New-York tribune., 1906-11-08
A DIPLOMATIC DRAMA.
Furous Son on Trial for Murder OF
a Secretary of Legation.

r7ehin the next few days Brussels VII he the
..ca,,se oelebre." namely. OF the trial Of
--,.s vvsdd5nEton son OF the Chiltan Envoy IN
,,,-i,,,, FOR the murder OF Don Ernesto Balma-
80 nephev o. the former President or lHe 0ili-
,sn Reauhlio and secretary of tAe thlilah Desa-
,iop ~ the Belgian capital Don Ernesto was
,o- last February a. Brussels by young WaddirS-
= vbo declared that he had been prompted
bor,to by the betrayal OF his sister by young Bal
-,sce5s Al first the murderer claimed diplomatic
,-,-7rrsr1 as sn attache or his fathers legatlon'
- -,sds rreparations 70 leave the country But
,ha Chifan government Immediately directed It's
.-,s.vrarfve 10 surrender Young Wa6dingtOn 20
~. Belgian authorities, and he has been in prison
.re- since awaiting tie trial which g now about
10 take place
IN The beginning there was some sympathy for
sts n-soner. although lie had shct his victim IN
.bs hack of the head while Baillaceda was bend
..g over the table TO write a letter For il was
bsl,eyed that he had been driven insane by his sis
ts-s wrongs which re was determined 10 Rvengs
An altogether new complexion has, however, been
put uron the affair by the extraordinary action OF
rbe murdered mans parents and uncle IN publish
trg ana circulating at Brussels pamphlet con
ts,ninE e fac-simile OF the letters addressed 10
ther by Ernesto BalmaceGa on the subject Of his
sntarcieuert. These letters furnish evidence that
The lady in the case, D0us Yaya Waddnston, some
s,x wears older thau Baluaceda. made a dead set
for him ne was appointed 10 her fathers
l.estion that she threw herself into his arms and
that her brother not only cognizant OF the in
tr.Tue but likewise promoted and facilitated II.
OF oou-se the object OF the woman end Of her
N-other was 70 entanEle Young Balunaceda into q
marriage FOR he not only heir 70 great wealth
t.t likewise possessed most influential and power
ful relations in Chill whereas the waddingtons Of
Chill are nobo5.es. The moment came when the
woman Informed Balnaceda that she could no
longer conceal her disgrace and that he must re-
ps,r the wrong and save her honor and that of her
family by al once marrying her. her demands being
lneorscd by her brother BaImaceda consented and
fhs engagement was announced.
Unfortunately for the lady. her reputation was
.ct altogether t-nnaculat~, asd young Balmaee6a
who was much liked at Brussels. was given 10
understand that he was regarded a subject fo-
syuspatIy rathss than foE coEE-atuletion. Finally
q young ChLisn. Don Luis vIIeEas. a cousin Of the
woman came or from Paris 10 urge him 20 break
OF the marriage on the ground that II was q
mere tap. and that man OF hts name and birth
coald not afford % wed the girI. And. in order to
silence any scr1ples. Don Luis not only Informed
Bal1naoeda that le himself had previously been
for couple OF years the lover OF the woman. but
actually placed tn his hands al the letters which
she had written 10 hin during that time and
which left doubt about her guilt.
Bslmsceda thereCpou tnti-ated 10 his chiefs
daughter that he could 10: marry her. informed
her that his love had grown cold, and eventually
communicated 70 her what he had learned from
her cousin. She agreed with him that under the
circumstances Il would Re vel 10 announce the
breaking OF ~ the engagement and O, the fol-
lowing day Balmaeeds turned over 70 her not ONLY
e. the letters which sae had written 70 him. but
also her corTespon6erCe with her cousin which she
destroyed II his presence her brother being like
wise there
Balr1ace6a then secured his transfer 10 Washing
ton and was about 70 leave for America, when
Miss Waddingron ana her brother feeling safe
now thai the terminating correspondence with
her cousin had been destroyed made demand
that the marriage after all should take place
Young Ws6dilgton even went 50 far 10
threaten Bslmaoeda with death unless ne complied.
6 fact which Faluaceda wrote 70 his parents on
ths dsv previous 10 his murder Twenty-four hours
after Bs slrscada had dispatched this letter Carlos
TsddinEron forced his wav iuro his apartments
bringing him s. final demand = writing from his
sts1er and insisting upon reply. Balmaceda had
syst sat down % write the answer. expressing his
inability 70 comply with her request when Carlos
Esdd.ngron shot him IN the back % his head, kill
!nE him o. the spot
The revelation a this entire story IN the pamphlet
published brussels by the Balmaceda family
has naturally caused a revulsiou Of public opinion
Il favor OF the murdered and against the
p-1sonar, whose conviction Is assured AS King
LEOPOLD has never signed g death warrant since
be ssosIds6 the throne, deferred therefronl, IL
Is said By q deathbed promise 70 his mother
IprobabIy the only person whom he ever really
loved snt respected. the murderer would escape
capital punishment. although the latter has not
been abolished IN Belgium, many people seem 10
btisvs But his fate VIII be but little better. since
II the eyes q many death Is preferable 10 the
solitary confinement IN the Belgian prisons 10
which condemned murcerers ere subjected for life.
i is hardly necessary 20 aod that the prisoners :
father has been dismissed by the Chilian govern
.nert from is diplomatic service, and that the
has had closed IN her face the doors OF those
eoavents where she endesvored 70 seek refuge