Evening star., 1934-02-23
NICARAGUA FEARS
SANDING PROTESTS
President Declares State of
Siege to Prevent Threat
ened Disorders.

tCOpyrlght. 1884. by the Associated Press-)
MANAGUA, February 23.-The gov
ernment answered whispered threats
of retaliation for yesterdays Staying
of Gen Augusta Sandino with the
imposition today of state of siege" >"
The fiery. marine batting Little
August" who once said. Il am des-
tined to die with a bullet in my
back" was slain by the American
trained National GuardSmen whom he
hated.
The government, deploring the af-
fair, issued a communiQue saving that
Sandino, his brother Socrates and
two aides, Gems. Umanzor and Estrada,
were shot by Guardsmen who kid
naped them and took them for
ride" to the outskirts Of Managua.
The Guardsmen. said the commu-
n:que. acted In spite of strict in
structions to extend complete guar
antees to the Sandino element"
abnormal Situation"
Under the state of SIEGE" Presi-
dent Juan B. Sacasa is empowered
with special authority to maintain
order in what is described as IAN
abnormal situation"
The fear of retaliatory measures by
Sandino adherents was pronounced.
but there were no indications early
today of disorder. Most of the 40
year-old bandit generals followers are
in Northern Nicaragua
Mexico City dispatches, quoting
Central American circles, expressed
the opinion that Sandino'S death
would seriously complicate the Mica
ragua political situation. The Liberal
party already is split between parti-
sans of President Sacasa and those
CT Vice President Rudolfo Espinosa)
Senor Gregorio Sandino, father OF
the general and one of the last to
see HIM alive, gave his version OF
events preceding the shooting in an
interview at the presidential palace,
where he is a guest.
The four who were killed, together
with Senor Sandino and Minister Of
Agriculture Sofonias Salvatierra, had
dinner at the Salvatierra home and
returned to the palace in an auto
mobile.
AT the main gate we were stopped
by Guardsmen," said the elder San
dino. "Salvatierra, myself and the
chauffeur were requested to get out
of the machine.
THE rest were driven to the east
side of town. am told that upon
passing the Salvatierra home the
guardsmen attempted to find and ap-
prehend another of my sons aides,
Gen. Ferreti, who was housed there.
During the commotion a son-in-law
of Salvatierras was killed.
MY sons and the two others were
then driven southwark to a barr!o
(village) called La Reynaga, on the
eastern outskirts of the city. Shortly
afterward shots were heard and it
was believed that Augusta and his
companions were killed by bullets and
buried there"
DR.. Leonardo Arguello, Nicaraguan
foreign minister, said in statement
that Sandino, who was on good terms
with the President. had come to
Managua "to arrange with the Pres1-
dent ways and means to reach a So
luton on how to terminate conflicts
that had arisen between his men and
the National Guard"
This native military unit took the
field against Sandino when American
Marines were Withdrawn January l.,
1882, until Sandino made his peace
with the President and retired on a
sort of subsidy to form an agricul-
tural colony on the Coco River in
Northern Wiwili.
Sandino was something more than
a Jungle bandit and something less
than the George Washington OF Cen
tral America, which he has often been
called. Thin, short and smiling, ne
had more than the average education
and personality.
He loved to dress and he had color.
He was usually clothed in a uniform
of dark brown with black puttees, i'm
maculately polished. He wore q silk
handkerchief of red and black knotted
about his throat and broad-brlmmed
Texas cowboy hat pulled low over his
broad forehead
He had straight, black hair being
part Indian, and his curved eyebrows
arched high over deep black eyes. He
was without personal vices. Neither
tobacco nor liquor appealed to him.
There was an added touch Of the
picturesque when he took to the field.
Around his neck he wore extra BAN
doliers jammed full Of shells. There
was a revolver on each hip, and often
bright flower in his hat.
Assembled Forces.
On May S, 1927, the Conservatives
and Liberals signed the Tipitapa
agreement. sponsored by Henry L.
Stimson, and agreed to surrender their
arms to the Marines. Sandino re-
fused. He called them all towards,
assembled an army Of 1900, dismissed
500 who were married and took the
others into the mountains to serve