The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1913-02-28
PRESIDENT MADERO
AND SUAREz KILLED
OFFICIALS SAY ESCORT TAKING
MEN TO PENITENTIARY AT
MIDNIGHT WAS AssAiLED.
The Charge 10 Also Made That Prison.
ers Attempted to Escape, While
Friends of Deposed President
Say He Was FouIIy Murdered.

Mexico City, Francisco I. Madero
lnd Jose Pine Suarez are dead, killed
Sunday In midnight ride under
guard from the national palace to the
penitentiary.
| The circumstances surrounding the
deaths of the deposed president and
yice-president Of the republic are un.
known except as given in official &C.
counts, which do not conform in all
cases. The only witnesses were those
actually concerned in the killing.
The provisional president, General
Victoriano Huerta, says the killing OF
the two men was incidental to a fight
between their guard and a party at
tempting to liberate them The min.
lister OF foreign relations, Francisco de
Ia Barra, adds that the prisoners
attempted to escape Neither makes
definite statement as to which side
hired the fatal shots. It is not impos.
sible that neither knows.
1t would seem that Felix Diaz's
threat that I'VE will us such energetic
means as to put an end to rebellions
forever" has been followed by swift
execution
francisco Madero, riding in an auto.
mobile with guards both before and
behind him, died from a single shot.
A bullet entered the back of his head
and emerged at the forehead.
Suarez fell pierced by many bullets,
most OF which entered from the front
The only witnesses were those actual
~ engaged In the shooting.
An International phase OF the
tragedy which is causing great con.
Germ. is that these two officials were
slaughtered after diplomatic represen.
tations had been made by the embes.
sador from the United States in their
behalf, and assurances from Huerta
that their safety would be guaranteed.
ambassador Wilson has begun an
investigation. Other investigations
have also begun, and promises are
made that the guilty ones will be pun.
ished.
Not unnaturally, great part of the
public regards the official versions
with doubt, having in mind the use for
centuries of the notorious lief fuga,s
the unwritten law which is invoked
when the death of prisoner is de
sired. After its application there is
written on the records, Prisoner shot
trying to escape"
Sonora Madero, widow of the ex.
president, received the first definite in
formation Of his death from the Span
tsh minister, Senior Cologan y Cologan
She already had heard reports 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, accompanied by her
brother Jose Perez and Mercedes Ma.
dero, a sister of Francisco, Sonora Ma,
dero, drove to the penitentiary but
was refused permission to see the
body of her husband. Sonora Suarez
also was denied admittance to the
where physicians in accord.
ance with the law were performing
an autopsy.
In contrast to the widow, whose
grief was of pitiably silent character,
Mercedes Madero, a beautiful young
woman, educated in Paris, who has
been a brilliant leader of society since
he revolution of 1910, was dry-eyed
md 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
he entrance.
towards, assassins!" she called
hem her voice pitched high. The of.
icers stared impassively.
You! The men who fired on de-
enseless man! You and your superior
'fficers are traitorsl"
No effort was made to remove the
nor did the officers attempt
o silence them. Sonora Madero con-
inued to weep and the girl did not
ease her historical TRADE until the
trivial Of the Spanish minister