Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-02-27
PUNISHMENT is SOLEMNLY
PROMISED FOR THE GUILTY
Bullet Passed through Head of Madero from the
Back-Suarez Covered with Wounds from
in Front-Clamed That Escort Was At
tackled on Way to Penitentiary,

Mexico CITY. Feb 23.-Francisco I.
Madero and Jose Pine Suarez are dead.
In midnight ride under guard from
the national palace to the penitcnuary
they were killed.
The circumstances surrounding the
death of the deposed president and vice
president of the republic are unknown.
except as given in the official accounts
which do not conform in all cases. Tho
only witnesses We're those actually con-
cerned in the killing.
The Provisional President. Gen. Victor
iano Huerta. says that the killing Of the
two men was Incidental to fight be-
tween their guard and a party attempt
ing to lberate them. The minister Of for
eign relations, Francisco De La Barra,
adds that the prisoners attempted to
escape Neither makes a definite state
ment as to which side fired the fatal
shots. 1t is not impossible that neither
knows.
An official investigation has been order
ed to determine the responsibility. and
solemn promises have been made that
the guilty shall be punished.
Not unnaturallv a great part of the
pu5lic regards the official versions with
doubt having in mind the use for cen
turtles of the notorious 'ley fusa." the ,in-
written law which is invoked when the
death of a prisoner is desired After its
application there is written on the rec
ords prisoner shot trying to escape"
Sonora Madero. the widow Of the former
president, received the first definite in
formation Of his death from the Spanish
minister, Senior Cologan Coogan. She
1lrpa Nv hon rd
unusual and serious had occurred but
friends had endeavored up to that time
TO prevent her from learning the whole
truth.
Soon afterwards, accompanied by hei.
brother, Jose Perez, and Mercedes
Madero, sister Of Francisco. Sonora
Madero drove to the ponitentiary but was
refused permission to see the body Of
her husband. Sonora Suarez was also
denied admittance to the mortuary where
physicians. in accordance with the law
were performing an autopsy
SISTER RACES At OFFICERS
In contrast to the widow. whose grief
was Of a pltlably, silent character. ex-
pressed in sobs. Mercedes Madero, a
beautiful young woman educated in Paris.
who has been 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 husbands had
been killed, the girl hurled accusations at
the officers who barred the entrance
'Cowards, Assassns;" she called them,
her voice pitched high. The officers stared
impassively
You. The men who fired on a defense
less man You and your superior officers
are traitors"
No effort was made to remove the
women, nor did the officers attempt to
silence them. Sonora Madero continued
weeping and the girl did not cease her
historical TRADE until the arrival of the
Spanish minister and the japanese charge
who came to offer their services.
The minister spoke with the officers 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 con-
Quoted the women away from the peniten-
tiary.
Madero's father and Rafael Hernandez.
former minister Of the interior, and other
friends made efforts early in the day to
recover the bodies, and il was stated this
afternoon that the American ambassador.
Henry Lane Wilson, had interested him
self and secured the promise of Minister
De La Barra that the bodies should be de-
livered to their families for burial.
OFFICIAL STORY OF TRAGEDY.
Tho tragedy occurred shortly after mid
night, Madero and Suarez, who had been
prisoners in the national palace since
THEN arrest on Tuesday last. We're placed
In IN DIltnmObilp which MI
by another car and escorted by 100 rurales
under the orders of Commandant Fran
cisco Cardenas, and Col. Rafael Pimento.
With instructions not to outdistance the
escort the cars moved slowly. No incl
dent occurred until they had reached a
point near the pententiary. where in an
open place the guards attention was at
tracted, according to the official version,
to a group of persons following. Shots
were fired at the escort out Of the dark
ness. The rurales closed in and ordered
the prisoners out Of the car
Thirty Of the guards surrounded the
prisoners, while the remainder disposed
themselves 10 resist an attack About so
men, some afoot and some mounted.
threw themselves upon the detachment
guarding the cars and the exchange of
shots lasted 20 minutes when the attack
ing party fled The dead bodies of Ma
Zero and Pine Suarez were then found.
The body of Madero shows only one
wound. A bullet entered the back of the
head and emerged at the forehead.
The body of Pine Suarez shows many
wounds, entering from in front.
OF the male members Of the Madero
family only two are now in the capital
One is Francisco Madero, the father, who
bitterly opposed his sons conducting a
evolution in 1910 and rode across north
orn Mexico in m effort to overtake and
diasuade him; the other is Ernesto Ma
drro the former minister of inenca, an
Uncle. though only year older than the
late president
Gustavo Madero, a brother was obliged
70 submit 10 the fugitive law the day
after the deposition of the president and
was shot down in the arsenal, Sonora