The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-11-18
He Refuses to Meet the Nicara
guam Minister
Owing to Reported Execution
of Two Americans.
BY FORCED DRAUGHT.
Two U. S. Warships Will Hasten
to See About 1t.
The Men Were Serving i'm the
Rebel Army.

Washington, Nov. 1S.-Two Amer
leans, Leonard Grace and Leroy Can
non. captured while serving with the
Revolutionist army in Nicarag qua
were sentenced to death by President
Zelaya's orders. it was announced to-
day and it is believed the sentence has
been carried out.
The cruiser Vicksburg has been or
dered to proceed at once to Corinto
and the gunboat Des Moines will &c
to Port Limon. The meeting be-
tween President Taft and the new
minister from Nicaragua, Isdoro
Hazera, has been indefinitely post
poned.
The dispatch conveying the news
reached the state department late last
night from the American consulate at
Managua and stated that their cap
ture had been followed almost i'm
mediately by a death sentence
The consul Immediately appealed to
President Zelaya to commute their
sentences and his answer was Il will
See.''
Later. on further appeal. zelaya
said:
1.-The sentence is final"
Undoubtedly Dead.
A dispatch received today at the
state department says the men un-
doubtedly have been executed. On
this information, the secretary OF
state asked the secretary of the navy
to order the VickSburg to proceed to
Corinto to protect Americans and
was also ordered to proceed tc Port
Limon at top speed. The Des Moines
is now at Colon, about $50 miles from
Port Limon, which can be reached
within ten hours steaming at forced
draft The Vicksburg is on the Pa
cific coast at San Jose de Guatemala,
nearly 200 miles from the Nicaraguan
coast and will be able to reach Corinto
about the same time the DeS Moines
arrives at Port Limon.
The execution is believed to have
taken place at or near Ell Costello
which is in the immediate vicinity OF
Greytown.
The brutality of the Nicaraguan
government in ordering the execution
of these two Americans without trial
of any sort, is likely to result in this
governments taking drastic measures
President Taft was SO incensed that
he Immediately announced that he
would have no communication what
ever with the new Nicaraguan
minister and that official was so in
formed.
At the Nicaraguan legation, it was
stated no news of the execution had
been received.
Greytown Is Blockaded.
The revolutionist forces under Cen
eral Estrada have declared the port
of San Juan Del Norte, Nicaragua, un-
der blockade and general notice to
that effect has been issued. The
blockading force consists of the
Nicaraguan gunboat Ometepe and the
tug Blanca. which has been tenn
porarily armed. Large consign ments
of arms are expected to reach the
revolutionists at or near that port A
telegram from the Bluef1eldS Steam
ship company in New Orleans, says
the company has been informed of
the blockade by the following letter
from the consul of the provisional
government at New Orleans:
"In the name of the provisional
government of Nicaragua of which
General Juan J. Estrada is presi.
dent, I notify you that the port OF
San Juan Del Norte or Greytown
Nicaragua, is blockaded by our gun
boats Any vessel or vessels on at
tempting to run said blockade will be
confiscated as a prize of war by my