Connecticut western news., 1901-10-31
HISS BECERRA ESCAPES
Castro's Beautiful Prisoner Out
 wits Her Guards.
DISCUSSES HERSELF AS A NUN.
Believe. an Uprising Against the Venezuelan President Will Occur. Colombia May Be Forced to De- clare War.


 Colombia May Be Forced to De-
 clare War.
 Port of Spain, Trinidad, Oct. 30- Miss c. Becerra, the beautiful daugh- ter of Ricardo Becerra. who was Co lombian minister to Washington tif- teen years ago, has at last succeeded in escaping from Venezuela, where she has been detained us hostage by President Castro. and has rejoined her family here, where her father. who Is now blind, has resided since his ex- pulsion from Venezuela.
 Her brothers are consuls for Colom- bia in Trinidad and Curacao, and Pres ident Castro has refused to permit her deportation, desiring to hold her as hostage for them.
 With the assistance of an officer of French steamer which plies between La Guayra and Trinidad she succeed ed in eluding those set to watch her and, dressed as a nun. escaped to Trin- idad. Miss Becerra, who has been try ing for two months to leave Venezue- Ia, is remarkably beautiful young woman. She was educated in the United States.
 Dr. Ricardo Becerra. who besides being minister from Colombia to Washington during the Cleveland nd ministration, is also a former minister for foreign affairs and former min- lster of public instruction in Colombia, was expelled from Venezuela in spe- cial decree by General Castro, went to St. Thomas and then proceeded here, where he has taken up his resi- dence.
 Dr. Becerra cites what he says are absolute proofs of Castro's direct com plicity in the yenezuelan-Colomb revolution by supplying munitions of war and appointing leaders in Colom- bia for defending the frontier. Dr. Becerra believes that unless Castro withdraws his forces Colombia will be forced to declare war against yenezue- Ia. He urges the moral intervention of the United States in the interests of humanity and civilization.
 Venezuela Ripe For Revolt.
 Confirmation has reached here of the report of new insurrectionary move ment in Ciudad Bolivar. The leader of this local movement is General Zoilo Vidal. The government has taken meas ures to quell the insurrection.
 In spite. however. of all that Is done Venezuela. 1t is believed. is ripe for a general uprising against President Cas- tro. A few days ago 1t was in Guiria. now it Is in Ciudad Bolivar. and 1t will soon be in Guarico. headed by General Pietri. who has again succeeded in making his escape from Caracas.
 General Castro has made a personal appeal to the governor of this island. Sir Arthur Moloney, asking him to pass an ordinance to once more prohibit the trade in firearms with Venezuela.
 At the just request of General An drade's government the government of Trinidad not only prohibited this trade, but. acting under the decree, seized a shipment which was on its way to the revolutionlsts. a measure which did not meet the approval of Castro, who was then the rebel. When. however, he was installed as chief of the administrative power, his first act was to ask the gov ernment of Trinidad to repeal the pro- hibiting ordinance and again permit trade in arms between the island and Venezuela, and in order to please him this was done. He changed his ideas on this subject three weeks ago and again asked the interdiction of trade in firearms.
 Trade with Trinidad being already burdened with an additional duty of 8 per cent on all goods shipped to yene- zuela. the governor is opposed to com plying with this request.