HARRY TRUMAN LIBRARY Papers of NATHANIEL DAVIS Anril continued (2)
events leading up to the outbreak, He had just finished and was called away to the phone when Ulete came in, calm and smiling as ever even to a flower in his buttonhole. He had just come from a conference with Carlone at the Artilleria.
Cardona had asked for the conference and Ulate had one with Tigueres foreknowledge. In brief, Cardona offered to install Ulate in the presidency at once. Ulate refused and advised Cardona to surrender telling him that he had no support. He gave him a message from Figueres to the effect that the latter would accept nothing less than unconditional surrender, but in that event would let Cardona surrender under the protection (as to his personal Safely) of me or Ulate. replied at once.
that it had better be Ulote: there would be certain difficulties in the wey of my acting in such canacity, and anyway thought better for the matter to he kent in Costa Rican hands, TIe acreed. He gave his herson oninion that the revolt would collapse within a few hours, boeing is estimate on the evidence he saw in the Artilleri thot the en there did not want to fight.
We went back to the office then home for a belated dinner after eleven PM. got to bed at midnight and went promntly to sleep, only to be awakened at three twenty by rifle shot from the cuartel. From then on there were intermittent shots in and near the cuartel until four o clock wh barrage of rifle and machine gun fire broke out, It soon be came apparent that the cuartel was being attacked in for ce from the half finished new presidency on one side of our house and from a small picket in the street on the other, as well as from other directions. We left our bedroom which is on the most ex posed corner of the house and made ourselves as comfortable as we could in the protected room with the KKN steel doors closed The firing went on steadily, with heavier weapons being brought into play, and being answered briskly from the cuartel. Just as daylight come Luisa Come trotting unstsirs to say that Andy was on the phone. went down and took the 0911 in the kitchen which was about the safest lace in the house, At Six thirty Mrs. Figueres called and said her husband was in the Artilleria which had surrendered. har been currendered by its own Orrison which had burned against Vi tur; xxxkxanxth Cardona efter henring Figuerest. lk on the radio Cerdona was a prisoner. Bella Vista had refused to surrender. Figueres had tried unsuccessfully to rench me teleshone to warn me before attacking. She invited us to Do over to her house. replied that we were more comfortable inside then we would be going out into the street Shortly thereafter we heard an airnlene overhead. It circled for awhile, then made a run richt across our house end dropped a bomb in the cuartel. As we had nothing over our heads but a tin roof we left the protected room and took our station on the round floor under the stairgea Whilesh this was going on we are meatedly heard bullets hitorteerhouse and frequently the tinkle glass told us that one come through window.
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