Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-25


crat.
a standstill, and his men were well
nigh exhausted over the field tele-
phone Commander-in-Chief Estrada
was informed the situation was desper-
ate. and that while his army was not
defeated, victory was not in sight.
When the hour was darkest 1or tne
insurgents cheers were heard, and
presently General ~Mena and his
Scratched and bleeding men emerged
from the jungle into the half cleared
plantation where the battle was being
waged.
Without stopping for orders and yell
ing at the top of their voices, the REM
forcing troops swept across the clearing
to the rear of the enemy and charged
the hill at a point where no machine
guns had been placed.
Signal for Advance
The movement of Mena served as
signal for a general advance by the
three armies Of the insurgents. At
critical moment the insurgents swept
up the hill i'm the face of furious fire.
Mena was the first to reach the sum
nit. At his heels were his determined
soldiers.
The defenders, depending on their ri
fes only, were unable to repulse the at
tackers. Suddenly abandoning their
trenches, the government troops fell
hack before Mena's men and charged
the advancing armies under Chamorro
and Diaz. Mena pushed his attack on
Gonzales rear.
In ten minutes il was all over, but
in that ten minutes heavy execution
was done. Scores were killed outright.
and the wounded covered the summit OF
the hills. Hundreds of the enemy threw
nd
ter.
General Gonzales, to save a needless
slaughter, signaled that he surrendered
Nineteen hundred prisoners were taken
Immense Sacrifice
The magnitude of the personal sacri-
flee involved in the overthrow OF Zelaya
from actual power(and a possible flight
from Nicaragua is shown In the state
ment that he derived from various mo-
nonolies and financial ventures a reVe-
nue. of 100000 silver $4,000 United
States money! a month.
In the building in the Champ ue
Mars, that houses the ministry OF war;
Zelaya conducts the. .monopolies of alco-
hol tobacco, cattle, petroleum, hides
gambling, soap, candles, ice and drugs
and lumber for railroads, fuel and ties.
From these quarters he also has con-
troIled local monopolies existing along
the Atlantic coast and covering trainc
in aguardiente leaf and manufactured
tobacco, cocoanut groves, abattoirs ana
turtle fisheries.
In addition to these he controls the
dock privileges at the piers of Corinto,
Granada, San Jorge, Monkey Point, san
Miguelito and Eel Bluff, and the lease
OF the National railway and of the ma
tional steamship lines.
Through some peculiar framing OF
the customs laws ne also benefits from
premiums on the expectation of coffee,
irmher gold. hides and rubber, and
from duties of from 10 to 80 per cent on
importations of all sorts of manutac-
tured articles.
His other Interests
Among his other known interests are
the street cleaning of Managua, done
bv contract; the sugar refinery of San
Antonio, the planning mills and the sale
of property to or by the government.
He also eXacts a share in all conces-
sions granted by the government in this
manner, is a large stockholder in con-
cessions granted to the Bluehelds COM
pany-James Dietrich Guichora, Sala-
Zar, Emery-and in a number OF mining
concessions. The system is so perfected
that no land owner can devote his prop
erty to raising sugar cane or tobacco
without the authorization of trusts ere
ated and controlled by Zelaya.
On the Atlantic side Zelaya has OPP
Grated through the business house of
I,opez g. Martinez. Lopez is cousin
of Zelaya and is now Jailed by the rev.
olutioniStS.
Through this house alone Zelaya has
just received profits of $4,000 or $6OoO
American money.
Railways and steamers of the coun-
try are managed for him by his part
ner, Julio West, a Swiss.
Proposed Railway
A contract for the construction of
the railway from San Miguel to Mon
kew Point, which he controls through
West, is to cost the government
500, 600 United States money per month.
The country already has disbursed
$500, 900 in the last three years on this
line, and only four miles have been
built.
National finances have also been
used for his enrichment. The system
has been for Zelaya to underwrite
government bonds at a large discount
and then to dispose of them to bank
ers at so per cent profit
It is conservatively estimated that
he appropriates 55 per cent of all Gus
toms dues by the simple process of
compelling payment of customs dues
through compulsory purchases of gov