Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-12-03

So serious was the situation that the
French minister, NJ. Carteron. and 9TH
er foreign representatives, with men,
bers of specially appointed commit
tee forced themselves upon the Pres
ident who finally consented to with
draw Shouts greeted him as he stepped
from the precincts of the palace and
into a carriage which had been pro-
cided. NJ. Carteron, carrying the
French tri-color, sat beside him and
the minister threw the folds of the flag
over the shoulders of the deposed Pres
ident to protect him.
Ar immense crowd of men and wo-
men lad assembled at the wharf, and
the arrival of the Presidential carriage
escorted by a battalion of infantry
and squadron of cavalry, was the
signal for wild tumult and riot. All
along the route the people who lined
the streets shouted. jeered and cursed
at the fallen President, but when the
landing stage was reached, the mob
lost all restraint. The scene was tragic
and shameful. Infuriated women mroke
through the Gordon of troops and
shrieked the coarsest insults into the
very face of the President, who strove
bravely to appear undismayed They
tried to hurl themselves upon him and
fought with hands and feet against
the soldiers who found difficulty in
forcing them back. In order to dis
engage him the troops discharged their
muskets, several shots being fired.
Meantime a space was cleared. and
Nord Alexis. with the French colors
6r1 nod about him b11rria1 1hno Cd
a skiff in tow of steam launch, his
suite tumbling into the skiff after him.
AS the launch drew away three Hay
tien gunpoats and the French and
American warships in the harbor, fired
salute to the fallen President.
Just as Nord Alexis was embarking
a woman succeeded in reaching his
side, and. drawing a murderous knife,
made a sweep at his body. The blow
fell short, however, and before she
could follow it up with another, she
Was seized by soldier. A man sue
ceeded in striking the President with
his fist, but the blow was glancing
one on the neck: Nord Alexis turned to
NJ Carteron and, shaking his head,
said:
81 told you so, Your Excellency."
A trunk which was left behind on
the precipitate departure of the Pres
ident and his party from the wharf was
seized upon by the rioters and broken
open. 1t was found to contain some
s1O,e0Q in gold and 10000 Haytien
gOurdes. The specie was scattered
about and promptly pillaged.
The unrest which ended in the open
revolt of the residents of Port Au
Prince had been noticeable for some
days, and it reached it's elimination
early this morning when regularly or
ganized bands of citizens moved quiet
ly about the town and took possession
of various points of vantage No shots
were fired and the only resistance to
be found was that by the President,
who barred himself within the palace
One of the leaders in this movement
charged that the American minister, H
w. Furniss. was the chief of those in
couraging the President to resist, and
he issued the following proclamation:
"CitiZenS: The danger is supreme:
we risk our Independence if we do not
take good care. The old man would
have given up already were it not for
the advice of diplomat who is pre-
pairing for our annexation. A clash is
expected and this diplomat wishes to
precipitate one, in order to have a pre-
text for colonizing us. Let us there
fore be docile, yet not supine"
Every effort, whether by the COM
mlstee from the diplomatic corps or by
members of his family, who begged the
President to abdicate proved of no
avail during the early hours of the
day. Nord Alexis refused to leave the
palace, although threatened by the
riotous mobs outside. He expressed
his determination to embark with
troops on the gunboat "Nord Alexis"
and proceed to Cape Haytien, where he
would organize a civil war of the
north against the south
Deserted by his ministers. abandon
ed by those whom he had put into high
office and revled by the whole popu-
lation. President Nord Alexis had lit
tie chance to escape except through the
intervention of the representatives of
the French government His guald
had been reduced to a minimum ty
desertion. and only few Of the troops
remained loyal.
A catastrophe was feared. if the
palace was invaded by the populace In
such an event the foreign conSuls were
ready to have landed detachments OF
sailors and marines from the Warshps
now in port in order to protect the in
terestS OF the citizens of their respec-
tive nations. A series of signals had
been arranged from the consulates TO
the warships with this in view, but as
those who had taken charge of the
government have also taken precau-
tionary measures warship forces were
not considered necessary ashore.
All the parties. those of Fouchard.
Simon and Menos We're represented on
the committee which urged the presi-
dency upon General Legitime. While
accepting the office at the first call,
Gen. Legitime showed some hesitancy
in undertaking the presidency at such
a crisis. He expressed his wish to OBJ
tain General Simon's adhesion before
definitely accepting the office.
1t is of the utmost Importance for
General Simon to hasten his march
upon Fort Au Prince with his disci-
plined troops, for otherwise, there is