The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1913-02-27
MADERO And SAUREz SHOT DOWN
FORMER PRESIDENT
OF MEXICO AND HIS
AID ASSASSINATED
Tragedy Occurs While Prison
ers Were Being Transferred
to Penitentiary---Attempt
to Escape Alleged.

Mexico City, Feb. 24.-Francisco
4. Madero and Jose Pine Suarez, de-
posed president and vice president
are dead. In a midnight ride under
guard from the national palace tc
the penitenitary they were killed. The
circumstances surrounding theil
death are unknown, except as given
in official accounts, which do not con-
form in all cases. The only witnesses
were those actually concerned in the
killing.
The provisional president, Gen
Victoriano Huerta, says the killing
of the two men was incidental to a
fight between their guard and party
attempting to liberate them. The
minister of foreign relations, Fran
cisco de la Barra, adds that the pris-
oners attempted to escape. Neither
makes definite statement as to
which side fired the fatal shots. 1t
is not impossible that neither knows
An official investigation has been
ordered to determine the RESPONSE
bility and solemn promises have been
made that the guilty Will be pun
ished.
Official Explanation Doubted
Not unnaturally a great part of
the public regards the official ver-
sions with doubt, having in mind
the use for centuries of the motor
ious "ley fuga," the unwritten law
which is invoked when the death OF
prisoner is desired. After its ap-
plication there is written on the rec
ords, prisoner shot while trying to
escape"
Sonora Madero, widow of the ex-
president, received the first definite
information of his death from the
Spanish minister, Senior Colegan y
Colegan. She already had heard re-
ports that something unusual and
serious had happened, but friends
had endeavored up to that time to
prevent her from learning the whole
truth Soon afterward, accompan-
led by her brother, Jose PERI, and
Mercedes Madero, sister of Fran
cisco, Sonora Madero drove to the
peniteniiary. but was refused permits
sion to see the body OF her husband.
Sonora Sparez also was denied ad-
mittance to the mortuary, where ply
sicians, in accordance with the law,
were performing an autopsy.
Grief of Widow PihfuI.
In contrast to the widow, whose
grief was of a pitiably silent char
acter, expressed in sobs, Mercedes
Madero, a beautiful young woman,
educated in Paris, who has been a
brilliant leader of society since the
revolution of 1910, was dry eyed and
tigerish in her emotions. BY the
side of the two women whose hus-
bands had been killed, the girl
hurled accusations at the officers who
barred the entrance.
"Cowards. Assassins!" she called
them, her voice pitched high. The
officers stared impassively. You.
The men who fired on defenceless
man! You aud your superior officers
are traitors,"
No effort was made to remove the
women, nor did the officers attempt
to silence them. Sonora Madero COLI
tinued weeping, and the girl did not
cease her hysterical TRADE until the
arrival of the Spanish minister and
the Japanese charge, who came to
offer their services.
The minister spoke with the Off
GERS in charge, but was told that on
account of the autopsy it would be
impossible for any one to see the
bodies. Later in the day, they said,
the request would be complied with.
The diplomats then conducted the
women away from the penitentiary
Shooting Occurs in Street.
The tragedy occurred shortly after
midnight Madero and Suarez, who
had been prisoners in the national
palace since their arrest on Tuesday
were placed In an automobile, which
was accompanied by another car,
and escArted by 100 rurales under
tthe orders of Commandant Francisco
ICardenas and Col. Rafael Pimiento.
With instructions not to outdistance
the escort, the cars moved slowly.
No incident occurred until they
had reached a point near the peni-
Tertiary, where in an open place the
guards attention was attracted, ac-
cording to the official version, to a
group of persons following.
Shots were fred at the escort out
of the darkness. The rurales closed
in and ordered the prisoners out of
81 cant understand how you have