Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-09
HELD IN A DUNGEON
American Prisoner in Guate-
maIa on Trumped Charge.
MAKES APPEAL FOR AID
Struggles Note to This Country
State Department Has
the Case.

NEW YORK, March 8.-Appealing for
help through a letter he Struggled into
the diplomatic pouch. Belmont J. r. Jen-
gyms, piano salesman employed by q
New York firm. declares that he is be-
Ing kept prisoner in a dungeon Of the
Guatemala penitentiary. Mr.. Jeneyns
who says he is United States citizen
said that he was arrested on trumped-un
charges and is believed now to be spy
on the government.
The letter. sitter reaching the State De-
partment In Washington, was forwarded
to the Biddle Piano Company. No. 1O7
East 12Sth street..
A. F. Denniston. president Of the COM
pany, said that the arrest and imprison-
ment OF MI. Jeneyns was an outrage on
the part OF the Guatemala authorities.
Entitled to Aid.
"As our South American agent" added
Mr.. Denniston. The IL entitled to all aid
the United States can give him. have
sent F. A. Weinberg to Washington to
do all he can through the State Depart
ment to obtain Mr.. Jeneyns' release.
understand this government already
has ordered the release of Mr.. Jeneyns.
but no heed has been paid to the order
by the Guatemala officials. There has
been a delay owing to the change in the
State Department declares that II what
Mr.. Jeneyns says is true every effort viii
be made to free him. He is not our rep
resentative, but has been successful in
selling our pianos in southern countries.
saw him last fall. but he never men,
toned then anything about trouble with
the Guatemalan government"
Mr.. Jeneyns' wife and daughter are in
Toronto. He says that his home is in
Covington, KY.
Calls on Consul General.
In his letter Mr.. Jeneyns says that he
arrived in Guatemala about January 10.
that he was successful in selling pianos in
several towns. and that January 20 he
reached Guatemala, the capital. He went
to see George A. Buckling,. jr., consul gen.
eral OF the United States. and also intro
duced himself to the American minister.
ST was walking In the street" writes
Mr.. Jeneyns. land when about one block
from the Grand Hotel man came up to
me and told me that had picked up a
check belonging to him. told. him that /
had not seen his check and ordered him
not to bother me about 1t. Just at that
a
and told me that I was under arrest. /
went with him. believing. of course. that
all would be right when they searched me
and did not find the check In my pockets.
ION reaching the police station l was
searched. My money, jewelry and letters
were taken from me and the justice of the
peace then said that he would detain me
and my accuser. was locked up In a
dreary dungeon. dirty and filthy. 1t was
about six feet wide and eight feet long. Il
banged on the bars Of the door to make
some one hear me, and In about half an
hour a keeper came with a cowhide whip.
He told me that il 1 did not cease the
noise he would give me fifty lashes.
Struggles Out Note.
Z asked him to let me communicate
with. the United States consul general and
was refused. Finally managed to SNUG
gle out q note to that ofiicial. The con-
sui came to see me and said that 1t must
be some mistake. He showed me q
photograph and said that they must have
got hold OF the wrong man. They were
hunting for an escaped convict.
.But apparently this did not help much.
Thirty minutes afterward the justice OF
the peace came to see me, and said that /
must come to his Office He told me that
my accuser had changed his charge, and
that now / was to be held on an addavit
in which 1t was alleged that he had been
to my room in the hotel and that had
stolen from him a check and $500 in
marked money. had an alibi for the
time the man said that he came to see
me. The officials went to my rooms.
opened my trunks, and January 81, about
$40 o'clock in the morning. six police
men came to my cell and told me to come
out.
Feared Execution.
81 was afraid they were going to ex-
ecute me. 1 cried out that I would not
come out They then entered the dungeon
and put the barrels of their revolvers
against my head. and then took me to
the penitentiary. which is about one mile
distant. Two soldiers were put on guard
at the door of my new dungeon.
ST have sent seven letters to the United
States minister for help. He has not even
answered them. They don't think that
I stole any thing, but believe that am a
political spy. who IL here to kill the
President Of Guatemala. have been
nearly thirty days In q dungeon and cry
out to have. some true American help
me to get my liberty $500.