The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-04-16

Fort de France, Martinique, Apri.
l2.-Prior TO being taken aboard the
steamer Versailles for deportation to
France, eX-President Castro Of Vene.
zuela prepared written protest
against the action of the French gov
eminent, which has been submitted
to the authorities here. 1t reads as
follows:
Il hereby protest against the action
of the French authorities of Marti-
nique in having me put by force on
board an outgoing vessel: First, be-
cause was i'll at the time, and be.
cause the act imperilled my life; sec.
Ond, because ! have committed no Of
Tense against the government of
France and the authorities of Marti-
nigue in the time that | was permit
ted to remain on that island; and,
finally, because 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 come the inspiration
and presage of liberty, and at the
Of uuhN oh r
blood by torrents hardly a century
ago to maintain unimpaired the rights
and prerOgativeS of man, is incon-
ceivabe"
The eX-president said Just before
sailing that If he was at liberty when
he arrived at ST. Nizaire he would i'm,
nediately proceed to Spain to take
passage for Santa Cruz, Teneriffe.
General Castro said that he was leav
ing his brother Carmelo here to re-
ceive mail which he expects to be
forwarded from Trinidad and Vene-
Zuela.
Castro's Friends Disappointed.
The vessel will stop at Basse Terre
and Point Pitre. Guadeloupe. Hardly
had the steamer left port when a
party of Castros friends arrived on
the steamer Goelatte from Saint Lucia.
They were very much surprised that
Castro had been expelled from the
island and had a long consultation
with Castro's brother.
The removal of the former president
of Venezuela from the hotel to the
steamer was not without its pitiful
aspects. Immediately on the announce.
ment by the medical commission. who
made lengthy physical examination
of Castro, that he was quite capable
of making the voyage. the commissary
of police with an escort of gendarmes
invaded the hotel and proceeded to
his chamber They found the eX-
president lying in bed and although
he still protested that he could not
move they carried him down stairs
on a mattress, the patient all the
while moaning dismally, and placed
him on a stretcher Officers of the
limited States cruiser North Carolina,
| In civilian dress, helped to make him
as comfortable as possible, and then
| the stretcher was carried by four me-
| groes to the dock. Gendarmes
| guarded it on either side and crowd
| of persons numbering fully 1000 fol,
/ lowed the procession through the
| streets.
The entrance to the French line
piers was guarded by police, and no
one was permitted to enter, except
those directly connected with the
transference of the eX-president. Some
/ difficulty was experienced in hosting
| the litter aboard and for moment
| Castro was in peril of falling out.
4 The stretcher was set down in one
of the cabins and Castro at once de.
| clared that the room was too small
| and demanded that he transferred to
| another cabin He was promised that
a change would be made In the course
of the voyage In saying farewell to
his brother, he waved his hand and
| exclaimed: Goodbye for the mo
ment."
prool1yn Eao1a. Tho praa che