Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-30

LUCIEN \. SULLIVAN.
How. at the risk of his own life he
prevented the intended firing upon a
landing party from the United States
torpedo boat Truxtun by Mexican fed
eral forces at La Paz. how he was twice
threatened by howling, fanatical.
drink-crazed mob storming the American
consulate, and how he finally fled from
Mexico on the British ship Cetriana, has
been reported in person at the State
Department by Consul Lucien l.. Sullivan.
Consul Sullivan brought to the State
Department direct information concerning
Theodore Jones. an American mine own
er. who is held prisoner on the mainland
of Mexico, opposite La Paz, on the
charge of killing a Mexican convict The
State Department Tuesday made urgent
representations through the Brazilian
minister in Mexico City for the release
Of Jones.
Washington, says that for week fol-
lowing the capture of Vera Cruz by
the American forces he was without
information regarding what was hap
affairs only by the violence of the
mob at La Paz.
Mob Crazed by Drink.
He says that a vast, frenzied. drink
crazed mob, flying incendiary banners
and crying Death to the Americans
inflamed by reports that the United
States was bringing war into Mexico.
stormed the American consulate after
ribald parade through the principal
streets. His attempts to appease the
mob only led to more abuse and curses
and threats of personal violence.
Finally a guard of federal soldiers
was thrown around the consulate and
dispersed the mob.
The next day the torpedo boat Trux-
ton. followed at distance of about q
mile by the collier Jupiter. steamed
into the har6or: The city became
the cry that the Americans were
coming to shoot down the Mexicans
and that Americans in La Paz must
pay for this with their lives. The
consulate was stormed for the second
threats hurled at Consul Sullivan.
With the assistance of the federal
guard he managed after a time to
make his way to the water front,
distributed behind entertainments and
machine guns were placed ready to
annihilate any landing party from the
torpedo boat.
Promised to Get Facts.
Consul Sullivan sought the colonel
In command. He assured him that
were the intentions of the torpedo
boat hostile the Mexican soldiers would
be justified in standing off any at
tempt to land and invade their terri
tory. but that there was no such in
tentlon on the part of the United
States war vessel.
He finally persuaded the colonel to al
low him to go out to the torpedo boat
and learn what was happening at Vera
Cruz and Mexico City and what the in
tention was in coming to La Paz. prom
Using to return and let the colonel know
at once. He had difficulty in securing
any boat to take him TO the Truxtun.
which was lying out about three miles.
At last he got a colored boatman. who
had a canoe with a gasoline engine in IL.
to take him out.
Despite the promise OF unmolested
passage Consul Sullivan says that he
expected at any moment to be shot in
the back. The officers on the Truxtun
gave him the first news he had had
of the actual invasion of Mexico at Vera
Cruz and of the alarming reports they
had from all sections of Mexico. They
tried to persuade him to remain aboard
the torpedo boat, but this he declined to
do, it would be a breach Of faith
WITH the Mexican federal commander.
Escapes on British Boat.
After his return to shore he sent word
to all the seventeen Americans in and
around the city. advising them to leave
Mexico. He himself escaped with five
other American residents on the British
boat, the Cetriana. leaving eight others
In La PaZ and four in the outlying dis
tricts. When they left Theodore Jones
was in Jail and threatened with death
for killing a convict although there
were more than a dozen witnesses to
the fact that he had been attacked
first and slew only in self-defense
An almost successful attempt was
made to burn up the Cetriana at Man
zanillO. and the vessel escaped only by
the prompt action of its officers and a
dash for safety.
Consul Sullivan was born April ia,
1869. in Indiana. He graduated from the
Rose Polytechnic Institute at Terre
Haute, Ind, and in 1891 procured en-
ployment craftsman in the Union
iron works, San Francisco. where he re-
manned until 1895. In 1895 and 1896 he
was inspector of public works at In
Ind. which position he left
TO take position with contracting firm
a drainage system at San
Tex Mr.. Sullivan was employed
for two years with the Bethlehem Steel
Company; instructor at Lehigh University
from 1902 to 1905. and chief engineer of
for the Real del Monte Min
ing Company at Pachuca, Mex. 19s6-U7.
For one year he was translator of tech
meal publications in the military infantry
division of the general staff, War De-
partment. translating German. French.
Spanish and Italian. He was appoint
ed, after examination. consul at La
Paz. Lower California. May 81. 1909.
C.>kI.-I H.