The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-12-04
ATTEMPT TO ASSASSINATE
HIM AS he WAS LEAVING
Crowds Jeered and Cursed Deposed
Ruler Of the haytiens.

fO1l AU g 2.-1foS
dent Nord Alexis has been deposel
and is nov safe on board the French
training ship Duguay Trouin, and
Port Au Prince is in the hands of the
revolutioniste.
Gen. Antoine Simon, the leader o.
the insurgents is marching up the pc
ninsula with an army Of 5000 and q
aew president, Gen. Legitime, hai
been proclaimed.
saiuted by Warships.
At the last moment President Alex.
Is yielded to the urging Of those about
him and decided to take refuge aboard
the French warship. At precisely s
o'clock, q salute OF 81 guns announced
his departure from the palace.
Thousands had gathered there early
in the day and had surged around the
entrance. threatening to tear down
the walls to drive out the president
and his loyal followers.
A Wild Crowd.
As the hours passed the great
crowds became Infatuated, shouting
for him to leave the country.
The mob was armed and men and
women, besides themselves with rage,
heaped curses on the head Of the aged
man who had fiercely expressed his
determination to fight to the last.
So serious was the situation that
the French minister, M. Carteron and
other French representatives, to.
gether with members of a special CON-
mission forced themselves upon the
president, who finally consented to
withdraw. Shouts greeted him as he
stepped from the palace and into a
carriage. M. Carteron carrying the
French territorial colors sat beside
him and the minister threw the folds
of the flag over the shoulders Of the
deposed president to protect him.
TumuIt at the Wharf.
An immense crowd Of men and wo-
men had assembled at the wharf,
and the arrival Of the presidential
carriage, escorted by a battalion of In
fantry and a squadron of cavalry un-
der command of Gen. Hippolyte, was
the signal for tumult and riot.
All along the road the people who
lined the streets, shouted, jeered and
cursed at the former president, but
when the landing stage was reached
the mob lost all restraint. The scene
was tragic and shameful.
Infatuated women broke through
the Gordon of troops and shrieked the
coursest insults in the very face of
the president, who strove bravely to
appear undismayed.
Mob Fought with the Troops.
They tried to hurl themselves upon
Alexis and fought with hand and feet
against the soldiers, who found diff.
Guilty in forcing them back.
In order to disengage them, the
troops discharged their guns. Dur.
ing this time the space was cleared,
and Nord Alexis, with the French col
ors still draped about him, was hur-
ried aboard a skiff in tow Of a steam
launch, his suite tumbling into the
boat after him.
a& Ac thn. 1o,,rah 1rnu1 n q NOV fhynn
Haytien gunboats and the French and
American warships in the harbor
fred a salute to the former president.
Assassination Attempted.
Just as Nord Alexis vas 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 the
woman could follow 1t up with an
other she was seized by a soldier. A
man succeeded in striking the presi-
dent with his fist, but the blow was
a glancing one IN the neck. Nord
Alexis turned to M. Carteron and
shaking his head, said:
81 told you so, your excellency."
His Trunk Robbed.
A trunk, which was left heind on the
p~recipitate departure Of the president
and his party from the wharf was
seized upon by the rioters and broken
open. It was found to contain some
$1,000 in gold and $4,000 Haytien
goudes. The specie was scattered
about and promptly appropriated.
The unrest which ended In the open
revolt Of the residents of Port Au
Prince had been noticed for some
days and 1t reached It's elimination
this morning when regularly organ.
lied bands of citizens marched quiet
" about the town and took posses.
sion of various points Of vantage.
No shots were fired and the only re-
sistance found was that of the presi-
dent who barred himself within the
palace. One Of the leaders in this
movement charged that the American
minister H. w, Furniss was the chief