Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1890-10-04 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

HOW GENERAL BARRUNDIA WAS SHOT.  En" AN EYEWITNESS,  You have no doubt heard (says • correspondent of the Deily ( Itroni,•'e, writing from the so. Acapulco, Panama), of the General Berrundia shooting affair aboard this ship in San Jose-de•Guatemala, The General came aboard seth a secretary, interpreter, and servant at Acapulco, Mexico, en robe to Panama, United States of Colombia, and was promised the protection of the American lag, as he was • political refugee When we reached Champerico the authorities demanded him of our captain, who, however, refused to give him up, and telegraphed for the U.S. ship Rauger to come to his assistance, but the telegram was suppressed. Again the authorities asked our captain to surrender General Barrundia to them, but he again refused, and sent aboard the United States warships Thetis and Ranger for a marine guard to protect his ship and passengers. The answer he received was, "It is none of our , pie '" (busMess)—s, very dignified answer to come from officers and gentlemen commanding American men-of-war! At a quarter past two p.m. on Aug. 25 s band of hired assassins (called, by the way, detectives), headed be the commandant of the port, came on board with an order given by the United States Minister of that city (the capital) to our captain, directing that he was to give him up, dead or alive. On this order being read to the General he pulled out two revolvers and fired two shots at the commandant. One of the shots nearly hit our captain (William Pitts), who is a nice man and a gentleman. The commandant ran and hid under a bunk lathe state-room the detectives scattered, but when the poor fellow had fired his last shot, and was on his way to his state-room to get two more revolvers, he was shot dead by one of the detectives. Then three others bravely came out of hiding, and emptied their revolvers into the corpse. On the tommandant being told that Barrundia was dead, he too, bravely crawled from under the bunk in the stateroom, pulled out his revolver, and stood over the dead hero. The General was covered with old canvas, except his head, which was covered with a potato sack. The corpse was then carried down the gangway ladder and pulled ashore. The commandant and his six detectives reloaded their revolvers, and looked as though it would not take much for them to clear the ship fore and aft; however, they pulled ashore. While this was going on the Lieutenant-Commander and another officer of the United etates ship Thetis were aboard, and stowed themselves away in a state-room in a very undignified manner for men who make fighting a profession. Although 50 or more shots were fired, no assistance came from the American men-of.war until the murderers were at a safe distance. Then a boat put off very leisurely with six marines, who looked at our ship and returned to the old box called the U.S. ship Ranger. The Americans aboard were so disgusted at the behaviour of the men-of-war sent to protect American life and property that they said it was a pity there was not an English man-of-war in the harbour, for then they would have been protected. They raid it wax not necessary to ask assistance from a British man-of-war; it was offered. When the commandant and his detectives pulled away from the ship they put their fingers to their noses and made a vulgar noise; thus showing their respect for the American flag. Now, if America puts up with that she will stand any indignity. I consider that the ilesieral had a perfect right to fire when he heard the order read and saw that it was to be enforced. He had been guaranteed American protection, and America makes a boasts! defending political refugees. No doubt General Barrundis intended going back to Guatemala, and would babe made things lively for the present President, for be had the army at his back. State.rooma, boats, deck, and awnings suffered from the bullets. I thought you would be glad of this account from an eye-witness who was English enough not to etow away under the bunks. There were several narrow escapes, but no ono was hurt but the poor General.