Huerta Wire Eight Days Late.

New York Times 100 years ago today, March 5, 1913:
His Message to The Times Long Delayed on the Land Route.
    It took eight days for a message signed by Acting President Huerta of Mexico to travel the land wires from Mexico City, by way of Laredo, Texas, to New York. On Monday, Feb. 24, a telegram was filed, giving Huerta's story of the death of Madero and his Vice President, Pino Suarez, and it reached The Times only last night.
    Huerta's view of the death of his predecessor and his aid is now well known, and the news from Mexico has been received promptly through the land wire to Vera Cruz, thence to Galveston, and New York, but the long delay of a message bearing the signature of the "man of the hour" in Mexico shows something of the confusion which must exist in the Government-owned means of communication in Mexico.
    This is Huerta's message:

To the Editor of The New York Times.
    MEXICO CITY, Feb. 24.— In the Council of Ministers it was resolved to subject Señors Madero and Tino Suarez to a formal trial for diverse official responsibilities, and therefore at 11 o'clock last night they were sent to the penitentiary in an automobile in the custody of a score of Rural Guards under Commander Cardenas.
    Near the penitentiary the automobile was attacked by two groups or armed men aiming to liberate the offenders. In the skirmish these (the offenders) were killed. Of the assailants one was killed and two were wounded. The automobile was destroyed.
    Immediately the Council of Ministers was called together, resolving to give the facts to a competent judiciary which has begun a rigid investigation, holding the leaders of the guard.
                V. HUERTA.

    This report is substantially the explanation already received from Huerta by The Times and other newspapers and news agencies.