Year: 1879

A year ago reports were received at
San Francisco of an attempt upon the
life of Rufnez Barrioz, President of
the Republic of Guatemala, a Catholic
priest named Father Felix Pages being
named as the assassin, and the state
ment was that the life of the President
was saved by the interference of faith
full soldier named Capt. Inez Cruz, who
shot the priest dead. Through the ar
rival at San Francisco of an eyewitness,
Father Antonio Launza, Franciscan
friar, at present sojourning at the St.
Dominic Monastery, strange story is
made public. The narrative of this
priest presents President Barrioz as a
cruel, vindictive wretch, guilty of
oold-blooded and entirely unjustiiable
homicide, the guilt of which he has en-
deavored to conceal by giving out that
his own life was attempted. In Sep
tember, 1877, President Barrioz gave
State dinner at San Pedro, Father Pages,
the murdered priest, and Father Launza
being among the guests. After dinner the
company separated into groups, one
comprising the President and the two
parties named. In their conversation
an argument arose on the question of
the immaculate conception, the Presi-
dent being an inhexible skeptic. Be-
coming exasperated at the determined


position of the priests in the affirmative,
he struck Father Pages with his fist and
knocked him down. The priest
then endeavored to escape from the
presence of the tyrant, but
he was commanded to return and
make an apology upon his knees. Faith
er Pages yielded to this humiliation, but
Barri0z then commenced beating him
over the head with a cane, and to save
himself from the fatal injury the rever-
end father grappled with his assailant
and both fell to the floor. At this juno
ture Inez Cruz, not a soldier, but SER
want, rushed in and fired several shots
into the body of the ill-fated priest. The
firing attracted soldiers from without,
and by command of the President they
dragged the dying priest into the street
and battered his body into an unre-
cognizable mass. They then stripped
it and left the body by the way
side. It was subsequently re-
covered by Father Launza and
buried in front of the altar Of CalVery
Church. Information of the tragedy
reached Spain, and demand was made
upon BarriOz for reparation for the
murder of a Spanish subject. The wretch
made oath that the killing was in self
defense, the priest having entered his
room with pistol in hand with the de-
sign of assassination. This story was
corroborated by the servant, Inez Cruz,
who was rewarded for his perjury with
the commission Of Colonel. After this
affair Col. Cruz made an attempt to as
sassinate the President, and was HIM
self dispatched. Father Launza was
thrown into prison, and his life was in
peril in consequence of his knowledge
of the facts. He finally escaped through
the efforts Of a piOus official and took
refuge in San Salvador, Barrioz made
demand upon the Governor of that
country for his return, and to avoid
further peril he fled to Panama and
took passage for San Francisco. The
murdered priest was greatly beloved by
his pure and holy life and kindly heart.
Father Launza returns to the Isthmus
by the steamer City of Panama, his
purpose being to institute measures to


bring the assassin President OF Gaute-
mala to an accountability for his crime.