1878: N.Y. HERALD INTERVIEWS CORTINA, DIAZ IN MEXICO CITY

 (Ed.'s Note: These interviews of Juan N. Cortina and of Mexico President Porfirio Diaz were conducted January 1 and published January 14, 1878, two years after Diaz had imprisoned Cortina in a Mexico City prison. Diaz removed Cortina from the border and was trying to get recognition for his government from the United States after he led the military overthrow of elected president Sebastian Lerdo de Tejada, who went into exile in New York. Cortina was to die in Mexico City and never return to the border or to his mother's ranch in San Pedro. Here the New York Herald reporter writes of his interview with him in 1878, six years before his death in Mexico City.) 

The great American public has heard much and at frequent intervals of Juan N. Cortina, the terror of the Rio Grande border, the reputed author of numerous murders and the champion cattle thief of  America.

An account of his waning fortunes may therefore prove interesting; particularly so to the Texans, who have put a prize of $10,000 upon his precious head. An enterprising newspaper reporter in New Orleans pretended to have recently seen and interviewed the great robber chief in that city, representing him to be on his way to Texas.

 The story was published in one of the New Orleans papers, but the truth is that Cortina was at that time - and is still - lingering in the the prison of Santiago Tlaltelolco in the City of Mexico and that the Cortina story palmed off upon a credulous public in New Orleans was a spurious one.

To the prison aforementioned I drove through clouds of dust, and after a half hour's ride alighted before the main entrance. The building from outside looks like an old Spanish convent and is now used us a prison for political political offenders, Cortina's wholesale murders and cattle thefts apparently being considered by the authorities as offences of a political nature.

"Why do you want to shake hands with old Cortina!" exclaimed the military officer in charge of the prison, adding that I could only do that with special permission of the superior authority. When I had explained to him how anxious the American public, and especially the people of Texas were to have the latest authentic news as regards the whereabouts and well being of their old friend Cortina, he yielded to my appeals and finally consented that I should have a short interview with that interesting old gentleman in the presence of one of his officers.

The latter, a young lieutenant, took me in tow and leading the way through long corridors, well guarded by fixed bayonets, he finally showed me into a large apartment where Cortina stood at the barred windows surrounded by some friends. The General received me cordially. He felt flattered at being the object of the Herald's attention. He did not at all look ferocious.

Dressed in his best broadcloth,  and with a new black slouched hat on his head, he looked like a lately prosperous merchant now under a cloud. He appeared to suffer from his confinement, although his room was large, airy and furnished with more comforts that one expects to see in a prison.

His dark face is set off by a lengthy beard in which the gray predominates over the black. He looks to be over 60 although he informed me that he was only 54. A man of medium height and slight build, he appears to the general observer like a respectable old gentleman; but catching, now and then, a glance from those small, sharp, snappy, restless eyes, one is apt to feel less comfortable in his presence.

His curved upper lip, too, although covered with a closely-cut mustache and overshadowed by a
long. flat nose, is indicative of anything but mildness and fair dealings.

I expressed a delight at meeting so famous a man as the General who has been no doubt so basely slandered.

"Yea, 'slandered' is the word," replied the General.
He was accused of all sorts of crimes, but  his accusers had failed to specify time, or place, or circumstances in support of their accusations. Bad men had, under his name, committed crimes which were now laid at his door.

Old charges were raked up against him dating back to as remote a period as 1848, when he was acting as military commander in the line of duty. It was absurd to bring up now what happened so long ago. He thought he would be set at liberty in a short time, say two or three weeks. Of course he was  as comfortable as he could be under the circumstances but he would prefer to walk about the streets.

I inquired whether he intended to go back to Texas and whether be knew that his friends there had put a large prize upon his head.

Well, he did not think be would go back to Texas He had no business interests there. As for the prize
upon his head he did not care that much (snapping his finger) for it. He had a great many enemies, but had also some good friends in Texas who knew he had been lied about and he charged me to tell the truth about him in the Herald.

It was useless to prolong an interview with a man so persistently innocent and so grossly slandered, so 1 shook hands with the General expressing the hope that a good and great man as he may yet get his just deserts.

Before concluding my account of the interview with President Porfirio Diaz, it is necessary here to mention that 1 had previously paid a visit to Cortina...in the prison...in  Mexico City. I mentioned to the President that 1 had found Cortina to be quite an interesting old gentleman, who did not appear to black as be was painted.

1 added that the interesting old gentleman aforesaid expected to be set at liberty in a week or two.

President Diaz replied, with a smile:"It is just possible - indeed it is very probable - that Mr. Cortina may be too sanguine in his hopes of liberty. Of course, 1 cannot tell now near or how far that hoped-for event will be. The machinery of justice is very slow and I think it's better for all concerned that he should remain where he is. He may seem a mild interesting old gentleman when you contemplate him in his present quarters, but I fear his old nature would return it be were permitted to go back to his former haunts on the frontier."

1 might have elicited more interesting information from President Diaz, as he did not regard my visit or my questions as intrusive, but not wanting to occupy more of his valuable time I concluded our interview.

So, with a cordial handshake and an invitation to call again, be bade me goodbye.