Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-03
REPORTS MADE
Venezuelan Government Said to Have
Given Misleading Information.
GEN. GARCIA TOOK A HAND
Leader Said to Have Been Shot Along
With Ten Others-Killed
Quickly.

| Special Dispatch to The Star.
| NEW YORK. March 1.-The friends In
this city of Gen. Antonio Paroles, the
Venezuelan reyolutionist. who was recent
Iy captured with his band Of twenty-three
men, say that the reports coming through
the State Department at Washington from
the Venezuelan government concerning the
manner of Paredes' death are misleading
in the extreme.
| They say that instead of being shot while
! trying to escape from the fortress where
he and his followers were confined he was
deliberately executed on an order that was
signed either by Castro. himself or by
Secretary General Torres Cardenas, the
presidents right-hand man.
The account of how Paroles came to
his death was sent to the State Department
at Washington by Jacob Sleeper, charge
d'affaires of the American legation in Cara
cas-. The account seems to be based entire
| ly on information furnished by the Venezue-
Ian government. One of the dispatches quot
ed by Mr.. Sleeper in reference to the man
ner of Paredes' death was, he says, trans
|
led the forces THAT captured the revolu-
tionary band. The dispatch said: Il fulfill
| the duty of advising you that this morning
at 3 clock taking advantage of careless
ness on the part of the guard, Paroles and
| his officers, Selling some arms, attempted
to escape. and the struggle resulted as
| follows: Ensign Richard F. Prato, Ser
| geant Nicholas Acosta and Private Antonio
| Medina killed and a number of our troops
slightly wounded. OF the revolutionists.
| Paroles and several of his officers perished
| in the struggle. l lament the occurrence.
! Shot in Cold Blood, Perhaps.
| Many Venezueians here W no sympathize
| with Paroles denounced the dispatch today
as being utterly false and misleading. They
| say that Paroles and his followers were
| shot in cold blood. but that Castro wanted
to make it appear that he had lost his life
| in a fight because nobody had been exc
| cuted in Venezuela for thirty years prior to
the death of Paroles, and there Is great
prejudice against that form of punishment
among the people.
| One of the Venezuelans showed to a Star
! reporter an account of the death of Paroles
| printed in the Port of Spain Gazette. which
! is considered in Trinidad as sort of Off
cial organ for the British government. This
! Venezuelans of prominence here say, is the
true story of how Paroles and his followers
were disposed of. The article says: ''
| 1T will be remembered that according to
/ the news previously received Gen. Paroles,
after landing at Pedernales with twenty
three followers, was captured later at
FL Rosa fio and taken to the Castillo de
Guaya OEinoco. there to await advices from
Caracas. The above Intelligence was receiv-
ed officially by the Venezuelan government
but the story as it is now being circulated
of the way in which Gen. Paredes was killed
contains details of a horrfying nature. 1t
| appears that telegram was sent from Ma
cuto. where President Castro is said to be
convalescing. to Gen. Luis Varela. president
of the state Of Bolivar. to send instructions
to Los CastilOs, where Paroles was con-
fined to Gen. ]. NJ. Penalosa and Col. Bena-
vides. at Barrancas, to shoot Gen. Paroles
and his followers AT the same time the
steamer Cocorro was dispatched from Gu
dad Bolivar by Gen. Varilla conveying
Gen. Jesus Garcia on board with sealed or
ders to be opened at Barrancas.
Held a Conference.
On his arrival there Garcia held confer
ence. at which Gen. Penalosa said that he
| would not commit such crime, and Col
Benavides also declined to take such action
Gen. Garcia then took the order from his
pocket and said. II will carry out the or
| DER and showed It to Gen. Paroles, who
said. II know all about it," and laid bare
his bosom.
Paroles was then taken to a place called
! FL Apostatero-a sand bank-and was there
shot along with ten others. 1t is stated that
| the first shot killed Paroles on the spot
Prior to the execution Gen. Garcia offered
Paroles drink, and also offered to band
age his eyes, but the prisoner replied that
he was not a drunkard. and that he was
born W TIL his eyes open and would die in
that way. The bodies were thrown into the
| river
little later on six others, young men
who had escaped when Gen. Paroles was
taken prisoner. presented themselves and
having surrendered. to Gen. Garcia they
also were infne dately taken to another
bank. called Yguna, and shot, and their
bodies were thrown into the river. The
prisoners were not biindfolded. but were all
bound with their hands behind them be-
fore they were thus put to death. Those
| who have since arrived by the steamer
Delta say that while coming down the river
several bodies were seen fioating-arflong
them the body of Paroles himself.
An Act to Cover.
| The story thus given is also at variance
| with the general kilograms that the gov
| eminent part met their death through
the mutiny. not in the fight which had
taken place at Ell Rosario when Paroles
| was taken prisoner. This statement is said
to have been put forward to cover the act
Of the government in ordering the execu-
ton.
| A petition was circulated today among
| Venezuelans here protesting against the
execution of Paroles. who was well known
| in New York as we'll in Trinidad, where
he owned several large cocoa plantations
He came of "a distinguished family In
Venezuela and was wealthy and we'll edu-
| Gated. In the revolution of 1889, when
Castro trumphed, he was guarding Puerta
Capello for the government with a force OF
200 men. The city finally fell and Paroles
yhn hna xnrnn MD o,~t,,-
was sent to prison and spent several years
in chains in solitary confinement. He was
| released when Castro proclaimed general
amnesty. About six months ago he came
to this country and bought a quantity OF
arms and ammunition, which were shipped
to his plantation in Trinidad. These MUM.
tons of war were used to equip his little
band when they started out to invade
Venezuela with the idea of overthrowine
the Castro government.
Skating Races at Pittsburg.
! pITTSRIIHfS Pa March C-At tho pro.