File No. 812.00/6321.
The American Ambassador to the Secretary of State.
Mexico, February 23, 1913—1 p.m.
27. Last night Mr. de la Barra told me that the Government, intending to transfer the President and Vice President to the penitentiary where it would be possible to make them more comfortable and where they would be in security until the public passions have subsided, removed them from the Palace at about 11.30 and en route to the penitentiary the party was attacked, according to the Government’s published reports this morning, and in the struggle which followed both the President and Vice President were killed. President Huerta in a published letter explains the occurrence in this way and also states that all the circumstances will be made the subject of a rigid judicial investigation.
Mr. de la Barra holds a reception to the Diplomatic Corps tomorrow. I shall ask him to suspend it until the Diplomatic Corps can have the advantage of a full understanding of this occurrence.