The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-25
VELASQUEZ IS A SUICIDE.
MExICo's FORMER HE OF Po-
LICE SHOT BY HIS OWN HAND

Pound Dead in the Jail to which Ho was
Taken After Contrasting tho Assassination
OF Arroyo-No Explanation or His Deed, but
Renorse Probably tho Cause-who Neuts
CITY OF MENICo. Sept. 2i.-Col. Eduardo
Velasquez, former 1nspector.G General OF Police.
shot himself dead this morning at Belem. Since
his committal to Belem on last Saturday after
noon Nclasquez had been confined in the pri.
waite apartments of Warden Campusano. The
Warden placed him there because he feared
some personal violence toward tho prisoner
from the other inmates. who have grudges,
moro or less pronounced, against all the higher
police officials.
On last Tuesday velasquez confessed that he
had directed the murder Of Arroyo, President
Diaz's assailant, and since then Judge Flores
of the Fifth Criminal Court has been pressing
the investigation very diligently. Whether the
prisoner realized that tho penalty for his crime
could be capital punishment or he was moved
by penitence and despair cannot DO known.
The suicide was committed with no wit.
nesses. When the-jail attendant went to velas-
quez's room at about 10 o'clock this forenoon
he was dead. lying on the bed. Close by him
lay q small derringer with one cartridge ex-
ploded and the other still insthe chamber. From
the position in which velasquez was found IL
was evident that he had placed the muE1le to
his right temple and fired. The second shot
was not necessary. In view of the expression
Of the face and the rigidity Of the body death
appeared to have been instantaneous.
When the body was FIRST found tho extremi-
ties were cold, but there was still some heat
about the stomach. Tho shooting must have
occurred six or eight hours before, at any rate
between midnight and dawn. II any message
were left by the suicide it is in the custody of
tha rpyrf In faof fhn ~n1,,n Afe-1 H.
the office at Belem wero more than usually
rigid this morning, and no one was allowed be-
hind the gates, not even the attorneys for velas-
queZ. How the suicide got the weapon is q
question that Is being closely investigated by
Judge Manuel de Ia Hoz OF the Second Crimi-
nal Court, to whose jurisdiction tho case was
transferred to-day from tho Fifth Criminal
Court. The weapon itself is of the kind that
is carried by the leading police authorities, 30
the report says. Col. Velnsquez was known to
have one. Warden Campusano and Gov. Re-
bollar and other high officials carry them. 10
Is believed at Bclem that Velasquez sent for
his own pistol yesterday, but nothing is known
positively on this point. At about 1880
o'clock Judge de Ia Hoz and the clerk of the
Second Criminal Court went over to tho Al
caida in Belem to take declarations, and tho
clerks Of tho court could not give any particu-
lars beyond the fact that Velasauez was found
dead as above stated.
An examination is in progress to establish
how. why and when the self-murder was ac-
complished and by what means a closely
guarded prisoner like Velasquez, for whom
special care was presumed to have been or
dered, could have obtained a weapon and killer
himself in the very bedroom of the Warden
within the deep walls OF Belem, and not a hinS
Of the suicide have reached the Jail authorities
until hours later.
Col. Campusano, the Governor Of the prison.
has been placed inconunfcadO, and will be
examined by the courts. No one presumes
that he is in any way espons ible for this last
act in the Arroyo tragedy, but it seems incom-
prehensible that such a suicide could have
taken place in his own apartments without
being discovered at once.
The taking of his own life by the x-Chief Of
Police has caused a tremendous sensation in
the city. The general opinion is that, under
the circumstances. it was the best thing he
could do. He judged himself and determined
his own punishment. The question now Is:
What punishment will be melted ont to his
equally guilty subordinatesl