The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-10-13

As a Hero and a Benefactor--
Awful Deeds of Blood.
| CThe New York Herald's Correspondent
| San Domingo, Sept. 15.-The days of the
revolution just ended were comparatively
bloodless, but they were filed with ter
ror for timid people AMI grave apprehen-
sion for men not ordinarily addicted to
nervousness. The assassination of Presi-
dent Heureaux had removed the powerful
hand which had for eighteen years pre-
served bloody peace in San Domingo.
Never had people a juster cause to
take the reins of government by force
from the hands of the man in power. He
reaux crimes, his mad extravagances,
his righteousness, the whole calendar of
vicious processes by which he wrecked
this beautiful islaud and reduced the in
habitantS to a state but little above slav-
cry, have already been detailed in the
Herald. The Heureaux Ministery, held
together about the aged Vice President
Wenceslao Figuereo, by common interest
in emergency, yet torn by a thousand per-
sonal ambitions, jealousies and hatreds,
evidently could not long exist. What
would happen when it dissolved, when
the flame of civil war was lighted when
the buried revenges of a score of years
came crowding forth from dungeons or
beckoned from scaffolds, no one could
foretell. People remembered the past,
and remembrance offered little hope.
For while it seemed that Figuereo's
government might be tolerated. Figuer-
60, aged, mild and inoffensive, was not
unpopular, and had he had the courage
to dismiss the Heureaux Ministry, he
might have continued in power until the
next regular Presidential election. He
weakly hesitated, however, until his OPP
portunity had passed by.
Perhaps this was for the best interests
of the Republic, for had the Figuereo
government managed to cling to power
many of the crimes committed by the
government during the last eighteen
years would have been consigned to OBJ
papers. AS it is, the truth is gradually
coming out, and if it accomplishes moth
ing else the revolution of 1899 will have
been justified.
Late in August an uncomfortable ru-
NOR began to circulat IN the capital that
revolutionary proclamation had been
issued at San Francisco de Macoris,. a
town in the interior of the island, in the
interests Of Jimenez. This caused. little
uneasiness to the government, as it was
known that the United States, in a friend
ly attempt to preserve order in the is
land had detained Jimenez in Santiago,
Cuba. Next day Geographic communica-
ton with the interior and also with the
whole world was cut off. This isolated
the capital and plunged it into ignorance
as to what was transpiring in the island.
Vain attempts were made by the French
Cable Company to reopen communication.
Within two days, however, the Governor
of Conception de la Vega, who had es-
capped with a small retinue, arrived on
horseback and brought the news that set
everybody by the ears. Macoris had been
the cradle of the revolution, and even the
government troops there had gone over
without firing a shot. Moca, where Heu-
reaux was assassinated, quickly fell in
line, and LIE Vega was preparing to fol-
low, when the Governor concluded that
the capital, under the circumstances,
would be a safer residence.
The government promptly tried to sup
press this news. The newspapers were
forbidden to print it, and any person dis
cussing it in the street was promptly ar
ested. Nevertheless, within three hours
after General Garcia, the Governor of LIE
Vega, arrived the fact that a revolution
headed by Horacio Vasquez, Ramon Ca
cares and Samuel Mayo, was well under
way in the interior, was known in every
casa between San Carlos and the sea
wall
In this knowledge lay the doom of the
government. The country was ripe for
revolution. 1t needed but to be known
that the flag was raised for thousands to
flock to it. The government was con-
scious of its weakness. Daily Cabinet
meetings were held in the residence Of
President Figuereo. who never left his
home, even TO go to the palace. The
guards at his residence and the residences
of all the Ministers were doubled The
volunteers were armed. and in day the
city looked like the base of operations of
an army.
Things drifted on in this way for a
week. There was no news from the in
terror or from anywhere as the wires
had been cut. by the revolutfonists. Yet
somehow it became known in San Do
mingo city that Santiago had surrendered
and that the ranks of the revolutionists
army were swelling like river in the
rainy season. and that the government
was nowerless.
Those were queer days in the capital.
No one was permitted TO leave the city
else there would have been an exodus
Numbers Of young menatJempted to sip
out TO join the rebels, and occasionally
succeeded. One night score of youths
were arrested in San Carlos, village just
outside the city wall, and marched back
through the streets in the gray dawr.
''Ffnis." mutJered the passars by, recall