Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-12-14
RECALLS DAYS
Of MAMMALIAN
IN OLD MEXICO
Aged Woman, BIND and
Living Alone, Was Lady
in Waiting to Empress
Charlotte; is an American

Mexico City, Dec. 13 (by the AS
ISOLATED Press. "A shrlveledi gray
haired little woman, almost pima
and living wholly alone, sits all day
in her chair before the window Oh
her tiny apartment in Mexico City
and dreams of the days of the Mex
lean empire when the Austrian
Archduke Macmillan ruled the
destnies of the nation from 1864
to 1867. She is Sonora Marie Othe-
LA Jordan de Degollado, scion OF an
old Virginia family and wife OF the
late General Mariana Degollado,
member OF family famous IN Mex
lean history,
During the three tragic years OF
Maximilian's reign she was a iady-
in-Waiting to Empress Charlotle,
the "sad princess OF Europe, anu
to the correspondent she recently
recalled some interesting memories
of court days during the Mexican
empire.
beautiful Character"
Macmillan, the Inflated Aus
trian prince who was set up as
head of the empire by Napoleon
III. in 1864 and three years later was
shot as an usurper by order of the
Mexican President Juarez, was de-
scribed by Sonora Degollado as
beautiful character, sympathetic
and capable but too amiable 10
govern a nation of indictments.
Empress Charlotte, daughter OF
Leopold l., king of the Beigiahs'
who is still living in Brussels, ac-
cording to Sonora Degollaao, was
"an ambitious genius who was al
ways striving to advance her nus
hand and whose mind became un-
balanced when she found the path
blocked" Sonora Degollado mas
never seen the empress since sne
departed from Mexico City in July,
1896. to plead the cause or the
enpire before the French mon
arch and later to go to Rome TO al.
tempt to secure the good offices OF
the pope. So far as she knows no
direct word has been received III
Mexico from Charlotte in more thah
fifteen years and that only an IN
noherent note to the wife OF q tor-
mer high Mexican official
"The empress left hurriedly on
her European trip" said Senora
Degollado, who despite her eighty
odd wears retains remarkably
clear memory, land was accom-
panied only by her personal malas'
For many days prior to her oe-
nartllre there were evidences OF
her falling reason and we We're nol
s,1rprised to hear of her acute al
fliction several months later. 4 am
Dositiye that there is absolutely no
frnth in the reports that she was
noisoned before she left Mexico
And the emperor! He was possess
ca of every kind element of nature.
he was too good. He listened 10
treacherous advice and was snot'
mat dav was an evil one for Mex
ieo."
Fled To Guatemala.
carora Degollado was in Mexico
City when MaXimlllan was siios -
Gneretaro and although she had an
annortunity to view the body before
ii was shipped to Vienna sne 1
clined, preferring to remember I'm
as she knew him. Wltnn d lev
DAYS after the emperors death, siie
and her husband fled to duateliiala
where they lived for seVeral yeaIe
until Porfiro Diaz became presiuei'
of Mexico. ,,,.u maria
Jordan went to washington Win
her father during the early days OF
the civil war and there met MET
ana Degollado, who was attached 70
the Mexican embassy. They were
married in Washington ana ialer
came to Mexico where her nus
bands father, General Santos De
gollado, was one of the most prom,
rent men of the day. A street ana
nlaza in Mexico City still bears ms
name. .,,. tho+
Sonora Degollado believes tnat
che is the last survivor of the court
fayorites Of the Emperor MAXI
nnilinn.