The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1911-06-07
W|FE'S PLEADING
SUBDUED D|Az
And Caused Him to Sign
Resignation.
GUIDED HIS TREMBLING HAND
In Signing Fatefnl Paper
Midnight Flight of Aged
Warrior Follows.
THE STORY OF sENORA's MAID

Mexico City, June 3.-Maria Oc-
ampo, an Oaxaca Indian wo-
man, thirty-five years old, who was
in the service of Madame PorfiriO
Diaz for nine years, declares that
Sonora Diaz guided the faltering
hand of the President to write his
resignation, and then took the mes
sage from the reluctant hand of the
old man and sent it herself to the
Chamber of Deputies for action on
the evening of May rs. The ser
want declares that Madame Diaz
forced her husband to flee the city
at o'clock in the morning through
fear that he would be assassinated.
President Diaz protested at his
wife's actions and used every argu-
ment possible, but finally was over
come by his wife's pleas, and he
and the family fed. The Ocampo
woman said:
ITO his family Diaz always said
that he would never resign and that
he would not be driven to it, but
would stay and fight it out, and If
need be. die fighting, but my mis-
tress argued night and day with
him and told him that his life was
worth more to her than to the un-
grateful Mexicans or to a country
inhabited by such people.
His resignation had been made
out for more than month by Diazs
attorney, and on the afternoon of
May 25, about o'clock, Madame
Diaz brought the paper to Diaz, who
was seated in front of a mahogany
library table in the library of his
home on old Cadena street, this
city, with his head buried in his
hands and tears coursing down his
cheeks.
81 had been helping LUIS Noriega,
another maid, dress Madame, and
stood just behind the heavy cur
tains leading to the main living
room next to the library. The heavy
clock in the hall struck three as
Madame put her arm around Diaz's
head and began reao-ng the resig-
nation to him. No, no. he said, I
will not sign that Then Madame
argued in a low voice, caressing him
soothingly, and finally took his
hand, in which she placed a pen,
and started to guide it over the
paper at the bottom of the resigna-
ton. Diaz jerked his hand away,
and springing to his feet, his eyes
blazing, said:
az will not sign this. will
stay here in my country and care
for It,.
Madame Diaz soothed him and
then rang the bell. l answered be-
fore any of the other servants got
there. l then brought fresh piece
of paper and then his wife led the
old man, trembling with mixed an
ger. grief and regret, back to his
chair, took his right hand with the
pen and guided it as he rewrote the
entire resignation and signed it.
mo attention was paid to me
and l stood watching and listening.
When II was signed, Madame reach
ed for 1t with one hand and with
the other rang a bell for a messen-
ger. She knew that at that moment
the Chamber of Deputies was in
session and that there was terri
BILE turmoil demanding her hus-
bands resignation.
."Diaz thrust the paper in his
pocket and refused to hand 1t over
to his wife and brushed her to one
side. The original resignation
drawn up by the lawyer lay on the
floor, and it was afterward burned
up and never used.
There were tears on the beau
tiful face of Madame as she begged
Diaz to give her the resignation, or
at least send 1t at once, so as to
avert massacres and riots. She ar
gued for more than twenty minutes,
and then Diaz tore the crumpled
paper from his pocket, thrust II
into her hand. saying;
! There. do what you please with
1T. and threw himself on couch,