A satirical paper named _Ahuizote_ was denounced by some offended
government officials and the editor was thrown into jail. Then Daniel
Cabrera started another Mexican Puck and called it _Hijo del Ahuizote_
(the son of Ahuizote). It was quite clever and got out a caricature
entitled: "The Cemetery of the Press," showing in the background
the graves of the different papers, and in the front a large cross
engraved, "The independent Press. R. I. P.," while hanging to each side
was a red-eyed owl with a spade. On top of the tomb was a lighted fuse
marked "Liberty." Underneath it read, "The sad cemetery of the Press of
Mexico, filled by liberty leaders, Juarez, Lerdo, Diaz and Gonzales."
The police were sent out to gather up and destroy every copy of this
paper.
Editor Cabrera was put in Belem, where he remained in the most pitiable
condition until death promised release; through the influence of
friends they took him home to die, guarding his house with a regiment
until he should be fit to be carried back to jail or until they should
see his body consigned to the grave. To say libelous things is as
dangerous as to write them. One fellow who ran a liquor shop let his
tongue wag too much for wisdom, and one night a member of the police
secret service went in, and as the proprietor turned to get the drink
the policeman had called for, he was shot in the back and again in the
body after he had fallen. The notice of the affair ended by saying: "It
is not known whether the policeman had orders to do the shooting." _La
Cronicade Tribunales_ (the _Court Chronicle)_ editor was denounced and
imprisoned for simply speaking about the rulings of one of the judges.
As all know by the Editor Cutting case, even a foreigner does not
write about Mexico's doings as they really are. I had some regard for
my health, and a Mexican jail is the least desirable abode on the
face of the earth, so some care was exercised in the selection of
topics while we were inside their gates. Quite innocently one day I
wrote a short notice about some editors, who received no pay from the
government, being put in jail. The article was copied from one paper to
another, and finally reached Mexico. The subsidized sheets threatened
to denounce me and said in Spanish, "One button was enough;" meaning
by one article the officials could see what my others were like, but
by means of a little bravado I convinced them that I had the upper
hand, and they left me unhurt. They have a law, known as "Article 33,"
which defines the fate of "pernicious" foreigners who speak or write
too freely of the land and its inhabitants. Once or twice they have
been kind enough to take the offending foreigner and march him, with a
regiment of soldiers at his heels, across the boundary line.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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