The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-09-24
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THE ASSAILANT OF PRESIDENT
DIAZ LYNCHED.

A Mob Break Iuto the Municipal Palace
Overpower the Guards and Stab the Man
to Dea,h-The Soldiers on Duty Being
Unarmed and Prisoner Confined in q
Straight Jacket, the Mob Meets Little Re
~sistance - Twenty of the Assailants AZ
rested
City of Mexico, September ia sensa-
tional ending to the attempt on the life
of President Diaz occurred this morning,
when Arnulfo Arroyo was lynched by a
band of the common people, determined
on revenge. 1t was an act unprecedented
in the history of the country At !
O'Clock in the morning a number of men
belonging to the common people forced
their way into the municipal palace,
assembled the stairway, overcame the
guards and made their way to the office
of the inspector general Of police and
killed Arnulfo Arroyo whom they found
there. The killing was a wild and savage
scene, and was followed by a wild and
noisy retreat. The officers succeeded in
capturing a score Of persons.
When the police entered the room,
they found the body of the dead man
lying in the middle Of the floor. 1t was
literally riddled and hacked with knife
stabs. At his side were found a door bar
and several knives and other steel in
Struments. An examination showed that
the panes of a window were broken. The
men who were captured last night would
not say anything.
When Arroyo was surprised by the
1ynchers he was sitting in a chair in the
northeast corner of what was once Gen
eral Carballada's private office. There,
mixed with OF window paneS
was a long pool of blood marking the
spot where Arroyo had been stabbed. The
body was removed to the fourth ward
police station.
The gendarmes who were guarding Ar
royo were unarmed. If they had been
armed they would have fired on the mob.
Over 200 people penetrated the building.
When they surprised Arroyo, he was In
a straight Jacket and could make no re-
sistance. He seemed too terrified to
speak.
General satisfaction was expressed here
today as the news of the lynching OF
Anulfo Arroyo spread through the city,
although the more reflective people, es-
pecially business and professional men
said they deplored the act of mob vio-
lence and feared it would be misinter-
preted abroad. Some of the highest Off
Gals of the government said they were
puzzled to account for this outburst of
popular feeling.
When the assassin was arrested In front
of the Alameda masses of people kept
clamoring for his life and tainted the
lieutenant with fear. A great crowd or
lower people followed the prisoner to the
national palace. where he was searched
and then, despite the remonstrance of
officers, turned over to the civil officers
by request of President Diaz, who was
opposed to a trial by court martial. Ac-
cordingly the prisoner was allowed his
full constitutional righ-s.
Acting on the wish e.. pressed by Presi-
dent Diaz Arroyo was taken under guard
to the police headquarters in the city
hall. Arroyo evidently felt apprehensive
of the crowd, who were determined to
4s-N o~1 1xnoh hi"
At night he was taken, clad in a
straight jacket, to the office of the in
spector of police. The prisoner was given
a mattress TO rest on and carefully
guarded. Near at hand were four officers
of the secret office. AS Arroyo lay on the
mattress he conversed with one OF the
officers who had known him for years.
He was asked how he could have come
to make the murderous attack on Presi-
dent DiaZ, knowing as he did how severe
the law would deal with him, and espe-
cially as he had studied the law. He
manifested a cynical Indifference and did
not regret the act.
The apartment was very still, except for
the murmur of the conversation between
the officer and prisoner, who seemingly
enjoyed smoking his cigarette when he
suddenly heard the tramping of many
feet on the stairs, and there were con-
fused shouts Of Long Live President
Diaz,' Long Live Mexico, and Death to
Anarchists" Arroyo shuddered, his fear
Of the mob attacking him growing
stronger, and with good reason. for i'm
mediately the doors were burst open and
a great crowd poured in. They were
begged to fall back, but they advanced on
the officers successfully: Yells went up:
Kill him; he belongs to U.S." Windows
were broken and the noise aroused the
officers of the secret service in the adj
joining room, who rushed to the rescue,
but refrained from firing on the crowd,
fearing they might kill some policemen.
Meantime in the room above a frightful
scene had been enacted. Many knives
were plunged into the body of Arroyo,
who, of course, was entirely helpless.
Over twenty arrests were made and all
were locked up ''in-cummunicadO," and
have not been released pending a strict
inquiry which is to be made.
The question has naturally arisen why
their revolvers, but it is explained they
had nothing to fear of the prisoner, who
was quite helpless.
The body Of Arroyo had been dragged
to the balcony with the evident purpose
of throwing it into the street. Arroyo's
arms were badly cut as he had evidently
struggled with his murderers.
When the tumult had subsidized, the
body was taken to the fourth police sta
ton, where an examination was made
showing a great gaping wound in the left
lung, a deep wound in the left side, one
on the right shoulder and others on the
arms and feet. There were nine wounds
in all. One of the gendarmes was
wounded in the fight with the mob.
Officer Sanchez suffered Commissions from
being trampled ON.
Our most eminent physicians pre-
scribe Harris Emulsion Of Cod Liver
Oil" with Creasote and the Hypophos-
nhitaS Sold nv r q Shon9r6 T H