The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-10-28
General Diaz Seeks Protection
of the United States.
He Is Taken on Board the
GunbOat Wheeling.
THE ACT RAISES A QUESTION
He Is Still an Officer in the
Mexican Army.
His Resignation Not Accepted
by President Huerta.

| Vera Cruz, Oct. 2s.-General Felix
| Diaz applied to the American consul
ate during the night for protection
and was taken on board the United
/ States gunboat Wheeling.
Jose Santoval and Cecilio Ocon, two
| Mexicans, and Alexander Williams, an
| American newspaper correspondent,
| who had made similar application to
| the consulate, also were taken on
board the gunboat with General
| Diaz.
The fact that General Diaz and two
| of his supporters were refugees on
board the Wheeling was not discov-
cred by the Mexican authorities until
this morning. The flight took place
after midnight, the three men taking
the risk of an excursion over the roof
| tops which were guarded by armed
men, into the American consulate
The two Mexicans who sought ref
uge with General Felix Diaz on board
the United States gunboat, Wheeling,
! last night have played prominent
parts in Mexican politics. Cecilo
| Ocon was charged on May "a, 1913,
| in the Mexican chamber of deputies,
| by Querido Mohena, now minister or
| foreign affairs with being "the actual
murderer Of Gustavo Madero.' This
| denunciation was made in connection
with a demand for an appropriation
1
services rendered to the government
| Jose Bonales Sandoval the other
| fugitive, was attorney in Mexico
| City and an adherent of the late Cen
eral Bernardo Reyes at one time sec
| retary of war, who was shot while
leading the rebels toward the ma
! tional palace during an attack by
General Felix Diaz in February this
year.
Sandoval was arrested on March 2,
1912 in Mexico City, charged with
rebellion, when he came there with
what purported to be an autograph
letter to President Francisco Madero
from Major Cuartes Hagadorn of the
! United States army, stating that the
bearer and many followers of Reyes
+ in the United States ard Cuba de-
| sired to return to Mexi~o City and re-
sumo their vocations.
L. B. Blum the American horse.
man arrested yesterday in Vera Cruz,
was taken into custody August last
| in Mexico City charged with being
i implicated in a plot to assassinate
Provisional President Huerta. The
police declared that a fund was be-
/ ing raised to pay the assassin and al
legged that Mr.. Blum was to be sub
scriber. He was. however, released
later, having denied the charge.
Placed on Retired List.
Mexico City, Oct. 2S.-Genera1
Felix Diaz was placed on the retired
list of the Mexican army today by or
der of General Aurelio Banquet, min
lister of war. General Diaz had re-
ouested by telegraph on Sunday to be
allowed to retire. and General Blan-
quet. after comforting with President
Huerta complied. General Diaz had
! held a commission for thirty years.
( The leaders of the Diaz party said to-
/ day they understood that General
Diaz in. requesting to be allowed to
retire, was simply following the ex-
ample of General Eugenio Rascon,
I Catholic candidate for the vice pres
/ idency; Brigadier General David Della
Fuente, Liberal-Republican candi-
date for the presidency and other
candidates at Sundays elections.
Feared for His Life.
Vera Cruz, Oct. est was late last
evening when General Felix Diaz be-
came convinced of the adVisabllity OF
seeking American protection. From
the hotel where he had been staying,
and which is contiguous to the United
States consulate, he made his way to
the consuPs office and informed Con-
sui William w. Canada he had re-
ceived information that his life was in
peril He told the consul that num-
ber of his adherents had been put in
Jail.
Diaz was accompanied to the con-
sulate by Jose Sandoval and Cecilio
Ocon, who also requested protection
for themselves.
The American consul at once took
steps to have the refugees transferred
on board the gunboat Wheeling, which
was lying in the harbor. The three
Mexican fugitives and Alexander VIII
/ liams, American newspaper man.
were taken to small boat and hur-
ried on board the American warship,
where they were given accommoda-
Z tionS.
Within Our Rights.
Washington, Oct. 2S.-The gunboat
/ Wheeling, because of her light draft,
has been held at Vera Cruz, with the
single purpose of affording refuge to
political fugitives as well as officials
of the American embassy or other
| be in distress.
| particular purpose because she was
able to approach the shore at Vera
! Cruz whereas the big battleships un-
! der Rear Admiral Fletcher's conf
mand have been obliged to anchor
about six miles out from the city.
I Officials here say there is no ques-
/ ton whatever of the right of naval
1 commander to extend asylum to such
4 a fugitive as DiaZ. as there have been
many precedents to support such
| action.
In South American countries and
notably in Chile and Peru where ir
| recent years the right of asylum hea
! been claimed and exercised, it has 81
| American minister or consul to secure
from the titular government a pledge
! of safe conduct for the fugitives from
! their place of hiding to the American
ship.
Prepared to Go Farther.