Los Angeles herald., 1891-11-25
j. Alexander Forbes Had
Better Go Home.
His Game of Bluff Wins in San
Diego but Not Here.
Judge Ross Gives the Person a De-
cided Setback.
He Invokes the Aid of the United States
Court without Avail - The
Case and the Law
In Full.

j. Alexander Forbes, who, as every
body thought, had subsidized after City
Clerk Teed had ordered him out OF his
office, again made his appearance here
yesterday. Mr.. Forbes, it will be re-
membered, is the representative OF the
surveyor-general's Office of this state,
and is the same individual who wanted
to carry off lot OF ancient Mexican
archives from the city hall, which were
the very safeguard OF many of the most
important property holdings in the
city.
When the gentleman first appeared in
the city hall he was most arrogant and
insolent, and several of the city's
officials had to call him down, as the
saying goes. He then went to San
Diego, after threatening to attack the
city of Los Angeles with the assistance
of United States courts. In San Diego
Mr.. Forbes's cold game OF bluff sue
ceeded admirably, for he returned yes
terday with the archives of the little
town sof Baynciimate in his inside
pocket. His success had put blood into
his eye, but he did not make another
stagger at the city hall.
Instead, he repaired at once to the
United States circuit court and made his
formidable appearance fret before Dis
trict Attorney Cole, and afterward be-
fore Judge Ross, in chambers, and ap-
piled for q search warrant in order to be
authorized to wade through the city hall
archives. Mr.. Forbes displayed his al
legged authority, and District Attorney
Cole submitted the legal status of the ap-
plicant. In the United States statutes at
large there is law passed by the Thir-
ty-fifth congress: An act to provide for
the collection and safe keeping of public
archives in the state OF California. The
first paragraph reads: "It shall be the
duty of the secretary of the interior to
cause to be collected and deposited in
the curveyor-general's Office in Califor-
MIA all official books, papers, instru-
ments of writing, documents, archives,
official seals, stamps, or dies that may
be found in the unauthorized possession
of any individual, relating to and
used in the administration of govern
ment and public affairs in the
department OF Upper California, and
which belonged to the government dur
ing the existence of Spanish or Mexican
authority in Upper California; and the
same, when deposited in his Office, shall
be safely and securely kept by the sur
veyor-general in the archives of his Of
flee, and copies thereof, authenticated by
the surveyor-general under the seal OF
his office, shall be evidence in all cases
where the originals would be evidence" )"
In addition to the provisions just
quoted, there is, however, little clause
which says that such documents, stamps,
etc., as are mentioned can only be seized
under search-warrant in case they are
concealed in a building OF elsewhere.
The question therefore resolves itself into
the one whether the documents in the
city hall are concealed or not. Judge
Ross yesterday decided that they are
not, and refused to issue search-war-
rant. Consequently Mr.. Forbes has
been compelled to give up trying to
seize our important local archives, and
he will probably leave for San Francisco
today. He left word, however, that be
will report the situation to the surveyor
general of the state, and will await fur
ther orders.