The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-08-12
De CESPEDES MADE
PRESIDENT WHILE
PALACE IS SACKE!
At Least Five Members Of
Dreaded Secret Police Are
Slain by Mobs
WRECK NEWSPAPER PLANT
Resignation Of All Cabinet
Members Secured; Jiminez
Is Among Dead

Havana, Aug. 12.-tP)-President
Machado's regime collapsed Saturday
and its downfall was celebrated by the
sacking of the presidential palace and
the killing of at least five members
of the dread Machado secret police.
Carlos Manuel de Cespedes, former
ambassador to the U. S., was named
provisional president as exuberant
and sometimes vicious mobs were
wrecking the fixtures of the presiden-
tial palace and coursing through the
streets cheering and singing.
All communication with interior
Cuba was cut off and the capital was
ignorant of what was going on there.
Shouting opponents of Machado
stormed the office OF Heraldo de
Cuba, a newspaper which had sup
ported him. The building was set on
fire and the interior wrecked.
Piano Furnishes Souvenirs
Meanwhile another mob carted q
piano out of the presidential palace.
and carried 1t to the office of the
Diario de La Marina. an opposition
newspaper. There the pano was
broken into bits to provide souvenirs
OF this great day in Cuban history.
General Machado was believed to be
at his country estate outside OF
Havana, heavily guarded but not in
jured.
One Of the mainstays of his regime,
Colonel Antonio Jimenez, who head
ed the Porra-the secret police-was
shot dead by soldiers. His body was
kicked about and trampled on. Two
Of his companions were wounded
gravely.
Exactly how many members q tbs
Porra had been slain could not b.
established immediately, but the totQ,
was at least five.
A bowling mob, carrying its Lead
ers shoulder high, marched through
the streets to attack the Porra head4
quarters.
Taboo Military Man
The army, which made possible thu
collapse Of the Machado regime after
having been its mainstay for years,
took the course Of demanding that
the successor to the chief executives
post must not be a military man.
On dependable authority it was
learned the designations Of all menu
bers of the Machado cabinet had been
presented.
Everywhere the people seized on
"manos arriba!"-"hands up'-as the
theme of the revolution.
Soldiers, addressing throngs from
balconies, drew repeated roars Of ap-
piause. The mere sight of uniforms,
which last week inspired fear, was
sufficient to start demonstrations.
When the police thronged to the
revolutionary side the city was left
practically uncontrolled. But the
people were so exuberant that
chances OF serious trouble were
small.
President De Cespedes was ap-
proved for the post of chief execu-
tive not only by all of the political
factions, but also by the army.
At 1890 p. m. the Cabana fortress
gave the new head of the nation q
salute of 81 guns.
At the request Of the president,
General Alberto Herrera will remain
as secretary of war. For two hours
Saturday morning-until IL o'clock
General Herrera was the legal presi-
dent of the nation, as he had been
raised to the post Of secretary Of stats
temporarily that he might succeed
Machado, whose removal became ef-
fective before noon.
All this was according to a pre-ar-
ranged plan.