Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1896-12-31
DIAz WANTED REVENGE.
Nephew of Mexico's President Made
Trouble for Them.

dallleQ Win the tuneIul HuSeS IN oil
parts Of the habNable and several Of
| the uninhabitab.e globe.
Yes said William Parry, the
stage manager of the Metropolitan,
Il think it is safe TO award the prize
to Mexico, It's greet country-to
keep away from, II is positively
the worst OF the lot, and that is saying
a great deal, for I've seen some
mighty mean countries for opera peo-
pie in my day.
"It's not that Mexico is not \
money-lnaker. Far from 1t, 1t is a
most liberal patron Of the opera as
far as money goes But the laws'
Great heavens, you are stumbling your
toes against some hidden and horld
law half the time.
Il remember the time / was down
there with Patti. They idolizei the
4 diva in Mexico, yet II is wonder to
me that they ever let her come out
alive. She must have broken at least
one Of their laws. and probably a
dozen Why, they have a law there
that If you begin moment or two
after the advertised time, or in any
way fail to keep the exact letter OF
your announcements, pop! you are in
| for a fine of $500.
1.-THE nephew Of President DlaZ was
the overseer Of theaters a. that time.
1t was his duty to go in on the stag z
and see that all the requirements OF
/ the law were fulfilled. He went this
night just before the performance
Standing in the wings was pretty
Minnie German, all made up for her
part. Young Diaz saw her ard at
tempted some familiarity chucked
! her under the chin or something.
Biff the first thing he knew Billy
Doren, stage carpenter, to whom
she was engaged smashed him in the
face. 1t was deserved and it was
scientifically administered.
/ "Of course there was a terrible to-
do. The managers rushed in aid
made most humble ap l7gies. Young
Diaz pretended to accept them and
retired as gracefully as was possible
under the circumstances
Forever, whose first manuscripts were
declined with thanks" can now
command $3.50 for a song.
Eve all breashed freer when he
was gone and ThoIght the matter
ended But soon there came the
tramp of marching feet A squad OF
soldiers halted at the stage entrance.
Fly, Billy, cried, and hide
yourself. | knew we could not do
without Billy. He was as indispens-
able to the show as Patti herself.
"Bifly hid himself and the soldiers
came in. The officer demanded The
man who mad struck the nephew of
the president of the republic. | told
/ aim TO help himself The stage hands
were all trotted out, but young Djaz,
who was present, could no. pick out
his assailant.
I while this was going on young
\ Lionel Mapleson, son Of the colonel,
and one of the managers, strolled IN
upon the stage.
Arrest that man. cried young
Diaz; that is my assailant.
/ My dear sir said Lionel, who
was something Of dude and was
greatly taken aback. I have not as
saulted you. | never saw you in my
life before
Well, you will have TO go TO jail
just the same said the officer in
command Of the soldiers, and young
Map,eson was marched off ignomin-
iously to prison.
Mr. Grau called upon the project of
police and assured him that he had
arrested the wrong man Well, pro-
duce the right one and we VIII ex-
change him. said the latter
Then we were in a qlandary. We
could not spare Billy Doren, nor could
we spare Lionel So the manager
picked cut a poor chorus singer named
Justiccio Baldasaro and told him That
ne would have to take the place OF the
arrested Young man. He demnrred
against this harsh treatment, but
when assured that the management
would take good care of I'm and re-
ward him in the future he consented
to become a yicarious sacrifice and
went away to the gloomy jail believ-
ing that his fortune was made.
THAT night we had the concluding
opera of the engagement. Patti sang
divinely. President Diaz was in his
box, and that nephew had the gall to
sit there beside him I'd like to
punch his head in real republic,
where one could meet him as man to
man
The management tried all ther
wiles on the police and the con
temptible young hound to get poor
Justiccio out of prison, but it was in
vain, and Patti herself had to make a
personal call on President Dlaz and
beseech him as a personal favor to
release the man before they consented
to let him go. And all because man
had rightfully punched the insulier Of
his sweetheart
II myself had a taste OF Mexican
law once which satisfied me for life. I
continued Mr. Parry, "and makes me
content TO earn my bread and butter