The daily morning Alaskan., 1901-05-10

fne .uitcu States ana tlNaNNia' ~ .omes from a writer iu New York mol
 ,nncctcd with the paper, and m order hat it might be fairly criticised or cor rcctcd. printed proofs oi it were sub mitted Co the Venezuelan Legation iu Washington and Co the Venezuelan consul at New York City.
 The article begins by saying that thc recall oi United States Minister Loom Is from Venezuela has released much information concerning the methods oi the Venezuelan government head cd bv President Castro. New York business men who own very large concessions in Venezuela and who are kept informed by their representa- tivcs in Caracas oi the state ot affairs have within the last few days given to the writer facts long withheld.
 From these merchants it Is learned that Castro Is revising the constitution to suit his revolutionary policy. He called a congress together on February so whose members are an oi his choos' ms The first act was Co pass. ac- cording to his orders. an amendment to thc constitution extending the term oi office oi the president from four Co ,iN years. This was done without any pretcution oi consulting the choice oi .hc people. During the hrSt week m March he appointed as members oi his .ahiuct seven men who have learned % subiugltc their will Co his.
 Castro has been dictator ever since hc drove President Andrac by force oi arm, from Ncuczuela'S executive man sion. tS months ago. He has yet Co serve thc remaining year oi Andrac's term. which does not expire until Feb ruary sO I0o2 Then. according Co his revision oi the constitution he will cn. ioy ,iN years more in office. making eight and ouc-hali years altogether.
 Meanwhile the president Oi the Ven ctucia is Audrac whi |, today on the island of Curacoa. which he has chosen as che starting point of a proposed eN- pcdition.
 In Venezuela there Is no such thing as capital punishment Grimes penal ties stop at the imprisonment of ten years. But General Acostl. a friend oi Nujrlc. and an enemy oi Castro. who has dared to take up arms against Cas- tro and was the head oi the rcvolu- tiouary party in the field. was put Co death
 \ correspondent for a weekly news. paper. who recently returned from Venezuela. tells how Acosta was cap turcd and m spite oithc law against the form pf punishment was shot by Gas. tro's order on February TO.
 In Venezuela now. it IS asserted. gov ernmcnt diguitarics. che justices oi the courts and officials iu the various cit ics and states retain their places as long only as they obey without Ques. tion the orders oi Castro. ln January two justices oi the supreme court failed in a certain case Go hand down a de cision that accorded with Cactro'S mo- ton oi justice These justices were thrown into a cell and kept there un tii they agreed to think with Castro.
 In the first month oi presidency, Gas tro called Go his presence number of wealthy representative merchants and bankers and informed them that they must contribute Co the support Of the government. According Co his own estimate of the amount of their for tunes he fixed the sum which each should pay into the treasury at once. The amounts ranged from Seo.Ooo tO SooooO X few objected and straight way found themselves conveyed Co the Rotundl. the worst prison in Caracas Subsequently Castro had three of the ecutlemcn handcuffcd and shackled to- gcther and marched through the streets of the city. barciootcd and bare headed and surrounded by a strong armed guard. Then he sent each to a stone cell. the dimensions of which were SO small as Co make it impossible for him Go hc down. After several days hc ordered him to be transported Co San Carlos. acaibo. where are con fined ali the criminal eonvicts.
 At thc pic1jings of their families and friends they surrendered. but not till they had again paradcd the streets in shacklcs and barefoot and with uncov- cred head Having paid over the price oi their frccdom-one SIOpoo. another Ssoooo. and Che third S3o.ooo-thcy re- gained their liberty They subsequent ly escaped from the country in disguise and arrived at Trinidad. In this way Castro received the funds for conduct ing the government until the reven ues of the war taxes begin Go come in
 Another method for raising money is charging business men with "con- ,piring against the government" and corfscating their property.
 Not long ago a German merchant ar rived m Barcclouia from Caracas C, collect moneys due on various enter pri les in which he was interested. He collected in an SI2ooo Castro heard oi this and gave orders that the mon cy must not be taken out oi the coun- try and that the collector must leave the cash with the government The man was seized and placed m the priS- on yard o1 a stool where the hot rays oi the sun beat upon his head and a soldier stood on each side of him with a hNed bayonet. with orders to run i'm through ii he attempted Co escape Alter seven hours of suffering he an nounced that he would give SIo ooo 1T they would release him. In the ninth hour of his torture he yielded. took the soldiers Co the place where he had concealed the money and surrendered it IIe sailed on the next steamer leav' ing Caracas.
 \ month later a German cruiser en- tered Laguayra The captain and twelve sailors pulled ashore and then rode to Caracas They at once enter ed CaStro'S presence and peremptorilv demanded not only every penny of the