The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, March 18, 1906, Page 10

(™ ivniidiiie e e o 0 FRESTITDENZ & ESaeroay CHBRER - elopn wit al Barillas brera had was pre- and £ g naugnration a year ago, hau received some . n ! supplied with fund rry s revoiution project, is: e declared hi inten api army into n him tence. made ex- up- by on n that a work, ion fears his mc supposed for he dc ge sum ment,. have his 1bled began to be pla were satisfac t soon ap- not 1ad advance out the tion, which to ve been undertaken the inauguration occurred the latter event took place and followed by what was accept d of the Barillas plot. One day nt Diaz of Mexico suddenly hed a ary representative to santepec a peremptory order to Genera s to immediately re- port to th ty of Mexico, where, pre- ably. could be more carefully hed President Diaz had often been charged ng his eyes to. the plotting of ns in Tapachula and other 1 1g the Mexican border. In fact, had also ‘been alleged that he had sometimes enc these revolution- ary movements in Guatemala as a me of in ng con nt political tur- mo iboring republic and thus his own country’s supre- long as the Guatemalans ghting among themselves they wot have time or sufficient temerity to undertake a war with Mexico. How muék truth there'may be in these fons it is hard to say, but it is a nowever, that 4s soon as the inaug- ion of President Estrada Cabrera had which s to or must k with he ged & them, urs taken place President Diaz issued his or- der slow to Barillas and the in complying with it temalan plotter, however, did 1 long in the City of Mexico, for after he rcached there he latter was not s0 seible rted northward to San Fran- ptly er with his doctor and several body X res ed the ng in and reached here unheralded border, nday evening. Golng to the Palace for forty | he reglstered from Mexico and re- hemes to overthrow fused to sce callers other than those of P rs. From there they his family, among them his son in-law's eve farther westward to brother, to whose house on the Marin Tehuante where thelr conspiracy County side of the bay the general later SAN FRANCISCO SUNDAY CALL went and remained the greater part of his several months’ stay in San Fran- cisco. It was not many days after the arrival of General Barillas in San Francisco that 2 steamer from the souath brought to this port the two younger sons of President Estrada Cabrera, accompanied by his chief of staff, Colonel Lorenzo de Clair- mont, on a visit to the elder of the Estra- da Cabrera boys, a y¢.1th of about 17 years, who, as has already been stated, was at school in the town of Berkeley. It had long been the custom of this young Gua- temalan to cross the bay frequently dur- ing the week and cnjoy hours of .con- viviality with friends and young country- men in San Francisco. Easily approach- nd cver confiding with new-made the son of President Estrada Cabrera wculd have heen an cxceilent victim for a plot such as was later con- cocted to assist the furtherance of the political intrigues against his father. This plot, so carefully arranged. had its orign in the mind of one of San Fran- 0's Well-to-do merchants, whose busi- ness affairs in the southern republi¢ have not been as prosperous under the Estra- da Ca administration as thes were during the reign of the late President Barrios or even more so during the Presi- dency of Manuel Barillas. If the admin- istration of the republic gould be thrown into the hands of those that were more friendly to this man, his chances of com- mercial succesg might be assured, and in this selfish frame of mind this San Fran- cisco ‘business man figured out the novel scheme of making the Kidnaping of young Estada Cabrera part_of the revo- lutionary plans of General Barillas and the latter’s followers. It certainly was carrying selfish busi- ness ambitions to an extreme, but when one has carefully famillarized himself with the political methods of the Central American republics, one and all alike, he can find little reason for surprise in a plot that would mean anything less than assassination of a ruler or a foe of the latter to further a selfish motive in those strangely conducted governments. General Barillas, despite the denials that his friends here had persistently made, came to San Francisco in the hope of getting funds for carrylng out, even at that late date, the planis for overthrowing the Estrada Cabrera administration and marching triumphantly into the Guate- malan capital. While here the general had frequent conferences with those who were disposed to favor his movement, but they were loth to advance him the nec- essary funds for a revolution until he could furnish them with some satisfactory evidence of his strength, particularly in the Guatemalan capital, where a success- ful uprising would be necessary to insure ra GENERTL BORENZO DX CZ T RrT O o = = == the capture of the country rrom its pres- ent control. It was upon this condition that General Barillas’ hope of assistance hinged. He failed to give this preof of loyalty of the people, and especially that of the army, and finally discouraged, dis- couraged although by no means intending to abandon the revolutionary scheme, he departed for Mexico, there to again meet his closest friends. In the early stages of the revolutionary plot, which started during the St. Louis Exposition, President Estrada Cabréra, acting on the advice of some well meaning person, had sent an emissary to the ex- * position to see what kind of mitcrial could be secured as secret agents and a personal guard from among the thou- sands Jf foreigners that were assembled in the American city of festivities. This emissary came north by way of San Fran- cisco, and here gathered several men, known for their daring natures, that could help him in his secret mission in St. Louls. Two of thcse men, Amerieans of the often pictured dare-devil type, who would almost as readfly look down the barrel of a gun as into the small end of a telescope, went among the members of the Boer war company of soldlers in St. Louis, and in less than a week's time they had enlisted more than the heces- sary number of men required by President Estrada Cabrera in his plan to thwart the revolutionists in their plot. They had seen hard service in South Africa and were not a bit slow In accepting § proposition to g0 to Guatemala In defense of the ad- ministration, which Was guaranteeing them uot only substantlal remuneration in the way of h but promising them aleng the further reward in the shape of farming lands. - The papers at-thé time tald how t ?\ - men had decided to settle in the Wedtd continent and had accepted splendid A ducements from President Bstrada Ca- brera to locate in Guatemala on valuable farming lands, titles to which were to be given to them. It was not until- this band of Englishmen, augmented by a large number of equally willing American fight- ing men, had reached New Orleans and wera about to embark on a steamer for Port Barrios that #he cry was ralsed that they were bound for Guatemala to assist in the fomenting of trouble in the repud- lic. ‘Strangely it was given out that they had ‘Deen secretly emgaged assist the revolutionists, ar plausible that the matter u y the men eeded on to their d and reaching G nala they were distributed ilroads, it being given out that to pvernme pro- on they had come to operate the latter. As a matter of fact, however, the plan was to keep them within easy of the Guatcmalan capital in case of an emer- gency, and they would probably have been awaiting a call now had the Gov- ernment ltved up to its promises. Instead. its treatment of the men so disgusted hem that they left the country at the first opportunity gfter the fear of the rev- clution had blown over. Many of them came to San Francisco, openly demounc- ing President gstrada = (Cabrera and threatening with a¥l kinds of vengeance If tr came them he revolution- It ists sought . and when they had won th the plot to kid- nap young ra_began to be fostercd these dare-devil fellows were taken into dence_ 6f Estrada Cabrera’s al enel This time they were assured of a handsome bonus, placed in trusted hands, and further, a nueleus for a fortune in the -shape of a ransom of 330,060 that was to be demanded for Diego Estrada Cabrera’'s freedom 4n ten days’ time sevem of the m trusted and daring of the adventurers laid their pla and were busily trailin the young Guatemalan. They shadowed their intended prey to and from his Berkeley school: they watched and studied his every daily habit; they ac- quainted themselves with the mames of all his more intimate friends and even min- gled with them, often coming in comtact w young Estrada Cabrera, taking a despe te chance of later being identified as his kidnapers and going to ‘prison: While thus learning the ways of the boy they were also busy making other preparations for the safe keeping of their vietim after they had spirited him away. Two of the band, representing themselves as seafaring men, had chartered a small coasting vessel: another had secured a lease -on a houseboat anchored up the bay, within the reach of the reflecting rays of the lights on the Brothers Islands, and a third had installed himself in temporary apartments in a downtown quarter, to which it was hoped to inveigle young Es- trada Cabrera some evening, and, after plying him with drink, to get him to the water front and aboard aad below decks of the schooner. Among Dicgo Estrada Cabrera’s most frequent companions was a tutor, who was marked as an important factor in the raping plot. After the young Guatemalan had been taken aboard the schooner and later transferred to the houseboat, if necessary, the tutor was to be taken to his pupil en the pretense tha the lattcr was ill. Once in the presence of Estrada Cabrera the tutor was made a nd held until such as his services were needed by the con- spirators o Be prisoner F Then was to follow the most arin part of the plot. With young Estra Cabrera.in captivity, one of t members wds to secure an audi 3 President Estrada Cabrera in Guatemala and inform him of his son's predica- ment. To preparé for this bold act one of the kidndpers had embarked on th: south-bound steamer for . Guatema there to uw ge from San Fra cisco ana His tioh t by evidénce from the younger Es a Cabrera’s tutor, in person. if neccssa of the son’s captivity. tc bear to the P the -latter's som ship of which would not be Fifty thousand dollars gold was to be the price of young Estrada Cabrera's freedom. But that was not all that was to be demanded of the President. It was part of the compact between the band of adventurers and the political enemies of President Estrada Cabrera that' the latter should make certain coneessions inimical to his own political interests, practically an alliance with his foes and a pledge that he would retire from office at such a time in the “future as the revolutionists felt that they could emter the country and maintamn peaceful ‘con- ditious It was a big undertaking, but, undaunt- ed by any prospects of failure, the band of kidnapers proceeded with their plans and were nearing the day agreed off for action, when the steamer from the south unexpectedly brought Colonel de Qlair- mont and the younger Estrada Cabreras on their visit to Dfego. Even them the kidnapers did not despair and at one time several of them proposed that they $teal the three boys, but the wisdem of the wiser of the band prevailed and it:was decided that taking care of youngsters ot such a perilous adventure was no easy task Day fter day the band patiently awafted their chance te.gét Diego, but the new companionship of his brothers and Colonel de Clairmont proved a weri- ous obstacle. Meanwhile the people who had pledged their money to the band were demanding action and finally grow- g desperate the kidnapers met #h a Kearny-street saloon and fixed a definite day for Di ‘s capture. which they de- cided should be followed, as soon as his tutor was taken, by their departure to sea and up along the northern coast of nia, where they would remain un- til word was received from Guatemala Then if the ransom was forthcoming and their safety was assured they proposed to land Diego at some point on the coast from which he could safely reach San Francisco. Leaving him it was the in- tention of the band to abandon their ves- sel at some other point and go ashore to separate and meet later on at a desig- rated olace In the East. But they had counted aity of one of their number, who secretly visited Celovel de Clairmont at a rela- tive’s home an Scott, street and laid bare to hi the entire nlot. Fully weighing the responsibility that rested upem him Colcret de Clairmont lost no time in get- ting the Estrada Cabrera boys within his sight and beginning Immediate arrange- ments for their return to the safer ter- ritory of Guatemala, whither he start- ed with is charges on the City of Peking a few days later. The plot ended as suddenly as it bad been undertaken, leaving filve men swear- ing vengeance upon the comrade who had betrayed them and worrying day and night over the probable fate of amother that had undertaken the perilous journey to Guatemala, there to demand the ran fofm of President Estzada Cabrera. Al- though the latter never had that oppor- tunity, his companions fear that the fel- low who gave away their plot made krown the identity of this mae to Colo- ne! de Clairmont and they bave beem in- terested to know if the information has resulted in the absent man's arrest in Guatemala. If it Has it accounts for the fact that they have not received word from him, although he was to have communicated with them by the steamer that arrived here several qays ago from the Cemtral American ports. His fate may be death, but it was a fete that he bad dared to chance. - ithout the loy