The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1913-02-26
Liberation Attempted Claim
Provisional President.
LITTLE INFORMATION
AS TO THE DEED
Mexican President and Jose Pine
Suarez, whit in Transit to Peniten-
tiary under Guard, are Killed I'm
Mysterious Manner. Government
Claims that there was no Plot to
Put Them to Death.

Mexico City, Feb. 23.-Francisco l.
Madero and Jose Pine Suarez are dead
In midnight ride under guard from
the National palace to the penitentiary
they were killed.
The circumstances surrounding the
death Of the deposed president and
vice president Of the republic are un~
known, except as given in official ac-
counts which do not in all cases con-
form. 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 guards and a party at
tempting to liberate them. The min
lister of foreign relations, Francisco
de LaBarra, adds that the prisoners
attempted to escape. Neither make a
definite statement as to which side
fired the fatal shots. 1t is not impos-
Efble that neither knows.
An official Investigation has been
ordered to determine the responsible
ty and solemn promises have been
made that the guilty will be punished
Not unnaturally great part of the
public regards the official versions
with doubt, having in mind the use for
centuries of the notorious "Ley fuga'
the unwritten law which is invoked
when the death of a prisoner is de-
sired. After it's application there is
written on the records prisoner shot
trying to escape"
Sonora Madero, widow of the ex-
president, received the first definite
information Of his death from the
Spanish minister, Senor Cologany
Cologan. She already had heard re-
ports that something unusual and
Rerious 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 Merce-
des Madero. sister Of Francisco,
Sonora Madero drove to the peni-
tentiary but was refused permission
to see the body Of her husband
Sonora Suarez also was denied ad-
mittance to the mortuary, where ply
sicians, in accordance with the law,
were performing an autopsy.
In contrast to the widow, who
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
husbands had been killed, the girl
huled 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 a de-
fenseless man! You and your super
ior officers are traitors!"
Not Allowed to See Bodies.
No effort was made to remove the
women nor did the officers attempt
to silence them. Sonora Madero con-
tinued weeping and the girl did not
cease her hysterlcal thread 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.
Madero's father and Rafael Meran-
dez. former minister of the interior
nd other friends made efforts early
IN the day to recover the bodies and
1t was said this afternoon that
the American ambassador, Henry
Lane Wilson, had interested himself
and secured the promise of de La