Evening journal., 1914-03-05
ONE YEAR OF
HUERTA REIGN
In MEXICO
Eye Witness In Troubled
Mexico Says Dictator is
Losing Bis Power
MADERO Staying
AND THE RESULTS
Written for The United Press by
mn American ;p ,fe,ico,

VERA CRUZ, Mar. 5.--Iust a yea.
ago yictoriano Huerta took posses
zion Of the Mexican gOgernmeut anr
. spite Of murders. treachery. Op.
PRECISION and fhc hundreds Of Other
means he has taken 10 keep himself
10 power, each day has seen him slip.
ping further downward Oh HIS bloody
self-constructed skids A review ol
The 300 and more days that Huerta
1ss been in power discloses that on
40 single day has ne been as strcnc
as on The day before. there has moi
been a minute, ia his career 40 dc.
laior, that he las seen reasons for
hoping that the end OF his grim road
would bring him peace and success
Just a year ago the tcrrihlf
-deconna traglca.' az the Mexicans
sail 1.-THE bloody ten days"-took
place Francisco Madero, who bad
lriven Diaz from MeXito a little over
year before. sat 10 mis- presidential,
,fice IN the palace: Huerta wes ono
VI his generals: his ahlcst general. IN
tact Matters were more or less
peaceful in the capital though Oroz.
60. IN the north. had turned against
bis old time commander, Madcro. be.
eause MadcTo had taken into his
government many Of the men-"Graft-
prsr Orozco called them who had
5nen associated with Diaz. Rul
Orozco held only Iuarez and Chihua.
hna and had been hopelessly defeated
b. Huerta himself only a short time
before
But up 10 the palace. on the morn.
ing Of February s. marched crowd
Of soldiers headed by Gen Reyes and
foliz Diaz. Diaz had corrupted 4
part OF the army and Il had gonc
With him 10 seize the palace. ThOus.
ands of Mexican citizens filled the
great park opposite the palace. as
Diaz and Reyes marched mp to the
portals; they we're onlookers Of a
Historical event. and, in truth. one
OF the bloodiest events OF Mexican
history. Out os the portals Of The
Palace issued a band OF soldiers.
Dlaz and Reyes expected them 70
yield up the palace. that had been
The plan. But somehow the plan
went awry. From the gateways came
q burst of bullets. From the root
of the palace came a deluge OF ma
chine gun FIRE. A bullet went through
Reyes forehead. Soldiers fell by
scores But, worst Of all, the on
lockers in the park were caught by
the rain of death. They fell in heaps
and mounds, dead and dying. men
women and children. Like peoople IN
q theatre fire panic, they rushed from
the park, seeking the side streets. bui
the bullets moved them down. Again
IN the terrible history Of Mexico,
dynasty was fighting for its life ant
what mattered the lives OF a thous.
and or more onlookers? A thous-
and Of them fell there under the
palms and eucalyptus trees IN the
park. Only the dark ages show
more terrible sights than that. And
what is to be said Of the hours that
followed on that Sunday morning.
when the wounded lay screaming in
the sun? When physicians, who
passed among them, were themselves
wounded and killed? Or. of the next
few days, when the dead were piled
IN mounds and burned after being
covered with oil? Or, of the third
day, when a gas main was puncturcd
and the escaping gas was lighted
UlAN N0MNNAAIA INTO IMNnU0III
century funeral pyro over which
bodies we're placed to be consumed
BY the gas flames? The fire from
the palace drove Diaz back. Many OF
his men deserted. His band hurried
into a side street. where they gath.
cred around their puzzled leader.
Something is wrong" said niaz
These palace soldiers we're TO hay,
surrendered. What will YOU dc
now asked an American friend oi
Dia7. who came hurrying 10 the spot
II must got away We must an fy
said Diaz. why not go TO the
arsenal suggested the American
Diazs face lighted Such NOV,
had not occurred 10 him At thl
arsenal we're all the elements neccs
sary for lighting.
To the arsenal" he cried out To hi.
men. They dashed a milo through IN,
streets on horseback and on foot A
The arsenal there we're only few sol
niers. -Four OF them we're killed b,
Diaz's men. and within few moments
Diaz was safe behind the heavy wall
Df the great stone building, surrounde,
BY more ammunition, guns and can
non than he could use. Then beeal
ten days Of fighting. with shells fly
ing over the city: with tens OF thou
sands Of citizens locked in thei
homes; with hundreds killed in III,
side streets. Don't worry" Presiden
Madero would tell the newspapermel
who. BY devious means. found thei
way to the palace every day. "We1
whip them soon But. on the tent
day. at noon. an astonishing thin
happened. representative OF Gen
Victoriano Huerta. Madero's standb,
the man on whom the president de
pended mostly for safety. marche
into Madero's Office In the palace. an
arrested him. Almost, at the sam
time. Huerta himself who had invite
Gustaye Madero. brother Of the presi
dent to dine with him at cafe. lai
his hand on Gustave's shoulder am
said You're under arrest"
The dynasty Of Madero had fallen
Buerta's treachery became apparent
II had been his duty to oyercom
Diaz: instead he had plotted wit
Diaz and together they had decided
put the Maderos out OF the way an
take over the government themselve
The lighting ceased. Huerta was d.
clared provisional president The tV
Naderos were put in jail The ne,
day the news went out that Gusia,
Nsdero had been killed. A hand
soldiers had taken him into the var
Of the arsenal and said. Well give &c
chance 70 run away. Now go as fa
IS you can" And while he ran the
shot him dead, according 70 the brl
fsi Mexican custom. known as I'll
law Of flight" The world looked o.
.oftfr,. The f,to - rr~o~~t-~- rroS~~