Читать книгу Ringside Seat to a Revolution - David Dorado Romo - Страница 41

Luján, was either killed or captured. The federals left

the corpses of 42 dead rebels hanging on the trees.⁷¹

Ochoa escaped by disguising himself as a federal sol-

dier and walking 300 miles back to Texas.

AFTER THE REBELLION was put down, the

Chihuahuan governor offered amnesty to all former

insurgents who laid their weapons down. Only

Ochoa and Benigno Arvizu, another Mexican

American rebel leader, were

denied amnesty on the

ground that these two were

“foreign citizens.”⁷² The

Díaz regime reportedly

offered a $15,000 reward for

Ochoa’s capture—dead or

alive.⁷³ Victor Ochoa

remained a fugitive until

October 1894 when he was

arrested by the sheriff of

Fort Stockton. But within 10

days, Ochoa—thanks to his

charisma and gift of gab—

had escaped.

The El Paso Times

described the scene of his

escape:

On the afternoon of

Ochoa’s escape from

Fort Stockton, there

was a Democratic

meeting in the court

house and the candi-

dates, among them

Sheriff Royer, who is

standing for reelection,

requested Ochoa to

address the Mexicans in their interest. He

readily consented and the entire Mexican

population flocked to the meeting to hear

him. Ochoa spoke for some time and he

devoted himself almost entirely to the sub-

ject of the recent revolution, and his speech

brought forth the wildest applause. The can-

didates were highly pleased at what they

supposed was an enthusiastic approval of

their desires for office. In consequence a big

baile was given in the same evening and the

general [Ochoa] was allowed to go. He

addressed the Mexicans and was taken back

to jail long after midnight.

Shortly after he was locked up a band of

Mexicans, masked and led by an American,

went to the jail and at the point of their

Winchesters, demanded the keys. They were

promptly handed to them

and Ochoa was released.⁷⁴

Ochoa only managed to ride

a horse for 90 miles before he

supposedly got stuck in a bog

near Pecos, Texas. Texas

Ranger J. Fulgham found Victor

playing billiards and arrested

him. (Some say Ochoa had

changed his mind about escap-

ing. An American jail was better

than being shot down by boun-

ty hunters.) When interviewed,

Victor was in good spirits. He

had nothing but praise for the

law officer who caught up with

him so quickly. “The Rangers

have treated me nicely and I

wish to thank them.” The feel-

ing was mutual. The Texas

Ranger called Victor L. Ochoa

“the boldest and most daring

off hand man I have ever met

and to me he appears to be in

his proper vocation as a revolu-

tionist.”⁷⁵

The El Paso Times described

the enthusiastic response the

revolutionist received wherever crowds encountered

him on the train trip back to El Paso:

All along the road from Pecos to El Paso,

Ochoa was a wonder and the object of all

eyes. Mexicans passed through the train and

viewed him with admiration. Americans who

were bolder shook hands with him and

wished him the best of luck. At Sierra Blanca

71

Osorio, Tomóchic en llamas, p. 187.

72

El Paso Times, March 8, 1894. Three years later Benigno Arvizu would be one of the leaders of the Teresista attack on Palomas.

73

Paterson Evening News, May 3, 1912. In some articles Ochoa claimed Díaz’ reward was $50,000. This was probably an exaggerated figure. In

36

1892, for instance, Governor Miguel Ahumada only offered 1,000 pesos for rebel leader Santa Ana Pérez. The contemporary news accounts in

1894 only mention a large bounty, but don’t give the exact amount.

74

El Paso Times, October 24, 1894.

75

El Paso Times, October 25, 1894.

Juan Hart was the editor of the El Paso

Times when Mexican President Porfirio

Díaz banned this newspaper from Mexico

for publishing articles favorable to the

Ochoa revolution, ca. 1910.

(El Paso Public Library.)