The Nome daily nugget., 1935-12-03

 ing the border again. There followed series of defeats which forced him to evacuate Granada and he destroyed 1t to keep It from falling into the hands of the enemy. Finally with remnant of the army which had followed him so devoted ly, he was cornered In coast town. In April 1S57 the American warship St Marys sailed into the harbor and Captain Davis, its commander demanded that Walker surrender "in the name of humanity" Walker refused, but when he saw that his small force was doomed to be over- whelmed by the enemy he was willing to accept the safe convoy which Davis offered him. Going aboard the St. Mary's he was taken to Panama and from there made his way to New York, where he was received in triumph. Hasten ing on to Washington, he demanded that the United States government support him in re- storing to him the presidency of Nicaragua to | which he had been legally elected. But Wash ington turned deaf ear to his pleas. He went on into the South where he was received with the widest enthusiasm and the papers of that period are filled with news of his schemes for regaining the power he had once held.
 In the meantime Nicaragua had elected an- other president but Walker was not willing to accept this evidence that the southern republic was through with its "gringo presidente." He organized another filibustering expedition. was arrested for doing so but, when brought to trial,
 
 from New Orleans with force of 15O men, land- ed his munitions at San Juan del Norte and cap tured Castle Viejo.
 In December Commodore Paulding arrived in the United States frigate Wabash, landed forcJ of $50 men, trained his guns Walkers camf and demanded his surrender. Walker was taken to Washington as a prisoner of war. But the federal government refused to receive him and President Buchanan even rebuked Paulding for his act and suspended him from duty. Although Walker was turned free, public proclamation forbade his interfering with Central American affairs again.
 By now the presidency of Nicaragua had be- come an obsessicn with Walker For two years he made several attempts to lead another ex- petition to Nicaragua but he was too closely watched by both the American and British gov ernments to succeed. Unable to go there direct, he decided to get into the country by way of Honduras. In August, 1860, he sailed from Mo- bile with 100 devoted followers. Within two weeks he had entered Nicaragua and captured the town of Trujillo.
 Then a warship appeared-ths time British vessel, the Icarus, commanded by Captain Sal mon Declaring that Walker was interfering with British rights in the town, Salmon demand ed the filibusterer's surrender. Walker refused but when a force of Hondurans commanded by General Alvarez began to mass to recapture the town Walker evacuated 1t and with 70 men re- treated down the coast. The Honduran leader and his British ally followed and cornered the flibusterers at Rio Negro
 Walker surrendered to Salmon on his promise not to turn him over to the Hondurans a prom se which the British officer broke as soon as they returned to Trujllo. Walker and his men were delivered into the hands of Alvarez. His followers were released through the intercession of the British officer but when Salmon told Walker If you will appeal to me as an Amcri- can citizen will save you with the rest" Walk, CTS reply was "The President of Nicaragua is citizen of Nicaragua" Facing death, he would not give up his dream of being ruler. The Hondurans, who looked upon him as an alien tyrant whose ambition threatened the se- curty of their country and all Central American republics, court martialed him and sentenced him to death. So on the morning of September 12, 1860, he walked bravely to his death in front of firing squad.
 Joaquin Miller, that queer genius who was a follower of the "king of the flibusterers" and who later became famous as the Poet of the Serras" sought to immortalize him in a long poem, With Walker in Nicaragua" but it Is doubtful if his poem is any better known today than is the subject of its inspiration. In his day William Walker was Host leader" Today he is Forgotten man" nor has the recent talk of dictators served to revive even for little while the memory of this ill-fated dictator over the destinies of an American republic.
 GWestern Newspaper Union.