The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-09-14
T|NOCO MURDER |S
 STILL UNS0LVED Indications Are That Slayer Will Never Be Brought to
 Answer for Crime
0y Assseiated Rreaa

San Jose. Costa Rica, August 2S-(By Mail. ail.)-Assassination of Joaquin Tinoco. late minister of war and brother of for mer President Federico Tinoco. on Au- gust last, is still an unsolved mys- tery with indications that the slayer may never be brought to answer for hiy crime. The fortnight which has elapsed since the tragedy has brought out a number of interesting facts in connection with it which never before have been told
 Joaquin was g years old, one of the handsomest men in Costa Rica, a quick shooter and courageous as a lion. he was tall and of athletic build, fond of forses, and member of one of the most distinguished families. He rarely went unarmed and had fought number of duels. The widow of one of his adyer- saries, a lawyer he killed in a re- voiver fight, few years ago, sought to ayenge her husband and fired five shots at close range at Tinoco, but the lat ter survived his wounds
 When on January 2, 1917, his brother Federico, who was minister of war in the cabinet of President Alfredo Con- zales, deposed the latter and became head of the government. Joaquin was given the war portfolio and thereupon, 1t is said. became the real President of Costa Rica. For two years previously Joaquin had been fighting revolutionists and personal enemies. and when he be- came minister of war he became still more energetic and aggressive It has been said that Joaquin on the days of his death had more enemies than pop ular motion picture actress in the United States had admirers.
 On the day before the assassination Joaquin went before the Costa Rican Congress and asked to be relieved as vice president, position he held by vir- tue of his cabinet post. At the same time his brother, the President, asked official permission to leave the coun- try because of ''ill health"
 Both requests were granted and the two Tinocos were preparing to depart when Joaquin was shot down.
 few months before he met his death Joaquin began to take a strange in- terest in spiritualism. Frequently he went to a small village called Guade- lupe, where he consulted a woman med ium, and after his last visit seemed dis turbed by what she had told him. That same afternoon he returned home and telephoned for his car but it was out of order, and de decided to go for walk. block from his residence a man stepped from behind tree and fired at Tinoco point blank. The shot pierced
 
 Notwithstand the suddenness of the at- tack, in the fraction of the second he remained alive. Joaquin had drawn his own revolver. The weapen was found in his clenched hand, every cartridge chamber full.
 On the day after the tragedy Joaquin was buried with military honors and AS hours later the remaining members of the Tinoco family, including the former President, left here for Port Lmon in epecial trains. where they sailed for Kingston, Jamaica, and thence intend to go to England.
 The new President. Gen. Juan Bautista Quiros, formerly manager of the Banco de Costa Rica, a govern ment institution, and generally regarded as conservative Costa Rican is pleadged to restore order after two years of tyranny. and the leakage of l pubic funds and. after . few months of 1 bring about free elec- l tionS."