The North Cumberland Reformer. — 1891-09-24 (Carlisle, Cumbria, England)

SUICIDE OF EX-PRESIDENT BALMACED A. The New Fork Herald, under date of September 20th, has received the following' despatch from Valparaiso. —Ex-President Balmaceda shot himself in the temple in his room at the Argentine Legation in Santiago at half-past eight o'clock this moraine.. The news was received here this afternoon, and created the greatest excitement. The whole city ie illuminated thie evening, and sounds of rejoicing are heard everywhere. The latest intelligence from Santiago confirms and gives details of the suicide. II seems that Balmaceda left Saqtiago on August 29th, in the hope of escaping from Chili, but finding every retreat cut off, he returned there on the 2nd inst., and went direct to the Argentine Legation. His intention had been to board the Almiritnte Condon, which he expected to find at San Antonio Bay, and he was much chagrined to find that she had sailed. After his return to the Legation he was extremely nervous and none but Senor Uriburn, the Argentine Minister, and another man who was devoted to Balmaceda, were permitted to see him. Senor Uriburn went to the theatre yesterday evening, and on his return had a long talk with Balmaceda on the subject of the latter's ideas, which had previowdy been broached, about the advisability of surrender to the Junta. Both retired at midnight. Some time after eight o'clock this morning b'enora Uriburn heard a pistol shot in Balmaceda's bedroom, and notified the fact to her husband, who ran to the house of Senor Carlo Walker Martinez, and brought him to the Legation. When the door of Balmacedit's room had been forced open they entered and found the ex-President's body still warm, with a gaping wound in the temple. The body was undressed and lay on the bed, the right hand holding a revolver. Senor Terry, Balmaceda's brother-in-law, and the Uruguayan Minister soon afterwards reached the house. The Junta was informed, and a Commission, comprising Senores Martinez, Melchor, and Concho, and Judge Aguerra, of the Supreme Court, was immediately appointed to proceed to the Legation and view the body. They there drew up a process verbal, certifying the facts. The German Minister accompanied the Commission as an old friend of Balmaceda. The excitement in Santiago was indescribable. Great crowds gathered in front of the Legation, cheering and hooting continually, apparently quite frenzied over the death of the ex-President. Balmaceda left a letter for his mother, and also a statement in which he says: "I have acted during the past eight months under the conviction that I was right. I had no one in the army that I could trust, the generals being false to me. Had my orders been obeyed, I believe that the battle at Concon would have resulted in a victory for us. My heart throughout was with Chili. I sought to rescue the country from foreign domination,and strove to make it the first Republic in America. My enemies say that I was cruel, but circumstances compelled me to sanction certain acts. Many bad deeds attributed to my orders were never known of by me until they had been committed. Until the battle of Placilla I had strong hopes of triumphing. I now know that those who pretended friendship for me did so because money could be got from me. All the money in my possession now is £2,500, which my wife gave me on August 28th. Mr. Egan, the United States Miniater,of ten urged me to make peace with my opponents and leave Chili, but I did not heed his advice,because I thought that he was under the influence of the Junta's agents, who were then refugees, in the American Legation.l3fy closest advisers were always opposed to overtures for peace." In a letter to Senor Uriburn, Balmaceda says : "When I saw that prosecution was directed against me by persons who once supported my administration, I concluded that the only way to end the persecution was to take my life, as I was the responsible one. Good bye, true friend. Give my farewell to my wife and children."