The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1908-12-04
| NO BLOODSHED
ATTENDS COUP
Nord Alexis Deposed as Pres
ident Of Hayti
REVOLT At PORT AUPRINCE

Armed Citizens Take Possession Of
the City Without Resistance on the
Part Of the Government Troops and
General Legitime Accepts the Pres.
idency of the Provisional Admins
tration. -.
Port all Prince, Hayti, Dec THE
people of Port au Prince have revolt
ed against the government. They are
now in possession of the city. There
has been no fighting with the govern
ment troops.
A provisional government has been
established and General Legitime has
accepted the presidency of the new
administration
The events came before they we're
expected. Uneasiness was noticed
throughout the night on the part of
the people, but it was not thought that
the outbreak would occur so quickly
nor that the movement would be sue
cessful without the shedding of drop
of blood.
The deposed president, Nord Alexis,
is still at the palace. The members
of the diplomatic corps are in confer
ence for the purpose of taking meas
ures to facilitate and hasten the de-
parture of Nord Alexis from the re-
public.
The coup has been remarkably sue
cessful. All the ministers, together
with the high military officials under
Nord Alexis, have taken refuge in the
various foreign legations. These are
the same men who nine months ago
were protesting vociferously against
the granting of the right of refuge to
unsuccessful revolutionists by the for
eign diplomatic and consular repre-
sentatives. Now they are only too
happy to seek the protection of a for
eign flag to escape the fury of the
people.
The only man to remain loyal to
Nord Alexis is General Camille Ga
briel, his nephew, who for the last six
months has directed the policy of the
Alexis administration. Gabriel is at
the palace with Alexis.
The movement had been we'll organ
lied. In the early hours of the morn
ing bands Of citizens, organized and
armed, moved quietly about the town
and took possession of various points
Of vantage. The movement was di-
rected by General Canal, a member of
the senate.
It is a remarkable fact that not a
shot was fired. The soldiers of Nord
Alexis saw that the rebels had the
upper hand and they quickly let it be
seen that they had no intention of
starting a fight that undoubtedly
would have resulted in much blood
shed. The presence of the American
cruisers Des Moines and Tacoma and
the French cruiser Duguay Trouin un-
doubtedly had a restraining influence.
Movement Well Organized.
The citizens are in possession of
the Central police station and all the
other police outposts, the arsenal and
the port. These bodies of men are all
we'll armed and well supplied with
ammunition. The fact that they are
thus prepared shows the thoroughness
with which the movement was organ
lied.
AS soon as the success of the move
ment was established, a number of
prominent citizens held a meeting and
formed committee of public safety
and the maintenance of order in Port
au Prince is now in the hands of this
body.
The fact that Nord Alexis ministers
deserted him at the last moment did
not come as a complete surprise.
Their loyalty was suspected and the
defections of the last two or three
days showed clearly what might be
expected. General Jules Coicou, the
military commander of Port au Prince,
is among the refugees, as is also Gen
eral Hyacinthe. Coicou is the man
who caused the assassination of his
own brother and two of his cousins
last January for completely in the un-
successful revolutionary movement
that broke out at that time and
Hyacinthe is the official who presided
at the wholesale execution that fol-
lowed the suppression of this out
break. He has taken refuge at the
German legation. General Leconte,
minister of the interior, and M. La
fentant, one of the personal advisers
of Nord Alexis, took refuge in the
French legation. General Marcelin,
minister of finance and commerce,
also is refugee.
Later in the day the palace was
surrounded by an infuriated mob call
ing upon Nord Alexis to leave the
country. Almost everybody in the
crowd was armed. Haytian women,
beside themselves with rage, called
down curses on the head of the aged
man and hurled coarse epithets at
him and his family
Sailors from the American cruisers
are at present in the American lega-
tion, where they are arranging a sys-
TEN of signals between the legation
and the cruisers in order that de-
mand for a landing force may be
communicated quickly should occasion
arise