Buried in Alien Soil

Eastside Cemetery
City Ground

Juan Diaz - Part 1


Buried in Alien Soil

Cousin of Ex-President Diaz of Mexico, Dies Here

Passed Away on Rock Island Limited Train Nearing Hutchinson

Body Interred Here

Until Conditions in Mexico Permit Removal to Home Land

John Diaz, a wealthy coffee merchant of Chihuahua, Mexico, and a cousin of the late president of Mexico, Porfirio Diaz, died yesterday on the Rock Island Golden State Limited train, while coming to Hutchinson.

Mr. Diaz, accompanied by his wife and child, his niece, and E. T. Lafor and son, were on their way from El Paso, Tex., to Europe. Mr. Lafor is cashier of the National Bank of Mexico at Chihuahua, and a wealthy man.

The insurrection had caused them to leave Chihuahua and they had been at El Paso for some months. Now they were en route to Europe, the Diaz family going to Spain, where ex-president Diaz is now, and the Lafors going to France.

Mr. Diaz had been an invalid for some time, and the physicians had advised him not to attempt the trip, but he insisted. All the way from El Paso he suffered acutely, and death occurred about 10 o’clock yesterday, two hours before the Limited reached Hutchinson.

The body was taken from the train here, and the party stopped off here, being guests at the Chalmers hotel. The remains were interred in Hutchinson at East Side Cemetery where they will remain until the troubles in Old Mexico make it possible to remove his body back to the family burial ground at Chihuahua.

The bereaved widow, who has an infant child, and her companions will leave this evening for El Paso. Mr. Lafor and his son will then resume their journey to Europe, where they expect to make an extended visit.

Mr. Lafor has been engaged in the banking business at Chihuahua for nearly twenty years. He is a citizen of Old Mexico, although of French birth.

“I love Mexico, and I am hoping that the troubles that now are tearing asunder my home land will soon be ended,” said Mr. Lafor. “We want peace, and I believe we will soon have peace.”

“Do you believe intervention will yet become necessary?”

Mr. Lafor shook his head and shrugged his shoulders with an expression of disbelief.

“But I don’t want to be quoted on political matters,” he said. “You see it isn’t very good for business men to talk politics, even when away from home.”

The Hutchinson News 7/1/1912