MURDER OF THE EX-PRESIDENT OF PERU.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 2, Issue 86, 24 May 1879, Page 3

MURDER OF THE EX-PRESIDENT OF PERU.

A communication from Panama to the ■Tribune, New York, smya:-It appears from the details of th* murder, of exPreaident Pardo, of"Peru, at Link, Cat on November 18, at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, a hired carriage stopped before the dooi cf the Senate, from which tic aceuded Don Manuel Pardo, Drs Manuel Maria Riv«s and Adaa Meigs r. The guard, which were of the Pichicoha Battalion, were drawn up in line oa the west aid* of the court-yard sf the Senate, the Captain at the head, that is to say in the porch, and the sergeant at the opposite and of the file, two or three paces distant from the entrance q l . the passage leading to the inner court-yaat Oo S*nor Psrdp descending coach the Ku»niWemt*£a»u»a, tedtfr.feugler played, as is customary, Seaores Pardo and Rivas entering, tozotjgb/ttie doorway aide by side. Qa> passing before the commander of the giArt the former made a sign to aim hand for the salute to cease, whereupon the buglar stopped anc the soiciera loured their arms. Don Manuel Pardo was just on the point of entering the passage leading to the inner court whea the of the gnard, Melohor lioatoya, who, as before said, was at the and of the 61',, tarred round andl deliberately fired his ris* si the baok of Senor Pardo. The ball, after grazing th* hand of Senor Rivas, estersd the bsdy of Sanor Pardo just u-der th* shoulder blade, passing through his body and lodging in the w&fl, slightly touohing | th* iung in its passage. Secor Pardo put his hand to his bre»st, locked at Senor Rivas as if wishicg t„ aay soxtrthing, exolaimod "Ay I" uA leaning oc bia companion wsikec a few atita, then staggered and fell between the v«c doors leading into the Senate While this was passing Dr. Melgar, whe, rs already •tated, got out of his -.jwi ai-.er Messrs Pardo and Rivas, oju sesing Sergeant Montoya fir* at Senor Pardo, rushed up to the man, seized him by the threat, and struggled with him tspiev«nt his escape. Th* rest of the guard, v/hil»-thda wen going on, remained passive * The sergeant, **s*** ,hj v rt • U " J Bs l <>. disengaged him•elf from the hands of Senor Melgar <.r,d Lag away at full speed towards the PlaUtttala da ia Inquisition, hut t police officer ipursued and aeized him. The assassin mu dragged back and placed in a small ■room in the inner court of the Senate and 'guarded by a couple of sentinels. After a few momenta «T consternation and confusion, medical aid was summoned, and a number of doctors vera promptly on the spot, but they at oaas dec!area the wound to be mortal. To avoid the progress of the hemorrhage, Senor Pardo waa not moved from the plaoe where h* fell. There lying on the flags, he was assisted fey the doctors, who simply placed a cushion under his head. Whan the death

•gony set in a small ruattreaa wm pro- ; ourod bom the porter*, and the body carefully pieced on it Tho first worde painfully articulated by Senor Pardo, after reeavicgbk death wound, were: ''lowa much—a confessor—my family." He asked ehortly afterwards who had asses sicatod him, and on being told it was " a sergeant of the Pichincha," said, " Poor unfortunate J" When given some cognac a* a restorative by Or. Maoed >, he exclaimed, ■ Oh, I am choking I" When .. he uadamtood ais family had arrived ha atked to bo pkced in a sitting posture and, a few minutes Wore lis death, said, "My family . I recommend to CoQgreas." His last words were, "I pardon tvorybody . . era* to my aaaassin."* He breathed hi* last esaotly at 8 o'dotk p.m. The last offices of the chorea and extrume unction wen adminfatand « him by the clergy, who hart

beta summoned to the seen*. A few minutes later tho body was carried into the Senate, where it remained until 5 in the afternoon, when it was removed for the purpose of embalming. As soon as the President of the Republic was informed of the revolting crime that had been committed, he left the palace, followed by his orderlies, and proceeded' with all speed to the Senate, which he reached at 20 minutes past 2. He bent his steps to the place where Don Manuel Pardo lay struggling with death, and pushing his way through those who surrounded the dying man, gazed horror stricken at him, and, lifting up his hands cried, " Shame I Shame I" He was led away from the scene by considerate friends and presently became calmer. The assassin, Melcoor Montoya, it a young man of middle stature, without pair on bis face, which is perfectly expressionless ;he is of Indian origin. It is taid that he has confessed that the assassination of Don Manual Pardo had formed part-of a canspiraoy in which al. most all the sergeants of the Pichincha Battalion and, it it even added tome of the officers, are implicated. He states that he was engaged to take port in it by a sergeant named Gomes Sanchez, who offered to assist him in perpetrating the crime, but who, at the last moment, left him to himself. His colonel says the assassin had been seven yean in the regiment, had always done hit duty, and never gave the slightest reason for supposing him capable of committing such a crime.