The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-07-15
Pedro Jimenez Calls the General
Names and Threatens
His Life.
A STORMY STUDY IN WORDS.
Political Enmity Is Said to Be the
Sentiment Which Impelled the
Attack.
aBandidol lie vengo a matar!''

tDdHQluOt LIE FeilSO q ndtdI!
This startling salutation which trans
lated from the liquid Castilian into ordi-
nary, every day English means, 'Y GU viii
lain, 1 have come to kill you," greeted
Don Carlos Ezeta as he was about to COM
mence welI-planned attack upon tooth
some fowl which lay in state yesterday at
lunch time in the dining-room of the
Hotel Marechal Mel.
About dozen of the guests were seated
at luncheon at the various tables, the gen.
eral occupying q seat at the second table
to the right of the door. The dainty, win
sopce serving-maids were hurrying to and
fro with viands for the guests. while Mrs.
Schneider, the proprietress, was seated at
an unoccupied table conversing with a
lady friend.
Suddenly the peaceful scene of CASTRO
nomic happiness was rudely interrupted
by the precipitate entry of Pedro Jimenez
a guest who has been domicileo at the
hotel for the past fortnight. His appear
ance was wildly suggestive of impending
trouble. With unsteady gait. his counte-
nance of ashy paleness, the young man
strobe TO the ex-President's chair and, it
is said. attempted to spit in his Excellen-
cy's face.
"Canallar' calculated the doughty gem
eral, his handsome face crimsoning at the
objectionable, though abortive, insult.
''Villaini' responded Jimenez in a tone
worthy of Darrell Vinton, II have come
here to kill you'll To kill you'll ~
And then brand-new pistol glittered in
the MONDAY radiance that filtered through
the lace-curtained windows. Jimenez, it
would appear, knows about as much of
killing as he does OF English, for in place
of finishing the object of his threats he
commenced series of diatribes, pune
tuated by sundry wavings of the pistol,
which for all practical purposes might have
been a baby's rattle.
The general, however, was not intimi-
dated. He had, it is true, lodged
Jimenez's tribute of saliva, but the man
who had ruled a nation would not, could
not, cringe before a cheap new pistol.
Selling chair his Excellency made for his
assailant.
.'Put up that pistolr' the general
shouted. as though once more upon the
field of battle.
Jimenez hesitated and turned even a
shade paler.
81 have ordered you to put up your
pistol" persisted the ex-ruler, drawing
himself up to his full height, CLEAN of
commanding majesty darling from his
brilliant, liquid eyes.
Before that gleam Jimenez wllted, cowed
and subdued, and put the revolver into his
hip pocket. ;,
Now sir pursued the general. survey
ing the trembling youth with glance of
double distilled contempt, and casting
aside the chair which he had until then
retained in his grasp, twill you be so kind
as to let me know why you have sought to
assassinate me here as one would kill a
rat in trap? Were you afraid to meet me
as gentleman would have done? I am
waiting for your answer"
JimeneZ, completely subjugated before
the towering rage of his former ruler, be.
came hysterical. A wild torrent of furious
invective burst from his lips, as in the
most fowery and profane Spanish ne
berated the former chief magistrate of his
native land.
"VillainP' he repeated, ''you have had
me drafted into tue army as a simple
private and commanded me to be exposed
TO the barbara insults of your brutal
soldiery-why should not wipe you from
the face of the eartn?"
Meanwhile. as long as the pistol was in
evidence, all in the dining-room seemed
TO be frozen with terror. The maids near
the door had fed into the passagewav
with all the speed of shots from Calling
gun, but all the rest of the company re-
manned glued to their places, SO 10 speak,
transtixed with fear.
But when the pistol disappeared valor
resumed its sway within the masculine
breasts whose owners dotted the dining
room. Jimenez was overpowered and
plnloned, dozen manly arms enfolding
him in no friendly embrace. Officer H S.
Krause was summoned and forth with con-
veyed Jimenez, still vociferating, cursing
and gesticulating, to the City Prison,
where, strange to say, the comparatively
insignificant charge of carrying a con-