New-York tribune., 1908-12-17
RISE AGAINST CASTRO
C4RACAS MOB BURNS THE
PRESIDENTS EFFTGIES.
His Friends Property and Office of
His Organ PiUaged-His RuIe
Probably Orer.

Caracas. Venezuela Dec u via WiIIen7stad
Curacao, Dec. 16).-The people Of Caracas arose
to-day against President Castro. An infuriated
mob, unhindered by the police. swept through
the city wrecking the property Of Castro's
henchrnen and closest friends The crowd
rounded up all the statues and pictures of Pres
ident Castro from the clubs and other semi
public buildings, and burned them with rejoicing
on the Plaza Bolivar Castros rule in Venezuela
is probably ended
In spite Of Hollands warlike activity on the
coast tF1ere have been no demonstrations against
the Netherlands; they have all been directed
against President Castro and Acting President
Gomez Further demonstrations are expected
No official act depOsing Castro from the Presi-
dencv of Venezuela yet has been taken, but such
d step is expected at any moment
An enormous crowd Of the inhabitants Of the
capital swelled by people from the outIvfng
country. gathered in the streets soon after dav-
break The people began marching up and down
the main thoroughfares. and # was easy to see
that their i'll temper would soon result in vio-
lerce. The police stood by and made no attempt
whatever to restrain the mob
The first building TO be attacked and looted
was that Of the lottery monopoly The offices
of the state enterprise that has enriched itself
at the expense Of the people were ransacked and
ptIaged. Furniture was broken and thrown to
the streets and thousands Of lottery tickets were
destroyed
The crowd then moved 10 the printing office
Of FL Constitutional" the organ of President
Castro OF which Gumersindo Rtvas is editor. and
pilaged IL completely A steam laundry be-
longing to Rivas also was wrecked
The mob turned its attention next to several
drug stores belonging 10 Senor Thieen, SON
in-law of General TelIo Mendoza and turned
them inside out. General Mendoza was at one
time Minister Of Finance and Public Credit
under Castro He was also the Presidents pri-
vate secretary for a number OF years and has
been regarded as one Of his stancnest support
ers He IS universally hated by the enemies Of
Castro and his unpopularity and his close com
panionshp with the President accounted for the
acts OF the populace against the property of
his son-in-law.
The statues and pictures Of President Castro
we're made into huge bonfire on the Plaza
Bolivar. The crowd cheered as the flames com
pleted the destruction OF these effgies Of the
dictator.
Caracas has been ornamented with a number
of public inscriptions setting forth the virtues
of Castro and extollns his powers These
legends next attracted the attention OF the mob
and every inscription bearing Castros name
was hacked out and erased. Some Of these
legends were carved on the public buildings Of
the city.
II was after l o'clock by the time the crowd
had got thus far in its depredations. II lacked
leadership. and paused In default Of other fields
Tor its destructive energies. II then that
a detachment Of troops was called out for duty
on the city streets and Acting President Gomez
issued manifesto prohibiting further destruc-
tfon These measures had the desired end. for
he mob quieted down and then dispersed
The attack yesterday on the Offices Of Ell