The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-07-09
MADAME Diaz
Womaa WItb q Bl$tUry
IN Witbita Jan.
n Withlta 1aIL

rage to President Dlaz Of Mexico. She Is
charged with her first crime, so far as
the police records of this city show. 1t is
for the larceny OF a woman's bicycle,
taken from the rear of one of the dry
goods stores Of this city. Minnie Diaz Is
the prisoners name. She came here just
a year ago, accompanied by her husband.
and for a few days stopped at the best
hotels She was fashionably attired and
wore jewelry which had the appearance Of
genuineness, apparent diamonds being on
her fingers and in her ears, although II is
now recalled that she wore them only In
the evening, this being considered at the
time as her compliance with good form.
She would leave her jewel casket at the
hotel office every day when going out.
Madame Diaz Is one of the types OF
Spanish women seen in Mexico, with
deliberate, pleasant, Spanish-Amer:can &C
cent, somewhat marred by the huskiness
peculiar to the inveterate users OF the
cigarette. She always seemed to have an
abundance of money during her sojourn az
the hotel. and paid literally for her &C
commodations and service. Her husband
could not speak a word Of English, and
any of the curious guests. Madame Diaz,
as she was called. did all the talking, and
1t was during a conversation in the par
lors of the hotel that the object Of Mrs.
Diazs mission in Kansas was first learn
ed. In this conversation she said that she
was born of Cuban parents, her mother
dying at her birth, and that her father
five years later was killed by a Spanish
officer: that she was thea taken TO the
home Of a family who were intimate
friends of her parents, and soon after
ward brought to the states. where che
was placed in Ersalin Mission, iorated
IN the Rio Grande country. which is the
dividing line between Old Mexico and the
United States. She was afterward taken
to California by a wealthy and nightly
connected Spanish family, and while liv-
ing with them she met and married H.
L. Russell. a cattle man OF S1lnlsn des'
cent, whose ranch was in California. By
this marriage one little girl was born.
She is now five years old and is living
with her grandmother at Tyler, Texas.
Madame DiaZ, as she calls herself, said
yesterday in her cell that she and her
first husband did not agree the last years
of their married life and separated.
Shortly after this separation Mrs. Diaz
took TO travelling, eventually finding her
way to Shawnee, Oklahoma, where she
met and married Hermenia Diaz, who
had but a short time before arrived from
Oaxaca, Old Mexico, and not being able
to speak a word OF English. and. charm
ed at finding one Of his own tongue. soon
married. Diaz had some money and
wanted to get into business. II was then
that the plot TO swindle the unsuspect-
ing and sympathetic republic was first
suggested by the newly mlds wife.
it Is charged. The war with Span
had broken out and the dispatcl.s
in the papers were tellin with
touching circumstance and detail the
suffering OF the Cubans, and the bride
soon persuaded her husband to invest his
surplus cash in a fashionable ward
robe. They then formed themselves into
a committee of two to solicit aid for the
suffering Cubans. For some time the
couple met with a ready response from
the public in Oklahoma and southern
Kansas. and things ran along quite
to suspect that his wife was being en-
tertained and admired for her noble work
with a prominenc which, he feared.
would lead TO arrest and a long term in
! prison. He then insisted that the
sw:ndling scheme should stop and pro-
| posed that they go to some city and en-
gage in a legitimate business. II was
concluded that they should try their luck
| in Wichita, and one day the Diaz family
arrived and put up at one of the hotels.
| They remained for some days, paying
| literally for their accommodation, until
| the time for retrenchment because OF lack
of funds, arrived. The Mexican conClud-
ed to open a fruit stand near one of the
depots Thd family left the hotel and
| took rooms near the location Of their fruit
stand The Diaz family prospered. a
young man who frequented the neighbor-
| hood quite often aroused Mr.. Diazs Jea!-
ousy, and a quarrel followed. terminal
ing in q separation. Diaz closed up his
| business and returned TO Oklahoma, his
! wife remaining here. Mrs. Diaz did not
prosper thereafter. and from bad TO worse
| developed lately into 4 NORTH he fieEd. it Il
said. ard would resort 10 anything to OBJ
| Ia The desired dug, and nsr las at n2i
placed her behind the bars, and she will
probably be sent to the penitentiary for
| a term Of years. She Occupies eel
with another female prisoner charged with
| the murder OF an old soldier-Nina Ray
| mond-and yesterday related her story
that pertaining tn her husbands con-
| sanguin'ty to President Diaz OF Mexico.
| She said:
"IIeremnia Diaz. who Is still my nus
| band by lawi was formerly gen d'arme
| at Mexico City. and about five years ago.
| through President Diaz. received the APP
pcdntment OF commander of a custom
| house in Chihuahua My husband had a
number OF letters n his possession. writ
| ter and signed by the president as 'you'
affectionate uncle and I have read them
| osfsn.. and my husband has told me many
| times Of his family connection. and al
| ways alluded 10 the president as his great
| uncle"
When asked why her husband gave UP
| his position and came to this country. she
| 5aii.
| "Hs Rad 20 leave. He had shown IA
vors II some OF his friends and there were
| charges made against him intima;ing tha,
! he had been accepting money from per-
sons who were defrauding the govern
/ ment out OF customs. in other words,
smuEglers. The last heard o, my hus-
| ban. he was IN nK31rml. lie
| has written me several times pleading
with me to come and live w.;h him. bu;
have always refused 70 do -. This is
/ the first time was ever accused e any
| crime and do not think I will be con-
! v:cted OF stealing the bicycle, although
did SCI. Il. 6IS rot Ste 81. 40, u froT