MANAGUA, Nicaragua -- General Augustino Sandino, famous Nicaraguan rebel and foe of United States operation, was shot and killed last night by National Guardsmen, it was announced today.
Generals Estrada and Umanzor were killed with Sandino. His brother, Socrates Sandino, Colonels Juan Forette and Santo Lopez and a child of 10 were killed when guardsmen attacked the home of minister of Agriculture Sofonias Salvatierra.
President Juan. B. Sacasa publicly denounced the killings as acts of lawlessness and asked congress for the necessary powers to establish order.
Don Gregorio Sandino, father of the dead general, and Minister Salvatierra were with Sandino and his two aides when they were shot and were taken prisoners by the guardsmen, but were later released.
Had made peace
The death of Sandino at the hands of the National Guard was ironic, for he had made peace with the government and the guard only a year ago after a seven-year struggle against both, culminating in the withdrawal of the United States Marines last January.
His death ends the insurgent career of a petty chieftain who by a mixture of circumstances, was raised from obscurity to international fame. Although labeled a "bandit and assassin" by the United States government, he was, at least for some years, a symbol of patriotism to thousands of Latin Americans.
Hiding in the jungle of Nueveo Segovia in Northern Nicaragua, he resisted for years the combined efforts of the United States Marines and the National Guard to capture him.
With his well-armed guerrilla bands, he made periodic attacks on Marine detachments, swooping down in surprise raids, and in turn being surprised in swift jungle skirmishes which were never decisive.
135 Marines slain
Hundreds of lives were lost in the struggle. Marine casualties totaled 20 officers and 115 men killed in action or died of wounds or in accidents, and 13 officers and 53 men wounded.
In February of last year, after the Marines had been withdrawn, Sandino came to Managua by airplane from his mountain stronghold near San Rafael Del Norte, announcing he expected to become the right hand man of Sacasca.
Under the terms of a peace treaty signed at the presidential palace 100 Sandino soldiers were to be taken into the Nicaraguan Army for one year; two-thirds of all his arms were to be delivered to the government within 20 days, and the government agreed to maintain public works in Segovia province for one year, giving preference to former Sandinistas in employing local labor.
