New-York tribune., 1907-05-14

Ai faTedes led a small force Of his COM
P"'iio'S 10 venezuela from the West Indies to
IeNoIutlon against President Castro
anu MS companions We're captured within a
week after landing in the country and wara
suIhIhar1ly put TO death The shooting oF the
general and his subordinates while thev ,vara
p1'SoierS aroused protest from Venezuelans
80 80 ''i paftS OF the world, not only because Of
'le good reputation of General Paroles ae
soiuier ana patriot and the position of his fam
ny put on account of the fragrant violation Of
the constitution of Venezuela ,rbicb eort,,
capital punishment for any offence Not for
haiI century had there been an execution FOR
political offence. 1t was learned that Prasi-
uehl castro had issued the order under which
ms enemies were killed. and as Hector T.,is
faFeoeS mas sworn by the memory of his
Drolher that the author of the latter,s death
shaH be punished. he now proceeds ACCORDING,
10 the venezuelan laws. even though the nsrso,
charged with responsibility is the President ~,
the republic.
SAYS CASTRO Is AMENABLE
me documents Of accusation show first that
capital punishment being abolished Article -
of the constitution OF Venezuela guarantees the
lhNl"iaolHty or life; second, that the President
or the republic be punished for conr,op
crimes, and third. that President Castro ordard
me killing Of General Paroles and so is amen
able TO Article IS OF the penal code
The documents show further by Article e5 or
the constitution that the High Federal Court
ana court OF Cessation is the tribunal TO re-
ceive and act upon such an accusation
Before taking the present step Senor Parodee
had addressed letter to President Roosevelt
asking the latter 10 use his influence TO brIn,
to justice. the persons responsible for his broth
ers death His friends In this city. however
whom he charged with the duty OF bringing the
case 10 the attention Of President Roosevelt. ad-
Nised MIN that the plan was impractIcable and
suggested the present proceeding
Sehor Paroles has also written letter 10
Sonora Zoila de Castro. wife Of President Castro
and through this communication 1t is learned for
the first time that she had pleaded with the
Chief Executive to spare the lives Of General
Paroles and his companions. but with what sue
cess Is known from the current history of affairs
in Venezuela.
Sonora de Castro. who has often used Il re-
straining influence for good with her husband in
matters of state Importance. is as popular and
beloved by her people as the President IS un-
popular. hated and feared
GRATITUDE TO sENORA CASTRO.
The letter of gratitude to her from the be-
Teaved brother for her efforts TO save the lives
Of the unfortunate political prisoners is filed
with deep pathos The letter reads:
You will through this letter that in my
heart there is more room for thankfulness than
for rancor. / know that when General Castro
gave the order of death for the unfortunate
General Paroles you opposed him; you tried to
save the life Of my excellent brother and want
70 thank you for it, to manifest to you how
gratitude Eliminates for moment my horrible
thoughts and the frightful tenacity of the grie1
In which / live My brother honest
man; he had never harmed anybody; he was
the pride and future OF his family, as well as
hope for Venezuela, because his energy and
greatness OF mind would have brought him to
work for our country in the sense of good and
he would have achieved with his great heart
the reconciliation of the whole Venezuelans
II is longer than two months that the horrible
drama on board Of the steamer Socorro hap
pened and day by day hour by hour | have
before my eyes the frghtful picture of my
brother with his look fixed his assassins re-
ceiving death with his ineXhaustlble valor so
worthy of another fate and / his unfortu-
nate companions whom only friendship toward
him had brought to Venezuela to fight on his
side dumb from terror before that punishment
unjust as unexpected
Madam. I the representative of those vic
TINS it belongs to me to solicit justice where I
can obtain It. What shall / answer to the
mothers Of those unfortunates2 What shall I
answer to my mother who has the conviction
that there right and no law to authorize
Castro to deprive her Of his life? Where
are at least the mortal remains of the martyrs
whose bodies were thrown into the waters of
the Orinoco?
LOOKS FOR CASTRO'S SUSPENSION
Inclosed in this letter you will find the accu-
sation which have made before the Federal
Court and the Court of Cessation, according to
the laws of country. If those gentlemen, the
judges perform their duty / do not doubt
they will. General Castro will be suspended from
his office and condemned by the history and by
the constitution OF Venezuela. Whatever may be
the circumstances to which the events and my
duty will bring me, be confident, madame. that
I viii not forget your Intervention for the de-
fenceless prisoners. and that / will know how TO
shOtJ you my thankfuness.
In of the documents which figure in the
accusation of President Castro the accuser
names fourteen witnesses whose depositions he
asks the courts to procure to prove his charge.
This document, in part. follows:
To the President and Members of the Federal
Court and Court of Cessation Caracas, Ven
eZuea:
Hector Luis Paredes, native of Valencia, Ven
ezuela, thrty-six years Of age, domiciled in the
city of Berlin IS Zimmerstrasse, and having no
relationship to General Ciprano Castro, Presi-
dent OF the United States of Venezuela, pleads
follows and with due respect before the afore-
said tribunal of justice;
on the 18th of April of this year at o'clock
a III. there committed board Of the
steamship Socorro. the Orinoco River the