The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-08-21
Seizure of Property by Venezue-
Ian Government Declared
Affront TO United States.
CARPENTER is TORTURED.
.,;Eorderly Scenes Mark FOrcibhe
Dusting of Company Officials
and Employees From
Land at GuanOcO.

YORK HERALD AND ST. LOUIS REPuB B.
lIc.
,crt of Spain. Trinidad. Aug. 1o-The
bomb which has been so long shoulder
ing has at last burst.
The Venezuelan Government. urged on
by American and German Adventures. has.
without a word of warning, seized the
famous asphalt lake. the property of the
New York and Bermudez Company. sit
uated at Guanoco, Venezuela.
Eae taking of possession was effected
on July 25. Two Venezuelan warships
the Miranda and the Bolivar, having on
board a hundred soldiers. approached as
near as possible to the lake and diseHn-
barked the troops. They were led by A
II. Garner. a former manager OF the New
York and Bermucez Company, but now
its bitter enemy. Mr.. Garner. as receiver.
took forcibIc possession Of the railroad,
lake. buildings. refinery-!n word. OF
everything which could be seized.
The New York and Bermudez Company.
which had received timely warning OF the
intended proceedings OF the Government,
had ordered his little steamer. the Wik-
ing. to cross over to Trinidad, taking with
her all the company's books, % that the
strict search made for her among the
channels by the Venezuelan warships
Some hours after their Decentralization,
MIR. Garner, accompanied by a German
and the special counsel for the Nenezue-
Ian Government, informed the American
and English employees that there was no
need of their services, and at the came
time obliged. at the point of the bayonet,
the English negroes employed IN the MorA
SUSPENDED BY his THC Mbs-
Meanwhile the soldiers visited and emp
tied the conpany's stores. Mr.. bartlett.
8 m
manager of the company. protested
against these proceedings, but the only re-
suit was that he was arrested and Kept
prisoner for six days An English carpen-
ter named Brady was suspended by his
thumbs. Such was the spectacle had the
pain to witness. 49,
Commenting o.. this abuse Of power. this
denial of justice manifested toward for
eicn company which has spent millions OF
dollars. which has been exploiting the as
phalt property for twenty years and ,,i w.lch
whose name 1 am not at liberty to men
tion, said to me: What is the State De-
partment waiting for In order TO act?
When this incident Is compared with that
of Perdicaris It cannot be denied that We
have droli idea of the protection that
should be accorded our citizens
The seizure of the Asphalt Company
properties was based on an action charg-
ing nonexecution OF contract of lease. Doe
tor r. Arroyo Parejo, Attorney General OF
brought fan ac1i1n ad. ana co
tract with the Venezuela Government 10
exploit tho natural products in the wid
lands of the former State of Bermudez
TO take thsrefrom WOODS. resins, plants
aromatic seeds and to exploit the asphalt
bedg..
Is 1SS2. Two clauses were added TO the
alleged lease before the close of 1884: one
determining the duties TO be paid for
woods exported and the other for the
,centralization OF rivers: Mr. hamri,3n YG as as
Bermudez Company on December 3. 1884.
It was declared that the company never
fulfilled any other specifications of the
contract than by the exploitation OF the
asphalt lake.
In conclusion the Attorney General
asked for the dissolution Of the contract
York and Bermudez Company to pay
damages TO the Venezuelan Government.
The Attorney General also asked for the
appointment Of receiver Tor the com-
pany's property.
RIGHTS DISCRETIONARY.
r. K Wright, the company's general
manager in Caracas replied to this bill
on August s. He denied the allegations
contained in the Attorney Generals bill
and declared that the Hamilton CONTRACT
was not a lease. 1t was stated that the
rights granted to Hamilton were. except
that of exploitation, discretionary aud
could be renounced by him and thoss
Claiming under him..
The answer also sets forth this: "On the
other hand the company most solemnly
states that the asphalt lake and lands and
other appurtenances which II holds In
Guanoco, in the State Of Bernudex, and
which have been sequestrated, do not be-
long to 1t by virtue Of the so-called Ham
ilton contract, which Is the subject matter
Of this suit, but by virtue Of the titles
which were legally granted to II by the
national executive power OF Venezuela on
the 7th and 18th OF December. 1888 both
protocolized in the Subaltern ReSistra-
ton ONCE Of the District Of Benitez. on
although 1t is true that the remote oc-
casion Of those titles was the contract now
under discussion, 1t Il not less true that
they also have their immediate turidical
causes, which are peculiar and proper to
them: these being titles which have never
been discussed and are not susceptible OF
discussion in the present suit
Regarding the time for the performance
OF the obligations under the alleged lease
the civil code as further instance that.
even II the allegations were true they
would fall, as twenty-one years had
elapsed since the signing Of the contract.
Mr.. Wright prayed that the action be
dismissed and declared that the company
expressly reserves its right OF action for
the enormous loss and damage which 1t
has suffered and continues to suner
through the illegal seQuestratior that has
asphalt lake and all its dependencies"
The suit will not come. to a hearing un-
til the tribunals resume their sessions aft
er the annual vacation. which lasts from
August 10 to September 10.