was endeavoring to gain over the provincial infantry battalion of Guanajuato, and to that end opened his plan to several of the subaltern officers. One of these, Garrido, the band-master, exposed the affair on the 13th of September to his captain, Francisco Bustamante, who lost no time in informing his superior officer, Diego Berzábal, who communicated the matter to the intendente Riaño, and offered to arrest Hidalgo. Riaño, however, preferred to watch affairs, and instructed Francisco Iriarte, who was going to San Felipe, to report occurrences in Dolores, and sent orders to San Miguel to arrest Allende and Aldama. The despatch was, however, intercepted by Allende, who received timely warning of the denouncement made by Garrido, and thus gained some little time to deliberate with his associates at San Miguel[1] as to their proper course.
While this was taking place in Guanajuato, Captain Arias turned traitor in Querétaro, and to secure his own safety denounced the plot on the 10th of September to the alcalde Juan de Ochoa.[2] This officer immediately despatched a courier with a written account drawn up by the escribano Juan Fernando Dorninguez to the viceroy, who was already on his way from Yera Cruz. Again, on the 13th, a man named Francisco Bueras informed Padre Gil, cura of
- ↑ Mora, Mej. y sus Rev., iv. 18-9. Alaman states that he was playing at cards in the house of Camuñez, the major of his corps, when he received the advice from Guanajuato. Hist. Mej., i. 373. Riaño's action with regard to Hidalgo was probably influenced by friendship, as the cura was a frequent visitor at his house. See Bustamante, Mem. Hist. Mex., MS., iii. 42.
- ↑ Such is Alaman's account of the discovery of the plot. Hist. Mej., i. 361-6. Guerra says: 'Pero abortó el plan por la confesion en el articulo de la muerte del Canónigo de Valladolid Iturriaga, cómplice en la conspiracion, al cura de Querétaro Gil.' Hist. Rev. N. Esp., i. 292. Bustamante states simply that an ecclesiastic denounced the plot at 10 o'clock of the night of the 14th of September. Cuadro Hist., i. 31. Liceaga considers it probable that Arias first gave information. Adiciones y Rectif., 43. Consult also Zerecero, Mem. Rev. Mex., 52-58, for copies of documents addressed to the audiencia on the 11th of September; and the same author, Discurso Civic., 19-25, for information conveyed to the capital from August 11th to the above named date. Ochoa, on the 10th and 11th of September, sent despatches to Aguirre and the viceroy informing them of the meditated revolution, and forwarded a list of the principal persons concerned in it. Hernandez y Dávalos, Col. Doc., ii. 64-8.
