Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-05-03
GENERAL
GETS PART OF
old ESTATES
Rio Grande Cutti n G
Restores 19 Acres to
Nephew of Former
Mexican Dictator

How he was tried and acquitted
under an assumed name Ia 1916 ~
having entered Mexico without =
permit after having been blown
ashore a few miles below Point Isa-
bel was told here today by General
Felix Diaz while in the city 20 render
for taxation "A "banro" Of land south
east 0f Brownsville. formerly IN
Mexico but now " part of Texas due
TO the changing course Of the RIO
Grande.
Purely business" Thus concise
IL did the former general under the
PorfirO Diaz regime Indicate the rea-
son for his trip To Brownsville. lie
refused I'D comment on Mexico n
political situation other than to say
that any statement he might make
would be nothing more than a repe-
titi0n Of what he has said many
times before
The banco cut off by the meander-
ings NJ the river once lay just across
the river from Piper Plantation. Now
!, lies between Piper Plantation and
the river. There are 10 acres which
{ ANA AAAAA AN NaAr ttA AAhfA1 HAN - ttNf
In Texas As long as il was in Mex
ic0 II was in the hands w the Mex
lean government which had ConLls-
Gated an his property IN the country.
They got everything but myself.
/ the eXpatriate said The Rio Grande
gave him back part Of his property
| hut several thousand acres still lie
On the other side WI this river. He
y A .L IA
here as q result Of the international
! boundary commission having finish
1 cd It's work.
Due To the fact that part of the
/ old river bed runs through his ~
acres III was assessed al only $40 an
acre or $3.50.
Diaz the Actor
| General Diaz recounted how he
and several companions started out
from Corpus Christi with ten
/ ton, gasoline -cngined boat for Mex
\ ico and how wind came up aud
blew the small crew and the vessel
ashore. The ship. Ia Prudencia. was
blown ashore near the mouth of the
I Rio Grande on Mexican soil.
Mexican officers arrested Diaz aud
brought him to Matamoros where he
lanEuished for three weeks in the
military barracks. lie had shaved
I his mustaehe and affected dcform-
/ ity by walking with stoop and
/ bending sideways lie called him
/ self Francisco Sanchez and sc him.
self up as engineer of the Prudcncia.
And il was powered with a small
\ gasoline motor:
The Mexican officials suspected
/ him Of carrying arms 10 Felix Diaz
and asked him many times whether
\ IKE knew Diaz. The prisoner admit
tea having known Dias i'm the capi-
VI tan. The officials hired divers IA
search the gulf floor near the point
/ the vessel was driven ashore when
4 they could not find arms on board
Unable 70 find any contrahand
arms and ammunition they went
\ back tn Emperor MaNimilian's time
and dug up an old law which forbade
entry into the country without per
/ mis sion. And he WAS a Mexican cit
| izeal Then the shipwrecked one
| was taken to Monterrey where ht
was court-martialed. He was freed
IN this military trial 0f the charge
/ which had been brought against him
Flees the Capital
Instead Of heading for the border
/ Diaz went 10 Mexico City. There \
| friend gave his presence away as 4
result OF his eagerness 10 see him
and Diaz had IN flee the city. Diaz
went into the field under his uncle
! Porfirio Diaz.
As a result of his Identification 10
( Mexico City the man who was ms
I attorney IN the military trial had a
I flee for hi life from Monterrey.
General DIaz spoke with regret III
\ his Matamor0s stay which ~ said
was tinged with sadness. Living N
suspense as he did for fear that his
identity would be revealed was none
too pleasant he said.
"Matamoros was not a plea init
place tO be then," he said and then
| turned To his iuterviewers and began
asking them about the Aatamoros oi
today. Some Of the changes were
I described 70 him and then Oscar del
/ Castillo. representing ri Cronist0 del
II Valley. Brownsville Spanish daily
paper, took him tD window and
4 pointed cut some 0f the igns 0i
I m0deruity. The visible portions oi
/ she new waterWorks system ard oth-
cr things were pointed ogt ID him as
he gazel d. the land from which W.
4 must remain pxpatriated. unless
And 0n that last word hang W world
i ~ conjecture.
Diaz said that he would te IN tne
/ city probably until tonight lie i.
F. accompanied on tfe trip here by bis
secretary. GniliermD Rusas. Jr. and
Jose Perches 0f PHI Paso. TeAaH