The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1908-12-25
LOOT FOR CASTRO
Discovery That President
Took $35,OOO,OOO.
Further Disclosures as to His Plot
to Have Vice President Gomez
Assassinated In the Pal.
ace at Caracas.

DC'h uioSOVClCu pllOI W blo uS
parture for Europe President Cipriano
Castro forwarded to Paris and Ger.
man bankers sums aggregating $685.
100000.
1t is clear from the financial and
other arrangements he made that Cas-
tro never intended to return here, but
that it was his purpose to enjoy his
wealth in Europe.
Further disclosures make 1t clear
that Castro inspired an attempt to
assassinate Acting President Vicente
Gomez.
Secret cipher cablegrams have passed
between President Castro in Berlin
and his agents here since the popular
anti-Castro demonstration of Dec Is
and II.
A prominent lawyer has filed an &C.
cusation in the high federal court
charging President Castro with com.
plicity in the attempted assassination
and proposing his impeachment.
There was meeting Friday night
of the plotters in the residence in Ca
racas of Garkiras Guzman, who was
secretary general in the last Castro
cabinet and who was placed in charge
of President Castro's personal busi-
ness in Venezuela when the president
left for Germany.
The conspirators decided upon coup
d'etat. They determined to assassl-
nate Acting President Gomez, Jose de
Jesus Paul, the foreign minister; Gen
eral Leopoldo Baptista and other prom
incnt men, seize the administration Of
the country and with the army ter
rorize and overawe the population.
In spite of the precautions taken an
intimation of what was on foot reach
ed the ears of Acting President Co
mez. AS soon as he had satisfied him
self of the truth Of the reports he took
immediate steps to frustrate the at
tempt.
He went alone on foot to the bar
racks in Caracas, where a mutinous
regiment under the command of Presi-
dent Castro's brother was quartered.
With unexampled courage he entered
the building and placed the brother Of
the president under arrest.
He then went to the executive man
sion, where he found Torres Cardenas,
the chief Of the conspirators. He seiz-
cd Torres-Cardenas by the shoulders
and, shaking him roughly, said:
81 have discovered your plot to as
sassinate me. You are my prisoner"
Torres -Cardenas tried to use his re-
volver OH the acting president, but
Gomez was too quick for him. He
pinioned the mans arms and called
the guard. forrest Cardenas was seized
and disarmed and hurried away to
Jail.
These two arrests, made single hand
ed by Gomez, broke the back Of the
plot. Others arrested were Garkiras
Guzman, Lopez Baraltz, minister Of
the interior; Senor Bermudez, director
Of the national telegraph system; Com
mander Casanova, Commander Angulo
and other adherents Of Castro.
Jose de Jesus Paul, the former min
lister of foreign affairs, left for Europe
today on diplomatic mission to settle
all outstanding disputes with foreign
powers.
Acting President Gomez has issued
a proclamation as follows:
Fellow Patriots-I assumed charge Of
the presidency Of Venezuela under the
terms of the constitution. From the first
I endeavored to conciliate the aspirations
of the people with my high obligations.
and to this end established, In accord
ance with our national institutions, an
administration that recognized all per-
sonal and public guarantees.
aI rnU infanfinna
with incomprehensible hindrance on the
part of intimate friends of General Cas-
tro. Not only did these persons block
the carrying out by me Of my legal du-
ties, but they stopped to conspiracy and
elaborated a diabolical plot against my
life.
This conspiracy was crushed when I
personally faced the plotters and impris-
oned them. By so doing 1 saved more
than my personal existence. 1 maintain
ed the manly prestige of the chief mag
lstracy of the republic, which 1t is my
ambition to convert into a fountain OF
of good for all Venezuelans.
/ have constituted q cabinet represent
ing the public opinion of Venezuela, and
with the collaboration of my ministers /
intend to enforce the constitutional guar
antees, to respect the autonomy OF the
various states of the Venezuelan repub-
lic to protect local industries against odi-
Gus manipulation, to find a decorous and
pacific solution OF our international dis
putes, to live at peace and with harmony
at home and abroad and to permit the
law alone to hold undisputed sovereignty
throughout the land.
Venezuelan revolutionists who have
been living in Curacao, the chief of
whom is General Gregorio Riera, have
been invited by Gomez to come to
Caracas and ioln hands with the now