Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1921-01-02

OAHU ~ 0dVc NIIicu UitIicI
Mexican President.
ADMITS HE WAS PRESENT
Takes Own Life With Revolver
While Under Guard in Guate.
mala City.
BY tie Associated Pren.
GUATEMALA CITY, January 1.-The
suicide of the former Mexican gen.
eral. Francisco Cardenas. in the Cen
trail Plaza of this city. Is believed here
to have ended all doubt as to who was
the real slayer Of the Mexican Presi-
dent. Francisco I. Madero. Cardenas
had told the Associated Press CORE
spondent that he commanded the
guard by whom Madero was shot. but
did not explain why he ordered the
shooting.
Madero. with the vice president,
Pine Suarez. was shot to death the
night Of February %, 1913, while be-
ing conveyed under guard of armed
soldiers from his place of imprison.
ment In the national palace to the
penitentiary in Mexico City. The
usual report was rendered to the au-
thorittes that the prisoners had tried
TO make their escape and that the SOL
diers, in order to prevent them get
ting away, were obliged to shoot
them.
In Prison Seven Years.
Not long after the event Francisco
Cordenas appeared in Guatemala.
Within a very short time: he was ar
rested and imprisoned by orders of
Estrada Cabrera, the president then
of this country. It is not clear Just on
what grounds Cabrera ordered the
Imprisonment of Cardenas. The gov
eminent of Cabrera was not on par
ticularly friendly relations with that
Of Carranza, who had succeeded Gen.
Huerta as President of Mexico. It is
thought the Guatemalan president
was aware that Cardenas was wanted
by the Carranza government, and pur-
posed turning him over to the Next
can authorities in exchange for GER
tain Guatemalans in Mexico who
might be conspiring against Cabrera's
government. However this may be. no
exchange was made and Cardenas was
Kept prisoner for nearly seven
years.
During the revolution Of last April.
when the dictator, Cabrera, was over
thrown. Cardenas was taken from the
penitentiary and brought into this
city under a guard of troops. Col.
Belteton pointed him out to the AS
ISOLATED Press correspondent as. the
man who had killed Madero.
De,.lfnes to Make Explanation.
Carienas was a man of medium
height, robust in appearance. with
a round. bullet-like head. thin black
mustache and thin black hair parted
in ringlets over his forehead Ques-
he dismissed the subject with the
simple statement that he was in COM
mand of the guard that did the
killing. He offered no explanation
why he had commanded the guard
to shoot the prisoners. but was more
intent on relating his own misad--
ventures, stating EAT he had been
in prison nearly eight years, more
than two years of which had been
in solitary confinement. If this part
have fed from Mexico shortly after
the murders were committed. and
when Huerta was still in power.
With the change of government in
Guatemala last April Cardenas was
set free and given an important Of
ficiai position in the penitentiary.
with Il chance to make good. but, it
is said, he accepted money for grant
ing certain prohibited privileges to
prisoners. He lost his position in the
penitentiary and was accused or pay
ing too much attention to the wife
of a political prisoner. When the
husband of the woman also was re-
leased from the penitentiary he was
stabbed by a man who said Cardenas
had paid hiNko do the stabbing. Car
denas was arrested and imprisoned.
but was released on bail.
Held by Request Of Mexico.
Comparatively recently a request
came from the proper authorities in
Mexico that he be held by the
authorities here until papers could
be forwarded for his extradition
on the Madero murder charge, it
being explained that direct testi-
mony had been obtained showing him
to have been the man directly re-
sponsible for the deed. Through some
laundering of the police department
Cardenas was permitted to make his
was located in some woods a few
miles beyond. in the district of Las
Bacas, and the night Of November 20
he was captured.
It is stated by the lieutenant who
commanded the soldiers that Car
denas offered him $4,000 for himself
and $1,000 for each of his soldiers
to be set at liberty. The offer being
refused, Cardenas asked permission
to rest, whereupon he wrote in a
memorandum book which he carried
a few lines addressed to the woman
with whom he had been living, Civ
ing her his money and jewels and re-
ouesting her to bury his body in
event of his death.
shoots Himself Twice.
The soldiers brought Cardenas to
the Central Plaza of the city, where
Cardenas suddenly drew small re-
Ivolver wrapped in handkerchief and
shot at one of the sSidiers, only
wounding him slightly. AS the other
soldiers closed in on him he placed
the muzzle of his pistol in his mouth,
fred twice and fell to the ground
mortally wounded. He was conveyed
to the general hospital. where he
oooA died.