The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-09
Exiled President Has Fol lowing of a ThOus-
 and Men
MENDEZ SAID TO HAVE
 BEEN ASSASSINATED
President of the State of Zulia AL ready Reported to Have Met Death at the Hands of
 Revolutionists

Williamstad. Curacoa, July s.-The Ven ezuelan government has positive news that Cipriano Castro. the exiled presi- dent of Venezuela, effected a landing on the western coast of Venezuela and today has a following of 1000 men.
 Rumors reached here this afternoon that Gumersindo Mendez, president of the state of zulia, Venezuela, had been killed by bomb
 How different a proposition is Gen. Ci- priano Castro with his feet on Venezuelan soil and thousand men at his back from the solitary plotter in Europe, until re- gently supposed to have been isolated by common consent of the powers opposed to his return to the country from which he was an exile, is readily understood in the light of his earlier bold and triurn- phant career. If 1t be true that the self styled man of destiny" Is again in Ven ezuela, he must be dealt with by the ven- ezuelans themselves, who have not for gotten that he once overturned the gov ernment with army that originally numbered but g men.
 Cipriano's Career
 It was on May 23 1899, that Castro, then a rancher in Los Andes, took offense at the governor of the province, and Gen. eral Andrade. president of the republic, and determined to unseat them both He set out at the head of a handful of ranchmen, followed by the jeers of the populace. Within a month he had an army of several thousand men and cap tured Nalecinia. the second city of the country. Advancing on the capital he defeated Andrade's troops and when he reached Caracas .he president had fed
 For ten years Castro ruled Venezuela with an iron hand and it was not until broken in health and away in Europe that his enemies mustered up the strength to depose him. He has boasted that he would return to Venezuela and resume power The United States government and other governments made 1t their business to prevent his return if possible. but he appears to have outwitteS the in ternational watchers.
 | Visited Many Places ss,n, z | In January last he was reported in the ] Canary Islands. On subsequent dates he 1 was said to be at Los Palnlas with his 1 family, at Lisbon and at Gibraltar. Last month Washington heard he was aboard the steamer Consul Grostuck, which the | Haitien government had purchased after | the cruiser had been dismantled by the l Italian navy. The Grostuck arrived at l Port de Paix, Hayti, and after brief | stop for repairs, proceeded to Port Au Prince. Her crew said they knew noth- ing of Castro and he could not be found. His movements for several weeks are q matter of conjecture, as Is the extent of resources at his command.
 A dispatch received at the state depart ment at Washington yesterday from Caracas confirmed the rumor that Castro had landed at Castilletas Point, on the Goajira peninsula, In Colombian territory and within striking distance of the coun- try of which, according to today's dis patches, he has already began an inva- sion.
 Castro's followers in Curacao have no official notification of his having reached Venezuela, but they are convinced that he has accomplished this. A schooner which has arrived from Maracaibo brings news of a threatened revolt at San Carlos. which was betrayed to the authorities. Many of those concerned in the uprising were made prisoners.
 Caracas, Venezuela July S.-The govern ment has not yet been able to confirm the report that Ciprano Castro has landed in Venezuela or in neighboring territory. It Is not considered possible that the former president. even if he has able to get any considerable number of men behind him. Nevertheless troops have already been dispatched to the Gulf of Maracaibo. Castro is reported to have made his landing on the Goajra penin- sula, Colombia. which forms the western headand of the Gulf of Maracaibo.