The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1909-04-16

Placed on Mattress and Carried From
Hotel to Pier on Stretcher Manned
by Four Negroes-Great Crowd Fol-
lows Procession Through Streets
Deported Man Sees Breach of Inter-
national Law by France
Fort de France, Martinique, April
12.-Prior to his being taken aboard
the steamer Versailles for deportation
to France, ex-President Castro pre-
pared a written protest against the
! action of the French government,
which has been submitted to the au-
thorities here. 1t reads as follows:
Il hereby protest against the action
of the French authorities of Martinique
in having me put, by force, on board
an out going vessel: First, because |
was i'll at the time and because the
act imperilled my life; second, be-
cause | have committed no offense
against the government of France and
the authorities of Martinique during
the time that | was permitted to re-
main on that island; and, finally, be-
cause the decree of expulsion which
orders my deportation out of French
territory compels me to take passage
aboard a vessel which will again land
me on French territory.
Moreover, these considerations
aside, the case constitutes a breach of
international law and a denial of the
rights of individuals. That such a
thing should have come to pass in the
land which saw the birth of Josephine
and from which came the inspiration
and prestige of liberty, and at the
hands of people who shed their blood
by torrents hardly a century ago to
maintain unimpaired the rights and
prerogatives of man, is uncomfortable
The eX-president said, just before
the sailing of the Versailles, that if
he was at liberty when he arrived at
st. Nazarie, he would Immediately
proceed to Spain to take passage for
Santa Cruz, Teneriffe. Castro added
that he was leaving his brother Car
melo here for the purpose of receiv-
ing mail which he expects to be for
warded from Trinidad and Venezuela.
The Versailles will stop at Basse
Terre. Gaudeloupe. Hardly had the
steamer left port Saturday night when
a party of Castro's friends arrived on
the steamer Goelette from Saint Lu-
cia. They were very much surprised
that Castro had been expelled from
the island, and had a long consulta-
ton with Castro's brother.
The removal of the former president
of Venezuela from the hotel to the
steamer was nSt without its pitiful as
poet. Immediately on the announce
ment by the medical commission, who
made a lengthy physical examination
of Castro, that he was quite capable
of making the voyage, the commissary
of police, with an escort of gend-
armes, invaded the hotel and proceed
ed to his chamber.
They found Castro in bed, and. al
though he still protested that he could
not move and refused to tdf1ss. they
carried him down stars, 10 patient
all the while moaning dist iully. on a
mattress, and placed 'himD on a .
stretcher. Officers from thtITnited
States cruiser North ca 7rJla. in
civilian dress, helped to MAJ karim as
comfortable as possible, and lien the
stretcher was picked up by fdnr ne
groes and taken to the steamer dock.
Gendarmes guarded Il on eacha side
and a crowd Of people NUMBERING fully
1000 followed the procession tlTough
the streets.
The entrance to the French line
piers was guarded by police and no
one was permitted TO enter. except
those who were directly connected
with the transfer of Castro Some
difficulty was experienced in holsting
the litter aboard, and for a moment !
Castro was in peril OF falling cut.
The stretcher was set down in one $
of the cabins, and Castro at once de-
clared that the room was to small
and demanded that he be transferred +
to another cabin. He was promised +
that change would be made during 1,
the course of the voyage. IN,
The Versailles Immediately slipped :
her cables and started on the voyage.