El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-11-23

mere at the capital and a great tOru-
ficatiOn which commands the city. He
has recently ordered automobiles, with
Colt machine guns at the front Of
them, and there are Americans here
who are instructing him and his men
in their use. Should a revolution arise
the people In the streets might be
moved down with Calling guns, and
the past actions Of the president lead
to the belief that he would use them.
The Narrow Escapes Of a President.
As to the danger of the assassina-
ton of president Cabrera, there is no
doubt Of that. Every one here knows
that he takes his life IN his hand
when he goes outside his palace, and
some of the attempts made to kill
him are matter of terrible record.
The first public demonstration was in
1907, now five years ago, when a mine
exploded and killed his horses and
cOachman: This plot was carefully
laid. The president had a coffee plan
tatiOn some distance away from the
city, and there was a certain street
through which he usually drove in
going 10 it. The cOnspiratOrs made
a tunnel under this street and in the
middle Of it secreted dynamite bombs
with which electric wires We're con-
nected. so that they could be set off
instantly
The pIotters then bribed the coach
man by paying him $4,000 Guatema-
Ia dollars, sum equal to about $4,000
American, to drive slowly as he passed
over this spot. They were to explode
the dynamite just as soon as the
horses had gone by, the idea being
that the coach and the president would
be blown into the air, but that the
cOachman in some way might escape
The man in charge Of the electricity did
his work, but he acted a moment too
soon. He put his finger on the button
just as the horses reached the spot
There was a mighty explosion, and a
part Of the street rose into the air,
killing only the horses and coach
man and leaving the president safe.
1t was some time after that before
the whole plot was laid bare, and 1t
was then only that Cabrera realized
the treachery of his cOachman. 1t is
said that he had already given a pres
ent TO the cOachman's widow, and had
provided for his family At the same
time arrests were made by whole
sale, the jails were filled with sus-
poets and the trials were secret 1t
is said that some were tortured TO
make them confess.
The Conspiracy of the Cadets.
The plOt Of the army cadets against
the life Of Cabrera was quite as
tragic and its results were even more
terrible. This occurred in 1908. about
a year after the attempt to blow him
up in the street One Of the finest
buildings here in Guatemala City is the
military academy, and among the best
young men and boys Of Guatemala are
those who are educated there for the
army. At this time the flower of the
students had been chosen TO act as a
guard of honor to the president They
were in full uniform and were sta
toned in front of the palace when
our American minister, Mai. Heimke,
had come TO present his credentials.
The arrangements were such that the
president was to walk through a dOu-
bic file Of them as he came back TO
the palace, and the plot got up by
these boys was that they were all TO
shoot at him as he came in.
This plot failed for the same reason
as the first. One of the boys shot an
instant before the time set, and be-
fore the others could follow, the-pres-
ident threw himself flat on his face
on the street. 1t was thought that he
had been mOrtally wounded and before
the others could fire at him a German
threw himself on top of Cabrera as
he lay on the street I believe there
were several more shots fired. but
the guards rushed in and the cadets
were OverpOWered- Up to this time
every one supposed that the president
was dead, but a moment later he rose
and it was then discovered that only
his little finger had been hit.
And now came the real tragedy.
Cabrera ordered the cadets be ar
rested, and he had them line up and
every 10th boy shot. He then directed
that the bodies be thrown on a cart
and carried to the cemetery. This
act was done on the spur of the mo-
ment, and it created great indignation
among the people. The boys repre-
scented the best families of the cOun-
try, and some Of them were very
young Some were so small, it is said
that they were put up on boxes be-