Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-16
VENEzUELANMO
IN FIERCE RIOT
AGAINST CASTRO
Caracas Buildings Wrecked
and Statues Destroyed.
DlCTAT0R'S RlJI r Is ENDED
DICTATOR'S RULE Is ENDED
His Deposition From the Presidency
Expected Any Moment.
LIVES LOST IN ATTACK
Soldiers Fire on Crowd Pillaging
Newspaper Friendly to Castro
and Vice President Gomez.

CARACAS Venezuela. December IL. via
N'illemstad. Curacao December 16-The
people OF Caracas arose yesterday against
President Castro. An infuriated mob. un-
hindered by the police. swept through the
city wrecking the property of his hench-
men and closest friends. The people
rounded up all the statues and pictures of
President Castro from the clubs and other
semi-pub'ic buildings and burned them.
with rejoicing on the Plaza Bolivar. Sew
eral persons were killed in the course of
the rioting.
Castro's rule in Venezuela probably is
ended. No official act deposing Castro
from the presidency of Venezuela yet has
been taken. but such a step is expected
any moment.
1t became necessary by nightfall to de-
clare martial law in order to put an end to
the rioting and pil,agtng.
There were several attacks on private
property on the part Of the mob before
the authorities got the situation in
hand and several of the agitators were
arrested. There was no actual conflict
between the people and the police. The
piIaEing was confined to the properties
OF Venezuslans, notably Senors Rivas and
Thie!en. No foreigners We're molested.
Today the city is quiet and business is
taking its normal course.
Not Directed Against Holland.
In spite of Holland's warlike activity on
the coast there have been no demonstra-
tons against the Netherlands. They all
have been directed against President Cas-
tro and Acting President Gomez.
An enormous crowd OF the inhabitants
Of the capital. swelled nv people from the
outlying country, gathered In the streets
soon after daybreak. The people began
marching Up and down the main thor
oughfares. and 1t was easy to see that
their i'll temper would soon result in vo-
lence. The police stood by and made no
attempt whatever to restrain the mob.
The first building tn be attacked and
looted was that of the lottery monopoly
The offices of the state enteI prise that
las enriched Itself at the expense of the
people were ransacked and pillased. Fur
riture was broken and thrown into the
streets and thousands of lottery tickets
we're destroyed.
Newspaper Office Looted.
The crowd then moved to the printing
office of Ei Constitutional, the organ of
President Castro, of which Gumersindo
Rivas is editor. and pillased it completely.
\ steam laundry belonging 10 Senor Rivas
also was wrecked.
The attack on the offices of FL Constitu-
cional. when the crowd was curbed by
detachment of soldiers. who fired into the
demonstTants. resulted IN several fatali-
lies. 4 criminal action has been begun
against Editor Rivas and other employees
Of the paper in which they are charged
with responsibility for these deaths. 1t is
declared that Rivas and his men fired first
OIL the people. making use of revo'vers.
Ell Constitutional has suspended publi
cation and Caracas Is practically without
q newspaper.
The crowd then turned its attention to
several drug stores belonging to Senor
Thielen. q son-in-ldw of Gen. Tello Mem
Goza. and turned them inside out. Gen.
Mendoza was at time minister of
finance and public credit under Castro
He was also the presidents private secre-
tary for several years and has been re-
Sarded as one of his stsrchest supporters.
lie IS universally hated by the enemies of
Castro, and bis unpopularity and his close
connection with tire president accounted
for the anger of the populace against the
property Of his son-in-law.
Castro Statues Destroyed.
The statues and pictures OF President
Castro were made into huge bonfire on
the Plaza Bolivar. The crowd cheered as
ne flames completed the destruction OF
these effig!es o: the Dictator
Numerous inscriptions setting forth the
virtues of Castro and eNto.lrS his powers
next attracted :le retaliation OF the mob
and every INSCRIPTION bearing Castro's
name was hacked out and ased Some
of these legends were carved on the pub
&c buildings of the city.
7, was after O'Clock before the crowd
had gotten thus far. n It's depTedations
II lacked leadership and paused in de
fault Of other fields for it's destructive en-
ergies. II then that a detachment
81 troops was called out for duty OH the
city streets. and Acting President Gomez
issued manifesto prohibiting fur;her
Manifestations These measures had the
desired effect, for the mob auieted DOWN
and then dispersed.
rle funeral of Marcano Rojas. one OF
TIE men killed in the lighting of yester-
day. has been fixed for tomorrow. \ vast
crowd vii turn cut aud further disorders
and riot!rg are expected