The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1909-12-24
ZELAYA'S PLAN
IN NICARAGUA
How Central Americas Tyrant
AmaSSed a Fortune
MURDER AND PILLAGE
When His Schemes Had Reached an End
tie Plotted for American Intervention
by Numbering two of Our Citizens

1t is the opinion of Panamans that
President Zelaya, of Nicaragua. is rid
ing for fall, that he is deliberately
working to bring about Intervention by
the United States, having chosen this
form of humiliation in preference to
the greater one of suffering defeat at
the hands of revolutionists.
For the past sixteen years, during
which time Zelaya has been in power,
according to the statements of men
now on the isthmus, who are CONVEX
SAINT with affairs in that republic, Mic
aragua has been ruled by group of
eight daring, clever and cOnsclenceless
men, who have looked upon the country
as their own personal property. This
group has grown enormously rich by a
systematlzed pilage of the revenues of
the states and ofilndivduals. 1t is es-
timated that Zelaya is worth about $780,
900, 600 gold, most of which he has in
vested in Brussels and London.
1t is said to be wel-estabished that
the chief cause of the present revolu-
ton was the failure Of Zelaya to dis
tribute among his seven associates a
loan of SIS, 000 900 obtained recently in
Europe. The seven were given share
of the money, but not on the basis of
apportionment, which had governed
these distributions in the past. They
demonstrated, but all to no purpose.
Zelaya refused to pay off on the old
basis, and even threatened that If they
did not submit gracefully he won d turn
against them the system which they
had jointly organized. This system was
simple, but effective. it, modus oper-
andl was about as follows:
Whenever in any region of the coun-
try citizen was found in lawful pos
session of piece of property of any
considerable value, an agent of the
group was sent to him to ask tx price
for which he would sell it. When ti, !,
price was made Known, the agent
would offer to buy it for about one
tenth of it's value. This offer being re-
fused, the agent was then at liberty to
outline his proposed retaliation, saying:
"lf you do not sell we will denOunce
you as a cOnspirator. We will spread
rumors about your activity in behalf
of the revolutionary faction, which we
are careful always to have stirring
about somewhere in the country. We
will try you with our judges, in our
court, before our jury, and sentence
you to be shot as a traitor, and have
your property confiscated. viii you
be shot or will you sell?'
Sometimes the men were shot, and
the country at large imagined that
these men were real traitors and con-
sprators, and applauded the verdict
and their execution.
When the originators of this system
found themselves threatened they
promptly surrendered-all save one.
That is the view of the situation as
taken on the iSthmus where, to be
sure, there are many Nicaraguans
naturally very strongly opposed to the
present administration in their country.
nhey are of the opinion that Zrlaya
secs that the game is up, and is anxious
to make his departure in safety from
the republic. He would much rather
stand IN the eyes of the world as having
been forced out by the United States,
than by his own people, however
This is why he has provoked deprsals
by the brutal shooting Of Cannon and
GrOcu.
The statement issued by Ielaya to
the effect that the rev0lutiOnists had
employed the two Americans to nine
the San Juan river, and that they were
captured after they had exploded one
mine near the transport Dlamante Is
given no evidence here. This version
Is contradicted by a deserter from the
Xcpaya forces, who has confirmed the
previous report that each of the Ameri'
cans was captured while reconnoitcr.
ing some hills near the river.