The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-18
EVIL COMMUNICATIONS
CORRUPT THE GOOD MANNERS OF
THE MEXICAN.

Justice at the Hands of IA MOb--A
Thing Unprecedented In the His
tory of That RepubIic-The Guards
Were Unarmed.
City of Mexico. Sept IA sensational
ending TO the attempt on the life of Presi-
dent Dlaz occurred this morning when
Arnulfo Arroyo was lynched by a band of
the common people. determined on, re-
venge.
1t was an act unprecedented in the his
tory of the country.
At l O'clock in the morning a number
Of men belonging to the common people
forced their way into the municipal pal
guards and made their way to the office
of the inspector general of police, and kill
ed Arnulfo Arroyo, whom they found
there.
The killing was a wild and savage scene
and was followed by a wild and noisy re-
treat. 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 sew
eral knives and other steel Instruments.
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
lynchers he was sitting in a chair In the
northeast corner of what was once Gen.
Carballada's private office. There, mixed
with fragments of window panes, was a
large 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 two hundred people penetrated the
building. When they surprised Arroyo,
he was in straight jacket. and could
make no resistance. He seemed too ter
rified to speak.
General satisfaction was expressed here
to-day as the news of the lynching of
Anulfo Arroyo spread through the city,
although the more reflective people. espe-
cially business and professional men, said
they deplored the act of mob violence and
feared it would be miginterpreted abroad.
Some of the highest officials OF the gov
ernment said that they were puzzled to
account for this outburst of popular feel
ing, and regretted that measures had not
been taken to guard the prisoner more
carefully. From the moment Arroyo was
arrested yesterday, in front of the Ala
media or central public park, masses Of
people kept clamoring for his life, and
taunted Lieut.. La Croix, who had the
prisoner in charge, with not using his pls-
tol on the criminal. A great crowd of low
er classes followed the gendarmes TO the
national palace, where the prisoner was
searched and then, despite the remon-
strances of the army officers, turned over
to the civil authorities by request of Pres
ident DiaZ, who was opposed to having
the man tried by court martial, ana, in
fact, advised leuient policy. According
ly, the prisoner was allowed his full con-
stitutional rights.
Acting on the wish expressed 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 was determined to seize and
lynch him, and he was carefully locked up
at headquarters, when he appeared to feel
less fearful.
At night he was taken, clad in a straight
jacket, to the Office of the inspector of
police, which consists of two rooms with
two windows opening on the street. The
prisoner was given mat to rest on, and
was carefully guarded. Near at hand in
an adjoining apartment were four officers
of the secret service. AS Arroyo lay on
the mat 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 assault on the presi-
dent, knowing as he did, how severe the
law would deal with him, and especially
as he had studied the law Arroyo man
ifested a cynical Indifference and was in
no way inclined to regret his act and de-
clared he had intended to stun the presi-
dent and then, taking the presidents
small sword, to kill him.
The apartment was very still, except for
the murmur of the conversation between
the officers and prisoner, who seemingly
enjoyed smoking his cigarette, when sud
denly was head the formidable noise of
the tramping Of many feet on the stairs
leading up to the floor on which the Of
flee Is situated, and there were confused
shouts of Long live President Dlaz," and
Long live Mexico and death to anarchy"
Arroyo shuddered. his fear of the mob
attacking him growing stronger, and with
good reason, for Immediately the door was
burst open and a great crowd of people,
leader bearing a small Mexican flag on a
stick officer Sanchez cried to the crowd
to fall back, and advanced on them with
his sword, when the mob overcane him
and throwing him down, advanced over
his body to where Arroyo lay trembling,
and at The same time other members Of
the party seized and bound two gendarmes
in the room. XIII him, he belongs TO u.s."
Windows were broken and the noise
aroused the officers of the secret service
in the adjoining room, who rushed to the
scene but did not fire on the crowd fear
ing they might kill some of the police in
side. They contented themselves with
firing shots from the windows, thus call
ing together the police on neighboring cor
ners, who we're ordered to prevent any
persons leaving the city building.
Meantime In the room above a frlghtful
tragedy 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 incommunicado, and have
not been released pending a strict inquiry
which is to be made.
The question has naturally arisen why
the officers guarding Arroyo did not car
ry their revolvers, but it is explained
that they had nothing to fear from the
prisoner, who was quite helpless
The body of Arroyo had been dragged
to the balcony with the evident purpose