Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-02-21


six federal batteries concentrating
their fire on the Diaz Notifications.
Daz captured with the arsenal an
enormous supply of shrapnel, which
he poured on the federals in the sur
rounding buildings with disastrous eff
feet.
Then wars real horrors were
brought home to the citizens. A
scene unheard of in modern warfare
then began to unfold itself before the
terror-stricken gaze of 100000 peo-
pie. The capital became a great bat
tleground for crowded thousands of
women and children, none of whom
had been warned or given the slight
est chance to escape. Practically ey-
cry one in the city was exposed to
the chance Of death and wounds, even
when in their own homes. The deaths
of Mrs. Holmes and Mrs Griffiths,
American women, are an instance of
this.
! Scores of non-combatants were
killed in similar circumstances by
bullets, flying far and wide from the
shrapnel shells bursting in every part
of the city. These exploded over the
most populous sections of the city,
scattering the deadly hail of leaden
missiles. Others crashed into the
walls of high buildings, entered the
windows Of clubs, hotels, banks and
stores, wrecked buildings by the doz-
en-, and killing and wounding hun
dreds of innocent persons. Day after
day and often at night the same
frightful conditions prevailed. Added
to the thunder of the siege guns
came the almost incessant rattle of
the quick firers and the whining song
of bullets
On many streets the bodies of the
dead and wounded lay throughout the
day. These were removed only when
darkness brought partial protection
to the rescuers Until Sunday morn
ing at 2 o'clock when supposed "a
hour armistice was declared, the
stricken city knew hardly a moments
peace.
On Sunday the people ventured
tlmorously outdoors, hardly believ-
ing the news of the temporary cessa-
tion of hostilties. AS the morning
hours passed the sound Of church
bells, which had been drowned by the
bombardment for days, were again
heard and again the people flocked
into the streets. The city took on a
new life and the people, quickly for
getting and ever ready for a fiesta,
assumed a holiday spirit. They prom
enaded the streets, gathered in the
actual zone Of the weeks fighting
and watched the preparations of the
soldiers to resume the warfare.
Suddenly and without warning, a
rattle Of small arms and the shrieks
of bursting shells broke the stiffness
Caught unawares by the action OF
Madero's forces in breaking the arm
istice, hundreds Of non-cpmbatants
were shot down in flight.
Madero's soldiers had taken advan-
take of the armistice to improve their
positions. They fired upon Diaz' sol
dlers on the pretext that the rebels
had broken faith. The battle waged
fiercely all day and far into the night
and was resumed Monday and again
Tuesday.
On Tuesday came the fearful It'd
ings that the federals were preparing
to use mortars to hurl dynamite
shells at the citadel. A tortured pop
ulace stood trembling, expecting the
complete ruin Of the city, when WORD
came of a sudden and significant
change in the situation. Generals
Huerta and BlanQuet, federal com
mnnders, had arrested President Ma
doro and Gustavo Madero. Then thC
battle ended.
Soon the streets we're quickly fillet
with thousands shouting "vivas" FOL
Diaz and Huerta. The events follow
ing wrought Kaleidoscope changes II
the situation,
Generals Huerta and Dlaz ad
dressed the populace and others o
the provisional government scurrlet
about, assuring the citizens that tn,
reign Of terror had ended and tina
new era Of peace and prosperit!
had dawned. General Huerta as
sumed the role Of military dictator
with General Diaz commander-in
chief Of the new allied forces, whicl
shortly before were flying at eacl
others throats,
The senate elected a provisona
president and Wednesday Presiden
Madero and Gustayo Madero, tn,
presidents brother and evil genius
we're removed to the citadel wher,
Gustavo was executed.