The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1897-09-18
GUATEMALA.
AND THE PLEASURES LlFEIN
GUATEMALAS CAPITAL.
The People Believe in Operas and Have
Them in French, German and Italian
Barrios a Brave man-An Excited People
Tragic Death of the Dictator.
Continued from End Col

Continued from End Col
music of bands, the shouts Of the pcpulace,
who, crazy with excitement, thrCnged the
streets, and, forming professions, marched
Up and down the principal thorcughfares,
rending the air with shouts of viva Ia
Union!' viva Dictator Barrios!" A people
naturally enthusiastic and as inflamEable as
powder, to whom excitement was recreation
and repose distress, when suddenly con-
frOnted with the greatest sensation CT their
lives became almost insane, and turned the
town into bedlam
Next morning, as if by magic, the city was
full Of soldiers. Where they came from, or
1ow they got there so quickly, nobody knew.
And when the doors Of great warehouses
:pened, to disclose large supplies of arms and
ammunition, the public eye was distended
with amazement. All these preparations were
made so silently and secretly that the surprise
was complete. For three or four years Bar
rios had been preparing for this day, and his
plans were laid with a success that chal-
lenged even his own admiration. He ordered
Ill! the soldiers in the republic to be at Guate-
mala City on the first CT March; the COM
mands were given secretly, and the Captain Of
one company was not aware that another
was expected. 1t was not done by the wand of
magician, as the superstitious people to this
LAY believe, but was the result Of carefully
studied plan by one who was born a dicta-
tor and knew how to perform the part.
D1OZ INkcS Il Hand.
But the sensation was even greater in the
other republics over which Barrios had as
sumed unlimited control. The same night
that the official announcement was made in
Guatemalas capital kilograms were sc::..:: 70
the other Presidents, calling upon them to
acknowledge the temporary supremacy of
Dictator BarriOs, and to sign articles of con-
tederatio ion, which should form the 'constitu-
ton of the Central American union. We
know how only one of them, the President of
Honduras, accepted the dictatorship, accord
ing to previous agreement, while the rest de-
libcrately went back on their word or asked
time to consider. President Diaz Of Mexico
a country which has always been jealous of
Guatemala, Immediately ordered an army into
the field, and telegraphed offers of assistance
to the republics that held out against Barrios
and threats of violence to Honduras if she
yielded submission. This declaration of war
by the larger and richer country to the north
ward was an unexpected blow to Barrios. He
appealed for approval to the United States and
the nations of Europe. Unfortunately, the
cable was under the control of San Salvador
landing at La Libertad, and, as all Barrios'
messages to foreign countries had to go via
that unfriendly country, none of them reached
their destination, being seized under orders
from Zaldivar. In them Barrios informed the
foreign powers fully of his plans and the mo-
tlves which prompted him, and to each he re-
pSotCu IAC LudL ne was uOC INSPIRED
by personal ambition, and would accept only
/ temporary dictatorship. but would retire as
loon as a constitutional convention of dele
gates could be called, and on no account per-
nit himself to be candidate. In place Of
;nese dispatches Zaldivar transmitted others,
Ealing upon the nations for protection
against the tyranny of Barrios, and thus the
world was led to misjudge the motives and
intentions of the man and the real situation
Of the republics.
Tragic Death of the Dictator.
The last scene of the farce in Guatemala
City, like the first one, took place il this
theater. The night before Barrios started
off on his last battle, to repel the army of
Salvador, there was a grand Function in,
the "Teatro Nacional." All the military
bands assembled at the capital dozen or
more, were consolidated for the occasion
and between the acts performed q march conf
posed by local musician, dedicated to Cen.
eral Barrios and the union Of Central Amer
lea. A large screen of sheeting was elaborate
ly painted with the inscription: "All hail the
union of the republic! L ng live the. die
This was attached to heavy rollers, to be
dropped in front of the stage instead Of the
regular curtain at the end of the second act,
for the purpose Of creating a sensation. And
a sensation it did create-an unexpected and
frightful one. AS the orchestra commenced
10 play tuc new uarCu Tie CuTtalu was low
cred slowly and the audience greeted 1t with
tremendous applause, rising to their feet,
shouting and waving hats and handkerchiefs
But through a blunder Of the stage carpenter
the weights were too heavy for the cotton
sheeting; the banner split in two, the heavy
rollers fell over the orchestra, wounding sew
eral of the musicians, and as fate would have
it the rent was directly through the name
of Barrios. The superstitious people were
aghast at this omen Of disaster. Strong men
shuddered, women tainted, and Nine. Barrios
hastily left the theater. A few days later a
small detachment of the Guatemala army,
commanded by gallant young son Of Bar
rios, while on a scouting expedition, was
killed by an overwhelming force of Salvador
ians. When Barrios heard Of the disaster he
leaped upon his horse, called upon his men to
follow him, and started to avenge the death Of
his son. The Salvadorians, expecting pursuit
lay in ambush, and the dictator was picked
off by sharpshooter as he rode at the head
of the column Of cavalry, and died instantly
His men found the body Of the son lying by the
roadside and carried both back to the mourn
ing capital. FANNIE BRIGHAM WARD.