Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-09-23

1reSlQent DlaZ yesterday during the
military procession. The man was
telled by the cane of d companion of
the president and was Immediately
taken into custody by the authorities.
The central thoroughfares of the city
extending from the great plaza to the
alameda, Or the public park, was
thronged by thousands of people as
sembled to see the military procession,
usual on independence day, pass by.
The sidewalks, balconies and house
tops were crowded with people, and
houses and private residences were
profusely adorned with the national
colors, foreign flags and magnificent
floral displays Gendarmes kept the
crowd from pressing in the open space
through which passed the various
bodies of civic and federal marchers
On their way to take part in the public
services, after which the military par
ade was to march through the same
street on its way to the national pal
ace to be reviewed by President Diaz.
After a short wait murmur ran
through the crowd that the president
was coming on foot. He soon appeared.
bowling to the right and left to the
applauding crowds, and Immediately
behind him was General Pradillo. gov
ernor of the national palace. Follow
ing them came officers and cabinet
ministers-elect. Suddenly near the al
ameda there was a disturbance in the
crowd and a well-built, muscular man,
III o1y boi nd
forced his way by tremendous effort
past Che gendarmes and soldiers and
jumped between the president and
Gen. Pradillo and chief of staff, Monas-
terio, and dealt a blow at the back o.
the presidents neck, but the violence
of the blow was diminished by the fact
that he was crowded between the pres
ident and the officers Immediately fol-
lowing him. The president turned
around and caught sight of his assail
ant and resumed his march with adj
mirable GOODNESS.
Meantime the chief Of staff, Monas-
terio, hit the man with his cane who.
turning, seized it and brok,s it. Gen.
eral Pradillo then hit him a powerful
blow Telling him, and the gendarmes
rushed forward and seized and pin
toned him. He was taken through the
side street and led away, the people
shouting: Give him to us, we will
hang him." but the gendarmes sue
ceeded in keeping the prisoner, being
reinforced by the cavalry men. A
great crowd was shouting and running
behind. The man was taken to the
palace and stripped but no weapon
was found on his person. He was
taken to the city hall, securely bound.
and placed in solitary confinement be-
fore being questioned by the officers.
He was often employed as clerk and
is said by the chief of police to be
man of violent habits, given to drink,
and quarrelsome. Various stories are
told regarding his design on the pres
ident, one theory being that he was
armed with a dagger, as many of the
police believe, but if so. he must have
thrown it away, as no weapon was
found on him. 1t seems almost certain
that he intended harm, for at the mo-
ment of dealing the blow he used op-
probrious terms and was most mani
acal. The president on returning to
the palace was cheered by the crowd.
President Diaz took the matter very
calmly and advised the man to be kept
in custody until today and be brought
before him to explain his motive, APP
parently believing the man had no
murderous intent, but the police feel
that the case demands the deepest in
vestigation. 1t was variously reported
last night that Anulfoa be tried by
court martial and also be handed over
to the civil authorities.
General Clayton, the United States
minister, Immediately called upon
President Diaz and offered congratu-
latiOns, as did other diplomats and
many other prominent people
There is no doubt if Anultoa had
fallen into the hands of the people
that he had been torn to pieces, so
intense was their rage. Some think
the assailant merely made the assault
for the sake of gaining notoriety, hav-
ing read the accounts of the assassin
alton Of Canovas.
City of Mexico, Sept. 17.-President
Diaz opened congress last evening In
his semi-annual message he said The
country is at peace with all the civil
lied countries and gradually making
more intimate ties with them. Refer
ring to the decline in silver as af-
fecting the finances of Mexico, the
president said: Unfortunately the
present fiscal year does not begin
under as good auspices as the previ-
GUS one for the excessive weakness
and f1uctuation of silver, often sud
den and violent in their character,
have so Influenced economic situa-
tons of the country as to demand
the serious attention of the govern
ment. The magnitude and sudden
character Of the present perturbation
in silver certainly does not cor
respond to the known causes which
have produced it, and therefore there
are well founded motives for expecting
that the factors, more or less
artificial. which may have had
the influence in the decline
will be of short duration and
nay even soon bring about a favor
able reaction. There is not, there
.ore, for the present any serious rea-
son for alarm. The nation will be
able to pass through this difficult
,eriod."
u. @f h. or