The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-09-08
PRESIDENT BORDA Shot.
The Chief Magistrate Of Uruguay
Falls by an Assassin's Hand.
KILLED BY A MILITARY OFFICER.

Che Celebration of the Independence of
the Republic Was in Progress-Crime
Committed as the President Was
Leaving the Cathedral, Where a TIE
MoNTEvIDEo, Uruguay (By Cable).-J'
fdiarte Borda, President Of the Republic OF
Uruguay, was assassinated just few min.
ates after the Chief Executive left the
Cathedral where he had listened to the
Te Deum sung on the occasion of the ami
versary Of the independence Of Uruguay.
Following the assassination, and while
the immediate members OF the Presidents
official family were still bending over him
where he had fallen, there was a forward
movement of the crowd which had gathered,
and in order to protect the dying President
his military escort attacked the crowd and
succeeded in driving 1t back, only after
many persons had been wounded and sew
eral killed.
The assassin Is Avelino Arrendondo, an
officer in the Uruguayan army. He is a
Uruguayan and only twenty-sevep years
old. Now that Uruguay's chief is dead he
Is calm, and declares that he Is content
with his action, and that his crime was not
Inspired by anything more than personal
hatred for the President.
Montevideo was in gala attire to-day In
celebration ofthe independence of uruguay,
The day, according to the programme
which had been mapped out, was one re-
plete with festivities and feasts.
The first bullet went wild, but the second
struck President Borda in the left breast.
He fell backward into the arms OF Bishop
Soler and sank to the ground.
OF the official ceremonies, the singing OF
the TIE Deum was the most impressive.
Hundreds had gathered in front OF the
cathedral, and the President was we'll re-
ceived as he passed out the door. He had
walked only few stops when Arredondo
stepped forward out OF the crowd and
raised pistol. Before any one could stop
him he had fired two shots at the Presi-
dent.
For an instant there was an awful silence;
then frlghtful uproar. The crowd
poured forward with cries and shouts, and
while Arredondo was seized by several SOL
diers, the other troops we're thrown into
line to keep the crowd from trampling
upon the PROSTATE body Of the President.
The soldiers attacked the crowd with bayo-
uclS, duu uIOfO IL UdCh cslICI uoAy
bad been wounded and several killed.
The President, still breathing feebly, was
then removed under military guard to the
city palace, where he died In afew..minutes.
The body was then wrapped in the flag of
Uruguay and removed to his late home.
JosetCuestas, President OF the Senate, was
nominated for President ad interim by the
Chamber Of Deputies later in the afternoon.
He Immediately. dismissed all the members
of the Cabinet except General Luis Perez,
who will continue at the head of the War
Department.
Senor Borda was elected President Of
Uruguay for the term extending from
March, 1894, to 1898. Only after fierce
fight for it-Congress balloting twenty
seven times-and his administration has
been beset with tribulations from the out
set. While the assassination Is univer-
sally denounced, his removal from the
sphere Of control Is regarded as q good
thing for Uruguay. He has all along been
suspected OF keeping the revolution alive
for his own purposes, and he was connected
with firm which provided the military
materials for the Government, whereby he
must have amassed fortune. President
Borda was about fifty years old. He was
married man, and had q family, and also
brother, who Is an officer in the Uruguayan
army.