El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-12-13
Killing Marks. Climax
Deposition and Death of MaderO the
Most Dramatic Coup in
Laffn-American History.
Climax
- By Frederic j. Haskin-
~ AsaINGTON. D C., Dec. -

l- By Frederic j. aaskin----
AsaINGTON, D. c., Dec. "a
w President NladerO's deposition
w and death was the climax of
the most dramatic military coup d'etat
in the turbulent history OF Latin
America. True to tradition, the Glen
tifico pIotters chose a Sunday-Feo >,
1913-fOr their last desperate eIIorL
TO restore the old order.
Gen. Bernardo Reyes was in the san
tiago military prison, Col elk DlaA
in the national penitentlary- Gen;
MOndrag On. chief of artillery, marcheu
with a force of federal troops from
the Tlalpan barracks and detachment
of cadets from the national military
academy to the Santiago prison ana
released Gen. Reyes. The reScuerS hdu
brought along his uniform and sword
Hastily donning them and placing him
self at the head of detachment Oh
soldiers, including some OF ms IaIe
iailers. he marched to the national PAL
ace to demand the surrender of presl-
dent Madero. This he confidently eX-
pected to receive, but a blast OF IRE
from battery OF macnlne guns InoMeu
down the attacking party. Gen. Reyes
| fell dead and more than one-halt OF
his troops were killed or wounded.
Diaz Enters Upon Scene.
Gen Mondragon had proceeded to
the penitentiary and had freed Col.
Diaz who Immediately established him
self in the citadel or arsenal, the
I prompt surrender of which had been
previously arranged President Ma
dero placed in command Of the garri-
son at the national palace, six blocks
away Gen. VictorianO Huerta, griZ-
zled old fighter, who long had been
the first finger of POrfiriO Diaz's iron
hand in Yucatan and elsewhere.
Between the citadel and the national
palace, six blocks away uerce ar
I tiliery duel was Waged for week. The
} al r fnr mn Ia n
age to the property of private cluzens
than to the palace or the citadel A
reign of terror ensued- torelgn resi-
dents fled TO their legations. At Wash
ington. London. Paris and Berlin the
gravest anxiety was felt for the fore
ign colonies at Mexico City. President
Taft was again subject to powerful
pressure for Intervention. The senti-
ment Of the world was anything IS
better than this"
Agree to Eliminate MaderO-
Fighting stopped suddenly as il had
begun. General Huerta and colonel
Diaz had met and agreed that Madero
must be eliminated. Huerta re-
turned to the national palace and, on
February IS, president Madero and
vice president SuareZ were arrested.
Within a day or two their designations
were obtained and placed in the
hands Of the minister Of foreign re-
/ lations. Pedro Lascurains who ap-
pointed General Huerta minister OF
gobernacion. The designations were
submitted to congress and, despite the
| fiery protest Of the speaker, FRAN
| cisco Escudero. against the whole pro-
[ ceedings, were accepted, WhereupOn
Lascurain automatically. under the
| Mexican constitution, became presi-
/ dent He promptly resigned and was
/ automatically succeeded in turn by the
| minister Of gObernacIOn, VINO, THANKS
10 the previous arrangement, was none
other than general Huerta-
HuertR's Explanation of Deaths.
The new provisional president now
( had Madero and Suarez. stripped OF
| their offices. on his hands On Feb
/ % they were killed while being trans
| ferred from the national palace to the
| penitentiary President Hgerta mace
| an official explanation. For greater
/ security, he said. the national pen1-
Tertiary had been placed IN charge OF
J an army officer and MaderO and Suarez
7 sent there.
when the automobiles" continued
provisional president Huerta's state
ment, had traversed about half the
distance to the penitentiary they were
| attacked by an armed group and the
/ escort descended from the machines
! to offer resistance.
Suddenly the group was augmented
and the prisoners tried to escape
( An exchange of shots occurred. IN
which one of the attacking party was
| killed and two wounded, and both Of
| the prisoners were killed The auto
mobiles We're badly damaged"
A thorough investigation was pro-
missed to the world, but the official
explanation was never generally ac-
cepted. nor, indeed. did the Huerta
government ever make any serious at
4 tempt to sustain it.
Sonora Madero Immediately declared
I that her husband had been aSSaS-
sinated. She was unable to obtain or
examine his body, but was firmly con-
I WINGED that he and the vice president
( were murdered in their cell at the ma
/ tiOnal palace Perez Romero, her
/ brother, on the morning of Feb "a
| went to the spot near the penitentiary
where the authorities said that the at
tempted rescue had occurred. He
+ found there evidence which convinced
him that both NIaderO and SuareZ had
( been ruthlessly shot without the
1 slightest chance of escape "COnsti-
tutiOnaliSts" declare that a major Of
rurales named Cardenas. openly
! boosted that he shot Madero. Car
denas was later killed.
Diplomats Accept Version.
4 shudder of horror swept over the
entire world. The American ambas-
sadOr, Henry Lane Wilson, telegraphed
| other reliable information, 1 am dis
posed to accept the governments YER
sion Of the manner in which the de-
posed president and vice president
lent deaths were without the govern
ments approval. and If the deaths
were the result of a plot II was OF
restricted character and unknown to
the higher officials of the govern
ment." But this had little effect on
public opinion
Most Of the other dipIomatists at
Mexico took a similar stand Euro
pean governments. particularly, APP
peared to be prepared to accept gem
eTal Huerta as the logical product of
the abnormal Mexican situation and
as more likely to restore order than
MaderO. Ambassador Wilson com
mended the firmness and prudence OF
the new provisional government to
Washington, but since president Taft's
administration was drawing to a close,
he decided not to extend recognition
lest it might embarrass the unde-
velOped Mexican policy OF president
elect Wilson.
President Wilson's Statement
The latter's intentions were sharply
revealed in a statement on Latin
American policy issued March II. 1913.
Without mentioning him it was di-
rected straight at Huerta and has con-
trOled every step of the Washington
government since. The president said:
we hold, as I am sure all thought
full leaders of republican government
everywhere hold. that just govern
ment rests always on the consent Of
he F,oN rnr1 hn