The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1913-02-28
Former President and AssO-
ciate Were Being TAX
en- to Penitentiary
TRAGEDY FOLLOWS
ATTEMPT AT RESCUE
Members Of Guard Having Prisoners
in Charge are Arrested and Held
Pending Inquiry to be Made
by Mexican Government

Mexico City, Feb 23.-Francisco L..
Madero and Jose Pine Suarez are
dead. In midnight ride under guard
from the National palace to the pen
itentiary 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 uerta, says the killing of
the two was incidental to fight be-
tween their guard and party at
tempting to liberate them. The min
lister of foreign relations, Francisco
de la Barra, adds that the prisoners
attempted to escape. Neither makes
a definite statement as to which side
fired the fatal shots. 1t is not impos-
sible that neither knows.
An official investigation has been
ordered to determine the rsponsibil-
ity and promises have been made that
the guilty will be punished.
View With Doubt.
Not unnaturally great part of the
public regards the official version
with doubt, having in mind the use
for centuries of the notorious ''ley
fuga" the unwritten law which is in
voked when the death of a prisoner
is desired After it's application there
is written on the records, "prisoner
shot trying to escape"
The widow of the ex-president re-
ceived the first definite information
of his death from the Spanish minis
ter, Senior Cologan y Cologan. She
already had heard reports that some
thing unusual and serious had hap
pened, 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 Mer-
cedes Madero, a sister of Francisco,
Sonora Madero drove to the peniten-
tlary, but was refused permission to
see the body of her husband. Sonora
Suraz also was denied admittance to
the mortuary, where, in accordance
with the law, physicians were per-
forming an autopsy. In contrast to
the widow whose grief was of a
pitably silent character, expressed 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 an dtigerish in her emo
tions. By the side of the two women
whose husbands had been killed, the
girl hurled accusations at the Off
GERS who barred the entrance.
"Cowards! Assassins" she called
them, her voice pitched high while
the officers stared impassively.
"You. The men who fired on a de-
fenseless man. You and your su-
perior officers are traitors!'
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 hysterical TRADE until the
arrival of the Spanish minister and
the japanese charge d affaires, vino
came to offer their services.
The minister spoke with the of
ficers in charge but was told that on
account of the autopsy it would be
impossible for anyone to see the
bodies. Later in the day, they said,
the request would be complied with.
The diplomats then conducted the
women away from the penitentiary.
To Recover Bodies.
Madero's father and Rafael Hern-
adez, former minister of the interior,
and other friends made efforts early
In the day to recover the bodies and
1T was said this afternoon that the
American ambassador ad interested
himself and secured the promise of
Minister de la Barra that the bodies
would be delivered to their families
or burial.
The tragedy occurred shortly after
midnight. Madero and Saurez, who
had been prisoners in the National
palace since their arrest on Tuesday
last, were placed in an automobile,
which was accompanied by another
car and escorted by 100 rurales under
the orders of Commandant Francisco
Cardenas and Col. Rafael Pimento.
With instructions not to outdistance
the escort, the cars moved slowly. No
incident occurred until they had
reached q point near the nenitentiaru