El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-01-08
The story of slaximillian.

The story OF Naximilliar.
But Juan Menna, after much printing,
has told of the shooting OF Maximilian.-
Of his part in the slaughter of the man
who, 10 many was both invader and
friend of the American republic. Here
is the story, fresh from the hating lips
of Juan Menna, soldier.
VIII the senior forgive the memory
of very old man? II is many years
since it happened, the story I viii tell
you. It was a long time ago. and 1 do
not read books to remember what 1
have forgotten. like some people do.
If the senior viii forgive, it was so:
They made me to be soldier. 1
did not want to kill Yes. there were
many in the army of Mexico like me.
They took me from my hearth in Parral,
and made a soldier of me. They dressed
me in uniform, and gave me rifle. Then
I was a soldier except in my heart
did not want 10 kill any man, and yet
! was never afraid. Does the senior I'M
derstand?
Yes. 1 was in many battles, I do not
know how many. Many times / was
captured by the French soldiers. But
they always let me go free. Why? Well.
senior. I do not know exactly. Perhaps
they knew that I was made to be sol
der l did not have TO tell them that.
They let me free. and no matter where
l would go, they would find me,
and give me another rifle. and tell me
TO be a soldier Per dos. what could one
do? 1t was not in my heart to fight.
but there over my shoulder was the
rifle.
Knew Diaz.
1T was unoer Gen. BIaneo that 1 was
soldier. No, I had known Diaz long
before. when ne was i captain of cav
airy at the capital Always was OF
the infantry and never served with him.
l fought all through those battles until
the French left Mexico. and left Maxi
milan behind We heard that the EN-
peror had not gone, and that made us
very sorry. Many of the men Tho
fought with me liked the French and
thought the emperor good man. ana
fTlat gave me the more pain when hao
70 xiii. It always gave me pain 10
kill
at was not long before the gen
darmes OF the enemy-the enemy Oh
good friends to me-were all killed. And
Macmillan was q prisoner, they told US.
God had 1T that / was near Queretaro-
They told me that j was 10 be one OF
rnurderers of the prisoners. wanted 10
run away. But what could 90. senior
I loved my life more than 1t hurt me
to kill others. But surely you do not
want to hear of how the emperor was
killed, murdered by me- 1esE
Execution of Macmillan
ct was on the zorro de Ia Campana
that it happened, very near little
church / have heard that brother OF
Maximiliano built the little church Per
hans that was why they killed him
there-why they made me Kill him. me
emperor stepped out of carriage. he
fn0
quiet. With him were two men, MoJia
and Miramon, both generals, L heard
later.
..They had chosen me and four other
soldiers to Kill these good men Not one
of US wanted to do it, may God hear me-
this is true. He was glad to die, was
Macmillan He died with much gusto.
the last he was TO fall 1 was AFRAID
not 10 shoot straight, as the captain told
me. Someone else would have killed
him had 1 not, and I wanted TO live as
much as the three men wanted TO die,
so they said. But was it equal for L,
common man, to kill Maximiliano-an
emperor?
EFT was very early in the morning
when we murdered the emperor and MS
two generals. 1t might have been that
date; / do not even remember the year
Figures do not stay in my old head
{ But II was very lOii5 TINT ooo'
senor let me end. We fired and killed
the emperor and the two generals. The
emperor was the last. 1 do not re-
member everything, but he was the last,
that l know. And then We went away,
and the war was over. I had helped
kill a great man. 1t does not matter IL
he was no Mexican. have not we all the
same good God, senior?
Hard Life for an Old Man.
ct was II years that I fought with
Gen. Blanco And then they freed me
from my uniform and my rifle. Ana
then was happy and went to work. !
married and had two children. But