Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-12
ESTATES OF CORT[z
Grant Made to the conqueror
by Emperor Charles V.
CUT BY THE NEW RAIL WAY
Oldest Charitable Institution on the
Continent.
MARK OF HIS GRATITUDE
Story Of His Stealthy Departure From
Santiago, Cuba, for Mexico
His Discreditable Career.
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS
Special Correspondence The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald
| TEHUANTEPEC, Mexico, April Z. 1906
| The railway across the isthnus passes
| through a large grant of land which was
| given to Cortez by Emperor Charles in
1925 together with the title Marquis of
! the Valley" The histories of the conquest
in both the Spanish and English languages
| invariably refer to him as Herman Cortez.
| but the patent of nobility and text of the
| grant of land both call him Fernando, and
| the former reads as follows:
'Titulo de Armas que Su Majestad da al
Exmo Senior Don Fernando Cortez Marquee
del Vale. Fue Expedido el de Marco de
| 1926"
This document is preserved in the archives
| of the Hospital de la I.impia Conception
de Maria Santisma de Jesus NaZareno.
| founded in 1927 by Cortez as a votive offer
! ing to the Holy Virgin and the Savior in
| gratitude for his victory over the Mexican
| heather. 1t is the oldest and was I'M
| douhtedly the first charitable institution
| founded in America. 1t stands on the site
| of the palace of Montezuna, where Cortez
| lodged when he first reached the City of
Mexico. The Aztec emperor was standing
| on the terrace of this palace when he was
| killed by a stone thrown from a mob of
AZtecs which he trying to pacify. Some
accounts say that he was killed by an ar
| row. 1t has often been charged that Qua
| temotZin, or Cuautemoc, his nephew. SON
| in-law and successor on the throne, threw
| the stone or shot the arrow. That is an
other subject of controversy in Mexican
history.
The hospital is very large structure of
stone and stands almost exactly today as
1t originally built 1t extensively
repaired in 1888 and again in 1892. but was
very little altered Connected with the hos
pital is the Church of Jesus of Nazareth,
81 So N WI
lay for many years until the revolution of
1928 when the trustees of the hospital,
fearing that the mob might loot the place
conveyed them secretly to Vera Cruz and
sent them to Spain. The director of the
hospital, DR.. Alaman, is the Mexican rep
resentatiye of the descendants of Cortez
and looks after their business here. He not
only has the original of the patent of no
bility granted to Cortez by the great en-
peror Charles V, but several other docu-
ments of equal historical interest
Division of the Estate.
The estate presented to Cortez on the
isthmus is now divided into three ranches.
La Venta the most important, embraces
about 10000 acres, situated eighteen miles
from Vic Verde station, on the Tehuantepec
railway. and about thirty miles Nom the
town of San Geronimo, terminus of the Pan
American railway. About 1000 acres are
under cultivation mostly in sugar cane
Upon this plantation may be found the
original house erected by CorteZ for his
residence and hacienda headquarters in
1921. 1t was for many years the home of
his descendants, but Is now partially In
ruins. Another estate, called Tarifa, about
twelve miles east of the Tehuantepec rail-
way, contains nearly 10000 acres. Very
little of it is cultivated and it is mostly
given up TO cattle. The third estate, called
Chivela. lies on both sides of the track
for about seven miles and has station of
its own of the same name about twelve
miles from Rincon Antonio. the headquar-
tiers of the railway company.
All three of these plantations, and in
fact, all of Abe property granted to Cortez
by the emperor at the time the title was
bestowed upon him, now belong to the
Maqueo family, the head of which. Don
Julian has been an important figure in
Mexican affairs for many years. He is
venerable gentleman about seventy years
of age and spends most of his time in the
City of Mexico, where he has handsome
mansion. His two sons take active charge
of the estates and spend much of their time
at La Venta hacienda. The property was
purchased by Don Esteyan Maqueo. grand
father of Don Julian in 1896, from the
Italian Duke of Monteleone. who inherited
them from his ancestors, the direct heirs
of Cortez.
Cortez had another large estate and one
of greater value at Cuernavaca. which was
the capital of the Tlahuicas. an Independent
tribe of natives, who were hostile TO the
Aztecs and reinforced him during the con-
quest. At Cuernavaca occurred one of the
most thrilling events of that struggle. Cor
tez and his comrades crossed deep guIch
by means OF the nTnDS OF Two trees grow
ing on either side. The branches had in
tertwined as to form a sort of suspen-
sion bridge, and notwithstanding their
heavy armor the Spaniards We're able to
make the crossing. After the Aztecs We're
subdued Cortez made Cuernavaca his resi-
dence built a palace. which is now the
state capitol, and took possession of large
highly cultivated tract of land, wr4ch, by
his will was bestowed upon the Hospital Of
Jesus in the City of Mexico and has paid
substantial revenue toward the suppo' t
Ton Gin
of the will is on file in the archives OF
state, and the title deed to the plantations
on the isthmus In the recorders Office
at the city of Oaxaca.
Stole Fame From His Patron.
Cortez was born in the town of Medallin,
Spain. in 1855. and is said TO have been the
son of small merchant. So little is known
of his ancestry and early life, however, that
they have been the subjects OF continued
controversy He appeared in Cuba as sec
rotary and aid-de-camp to Diego Velasquez,
the governor general, In 1911, and became
one of the great heroes of American MS
tory by means of dishonorable trick.
Velasquez, acting under orders from Spain,
had prepared an expedition for the explora-
ton and conquest of Mexico, and was ready
to sail when he was called away tempo
rarily from Santiago. where the fleet had
assembled. During his absence Cortez as
sumed command, seized all the meat, bread
| and provisions he could find in the city,
and with stolen feet sailed for Vera
| Cruz February IS. 1919. Velasquez was
| thus betrayed and robbed of glory and
| honor by his secretary and protege. This {.
act however, was characteristic of Cortez,
whose entire career is filled with detestable
and cruel deeds.
His relations with women were especially
discreditable. Yielding to the persuasions
| of Gov. Velasquez and pressure from the
parents of a young woman with whom he
hsd been guilty of ndiscretion, he married
| Dona Cataline Juarez de Pacheco of San
| tiago de Cuba before sailing with the stolen
| feet He LETT her In Cuba, but after the
conquest without his knowledge, she fol-
| lowed him to Mexico evidently tempted to
seek a share of the wealth and glory he
| had acquired. She found him at Coyoaean,
| a suburb of the City Of Mexico, living with
| Malinche, his Indian mistress. in a house
| which still stands. There was q quarrel
| and he strangled her. There are several ac-
| counts OF her death which are conflicting