The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-09-30
Managua,


what a sickening tragedy a Central
American revolution is. They have
passed through month Of turmoil
(August), witnessed a three days bat
tie and experienced the horros OF
bombardment. They have seen the
people Of the city panic-strickn. wo-
men and children killed; have borne
the sufferings Of hunger in town
beleagured, and have had miraculous
escapes from exploding shells anu
bullets. Daily they saw hundreds OF
recruits marching out with WAS anu
laughter to hght-perhaps to meet the
death thousands of their fellows al
. ready had met
The capital Of Nicaragua In august
was the focal point OF the revolution
of which General Luis Mena, the ue
posed Minister Of War. was the neaa
The two military heroes Of the rising
81 1soe-l0 which overthrow Zela!a
were Emiliano Chanorro and LUIS
Mena. Mena became Minister OF "ar
and organized the assembly wnicn, III
October, 1911, elected him president
OF the republic for the term oeslh,
ming January 1. 1913. Then the onl.e0
states stepped in, the American MN
lister notifying Mena that his eiect!on
was regarded as premature and Vio-
lation of the pact made with the rep
s-esentatives Of the United sts'es'
General Mena was deposed iates d
Minister of War and General Cnamor-
70 was appointed commanoer-ln-cnie.
of the army. Mena eventually neo
and armed the liberals Thus oesan
the revolution which reached Its ell
,o.x in the bombardment of noncofn-
batants. a violation Of all the morals
even of revolutions in Central Amer
ice. except In the case Of Zelaya, VINO
bombarSed Managua in 1898 IN the
revolt that made him Dictator
1t was no part of Mena's plan. now
ever. to take Managua by assault.
General Zeledon. one time Minister OF
War under Zelaya, was respos.pie Io1
that when Mena lay helpless on q SICK
BED. The bombardment began on a
Monday morning. although Zeledon had
been warned that thousands OF IN
nocen, women and children were IN
the city. All day the savage sheinns
continued. the shells exploding All over
the town By q strange fatality wo-
men and children were the victims. In
one house . motner ana nes
four daughters were wounded. A
child sitting on a doorstep was cut
IN two. A woman. with her babe at
her breast, running across the street
was struck by a shell and both were
instantly killed. One hundred ana
thir,y-six women and children were
killed or wounded. The escape OF hun
dreds Of others was miraculous
The second evening Of the lombard
ment a shell hit the presidential house
and exploded in q room where the
President and his Cabinet were In con-
ference with General Chamorro.
strangely enough, no one was injured
A she'll exploded in the interior court
of the hotse OF an American omciaL
Four American officials and three ser
wants were on either SIDE of the court
but none was hit Through Monday
and tuesday the battle waSed- cui-
minat.ns in a sharp attack in the at
ternoon. when the insurgents broke
over the entertainments Tsc- were not
supported in strength however. and
were killed with maShettes Twice
again during the night attacks were
made in force. Each time the govern
ncut troops were thrust back Sst
Chamorro saved the day himself By
leading achievements which drove
tie INSURGENTS back All thN night
the bonnbardmcnt was kept ~. We'd
rcsday the people were absolutely
panic stricken. They fed from the
town anywhere TO &c, out che or
positc side OF the city toward Cor'nto
and the north. and through other ave-
nuc< Of escape
Another attack by the insurgents
tina, day would have meant success.
Tn. governments ammunition was al
mos. gon, Blu. the bolt was shot
Their allure 10 win after three days
successive assaults. with tremendous
losses. hal dispiri;ed the Insurgents
and they retired in disorder
And this revolutionary episcde--onc
wsy Of satisSyfue desire for once asd
getting a presidency. with absolutely
no principle invoived--cost thousand
soldiers. many women ara children
and men who wanted peace more than
war.
A battalion Of 600 American marines
under Mayor Boiler reached Managua
from Panama the following dag. Their
presence probably prevented another
attack Nanagua feWasnea cot on
from the world, except ~ one tsae-
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