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Victor L. Ochoa, of 15 Ramapo
Avenue, this city, a citizen of the United States, once
had the distinction of having the price of $50,000 set
upon his head, to be delivered dead or alive to Porfirio
Diaz, President of Mexico. |
It is a far cry from Mexico to
Paterson, but at this time when the internal troubles of
that Republic are engaging the attention of the whole
world, it is timely to relate what part Mr. Ochoa played
years ago during a similar outbreak. When seen at his home
this morning, Mr. Ochoa told of his thrilling adventures
while General of the rebels, during the soul-stirring
days of 1892. Mr. Ochoa, has since then conducted himself
in an exemplary manner and is through with revolutions,
but he is taking a keen interest in the present revolt.
At the time Mr.
Ochoa sought to overthrow the rule of Mexicos chief
executive, his family was possessed of considerable
landed estate in Chihuahua. Much of this had been seized
in the early nineties, and of great was the activities of
the regular soldiery that an uprising was started by Mr.
Ochoa. He picked a band of several hundred men about him
and started a revolt that stirred the entire Republic.
During one of his marches he was caught in the mountains
by Diazs soldiers and hemmed in on all sides. He
saw his men put up a gallant fight, but outnumbered, they
fell one by one until Mr. Ochoa alone survived. Through a
ruse he managed to obtain the uniform of one of the
regular soldiers and while on the retreat was espied and
shot at in the belief that he was a deserter. Then
started a chase which led through the mountain , through
treacherous ravines and gullies. It was a long traverse
over three hundred miles, but the plucky Ochoa, finally
managed to obtain some aid and eluded his pursuers. He
went to Texas where he remained in exile for a long time
while President Diazs men were hunting for him
spurred on by the big reward.
Victor L. Ochoa
of No. 15 Ramapo Avenue, Paterson, a citizen of the
United States, has the distinctions of having the price
of $50,000 set upon his head to be delivered dead or
alive to Porfirio Diaz, President of Mexico. Mr. Ochoa
was a revolutionist who sought to overthrow the rule of
Mexicos chief executive in the early nineties. He
was arrested in Texas and served three years at Crow Hill
as a political prisoner. Every effort was made by
President Diaz to secure his extradition, but President
Cleveland refused to sign the papers on the ground that
political crimes are not extraditable.
Mr. Ochoa for
many years was a Mexican editor. His father, Juan Ochoa,
was Collector of the Port of Presidio Del Norte, and has
a conspicuous place in Mexican history as the man who
smuggled the arms into Mexico which resulted in the
overthrow of the Maximillian empire. The ex-revolutionist
declares that President Diaz, whom he terms a monarch
rather than the popular President he is reputed to be,
has developed such a stanch loyal army that the present
revolution is bound to be crushed.
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