The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-25
Without Trial for Attempt on
 His Life
MEXICO ID PROTECT TWO
Situation Becomes Grave, Says Mexl4 can High offeial-Hls Country Will Not Stand President
 cabreraS Crimes.

City of Mexico, May 24-News was re- ceived here today of the imprisonment and sentencing to death of nineteen men charged with complcity in the recent att tempt to assassinate President Cabrera of Guatemala.
 The following telegram has been re- ceived from Rodrigo Para, Mexican con- sul at Guatemala City. who is acting charge d'affaires since the departure of Minister Gamboa
 The authors of the plot to assassinate Cabrera committed suicide day before yesterday while the Guatemalan officials were in the act of arresting them. De- spite this fact the council of war yes- terday passed upon the testimony of nine- teen persons charged with being suspect ed accomplices in the crime and sen- fenced them all to death Among the con- demned are two Italians. one spanlard, one Belgian and two Mexicans. The dipIo- matc corps met otday and decided that each minister accredited to the Guate- malan government should ask President Estrada Cabrera for an annuliment of the sentence, which, they alleged. were the result of irregularities and false tes- timony, and If this action on their part does not bring immediate results the dip- lomatic corps will direct a collective note to President Cabrera tomorrow. All the members of the corps were in accord with the decision reached, there being not a single dissenting voice."
 Situation Grave.
 fs- ia. here to be most grave, but there Is a pre- vaillng opinion that Cabrera may be about to play his trump card, and if the pres sure from foreign powers is brought suf- ficlently gTgat he will then pardon all the men doomad to death. thps endeavoring 70 Ilullify the stories of his alleged atro- cities which have been sent broadcast As a high official stated to the Associated Press, the greatest care should be taken at ths moment by those entrusted with guarding Mexican interests for an un- guarded word might have serious results.
 "So," he continued you must not des- ignate my official position in quoting me, but this last act of Cabreras will con vince donbting Thomases among the na- tions of the world of Mexico's great for bearance In this great crisis
 Tt had been just twenty days after the alleged attempt was made on the life of the President that three men killed them selves rather than submit to arrest and nineteen are sentenced to be shot. Is it within tn limits of reason that fair trials could have been given these men? Next co thinks not, and we will not stand quietly by and see two citizens shot in such a summary manner.
 This government will await the reply of Cabrera to the joint note of the dip- lomatlsts. which will be signed not only by the representatives of the four powers .I tfn1 diplomat in the Guatemalan capital.
 And if Cabreras answer should be un- satisfaetory?' he was asked.
 Tt is too serious a matter to speculate upon" was the reply.
 Manuel M. Givan, the Guatemalan min- ister, received lengthy dispatch from his government today concerning the in- cldent, and the details of the attempt on the life of Cabrera, and of their death after battle with police officers twenty days after the attempt on the Presidents life was made, of three of the actual per- petrators
 Mines Exploded.
 According to this message two mines were laid. one of which exploded and the other was found unexpectedly several days later.
 This last named mine was sixty meters from Estrada Cabrera's residence and di- rectly in front of the American legation, and of the barracks of the guard of honor. This mine is said to have been connected by an electrical appliance with the house in front of the barracks, occupied by two doctors, named Blanco and Eavelay, both of whom were not actively engaged in practice
 The other mine was laid in the end of the same street and was connected with the house of a man named Rodil.
 The police investigation resulted in as- certalning the perpetrators twenty-one days later and their discovery fin house on the outskirts of the city. When an attempt was made to apprehend them, they fired on the officers, killing q col onel of the Guatemalan army and three others The door to the house was finally battered in, but, when the men found escape impossible they turned their weapons on themselves. Both were dead when the officers entered.
 While this story was given in detail in the message. nothing was said about the condemning of nineteen men to death and he does not believe the story is true. He says that there has not been the time in which to try the men on such a charge and that they would not be sem tenced to death without such d trial
 A diplomat who was questioned on the probable action of the powers in the mat ter suggested that a precedent possibly might have been furnished by the entry of the troops of the powers in China.