Los Angeles herald., 1891-05-22
HE WAS A DON JUAN.
THE AMoURs OF MIGUEL LEoNrs
AIRED IN COURT.
The Attempt of His Indian Houss-Keeper
and His Illegitimate Daughter to Break
His VILLA Strong Case for the Girl.

The heirs to whom Miguel Leonis
willed his $500. 1000 estate, and who are
now called upon to defend their title to
that property against the claims of a
mistress and an illegitimate child of the
dead Frenchman, closed their case before
Judge Clark, in department two of the
superior court, yesterday.
The first witness of the day was Don
Jose Mascarel, we'll known old-timer,
who has lived in this region since way
back in the forties. Mascarel was form
er!y partner of Leonis's, and knows the
history of Espiritu probably better than
anyone else now living. His testimony
was to the effect that he had first met
the alleged wife of Mascarel in 1s4S, in
this city. She was then the mistress OF
Frenchman named Mano, barber.
The couple>separated in 1S4S, when Mano
went to the gold mines, but came to-
gether again in 1850 at Escorpione. In
1851 they again parted, after a quarrel,
and Espiritu went to San Fernando
where she lived with one Antonio Melen-
dez, foreman of Andreas Pico's ranch
This was about 1855.
Melendez lived with Espiritu until
within six months of the time she be-
came the mistress of Leonis, in 1862.
From San Fernando Espiritu and Leonis
moved to Los Pelitos, where the latter
went into the cattle business, and thence
to Calabasas, where they lived about
fifteen years. The witness never heard
Leonis call Espiritu anything but "Es-
piritu' or "mujer," and he never re-
ferred to her as his wife. In 1875 Leonis
made will and gave it to Mascarel for
safe-keeping, after which he went to
France to see his folks and to ''tind a
wife," in which search he did not sue
ceed. In 1889 Espiritu decided certain
property to Mascarel in her capacity as
single woman, and this deed was
shown the witness and identified.
David Centunez, l.. Sentous, Mirande
Leonis, Dr. Nadeau and other witnesses
were put on the stand by the heirs, to
prove that Espiritu was simply mis-
tress and not wife, and the case for the
defendants was closed just as the ad-
journment for lunch was taken.
In the afternoon counsel for Espiritu
called DR.. Mason, E. L. Cruz and Espir-
itu herself, whose testimony was of the
ooAhO CShoi ao ehdt dIICduy iHIIOuuCcu
by the contestant.
Little Nettie Pryor, the fourteen-year-
old girl who claims share of the estate
as the illegitimatea aoffspring of Miguel
Leonis and Liberada Pryor nee Mascarel,
had her innings next and with the one
or two witnesses which have been ex-
amined in her behalf, has already estab-
lished very strong position. Mrs.
Jose Mascarel was examined yesterday
afternoon to prove the child's relation
ship to Leonis, and was kept on the
stand about two hours. Her testimony
was to the effect that about fourteen
years ago, shortly before the birth of
Nettie, Leonis always made her house
his headquarters when he came in from
the rancho. Her daughter Liberada,
who had parted from her first husband,
was staying at home at the time and her
room adjoined the one usually occupied
by Leonis. One evening about IL
O'Clock, upon going to her daughters
room, she found Leonis and Liberada in
bed together. They acknowledged their
guilt and-promi- ed that it would not oc-
cur again. Soon after Liberada proved
to be with child. Leonis took the blame
on himself, paid all the expenses of
Liberada's confinement and agreed to
give his name to Nettie, which, however,
was not done. The hearing of testimony
will be continued at IL O'Clock this
morning