the nephew of the General who last year
headed the unsuccessful revolt against
Ezeta Brannan, the fifth refugee, is an
American contractor, who became mixed up
in Salvadorean politics and to whom Ezeta
owes large sum.
When the vessel reached La Union the
commandante of the port came on board
with several officers, one of whom was the
notorious desperate who assisted in poison
ing Melendez This man tried to pick
quarrel with young Rivas, but failed
ANEKvY CAPTAIN.
Soon after the commandante again ap-
peared with Is heavily armed soldiers in q
launch Captain White permitted the COM
mandante only to board the vessel. Then
the officer made formal demand for the
surrender of Letona This the Captain re-
fused to do, although the commandante
called his attention to the fact that he was
in Salvadorean waters. Then a threat was
made that the steamer would not receive
clearance papers till Letona was
surrendered, and Captain White waited
four hours for papers and then left.
At La Libertad the vessel was seized on
the ground that she had sailed without
proper clearance. Nothing was mentioned
about the demand for refugees. White
cabled to the Pacific Mail Superintendent
at Panama for instructions. Meanwhile the
commandante came aboard and declared
that he had Ezeta's order to take charge of
the ship.
PREPARING TO FIGHT.
This aroused the Captains anger and he
ordered the commandante ashore, at the
same time arming all his men and getting
out his hot water hose ready to repel at
tack. The cable from Panama was delayed
12 hours on shore When it was received,
White at once sailed. He heard Ezeta was
on his way with large body of troops to
seize the steamer, so he didn't stop at Aca-
jutta, where a stop is usually made,
but kept five miles out With glasses 1t
could be seen that large body of men was
at the wharf, and when the steamer passed
by they boarded train for the interior.
They were probably Ezeta's force
Americans at San Jose de Guatemala
were much pleased over Captain Whites
action, but the sentiment is unanimous that
our Government should keep good war
vessel in these waters to guard against such
out RACES as this by Central American re-
publicS