Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1892-11-05
HOW JOSEPH BOUGHT THE GlENEGuILLA GRANT

HOW JOSEPH BOUGHT the GlENEGDILLR GRANT.
On October ., 1854, the NEW MEXICAN
published the editorial below reproduced.
1t Is eight years since then and Mr.. 10
seph has not been able to refute a single
statement made thereip, It is therefore
right and just to concede that the charges
are true.
And this self-same man Joseph is the
one, who now goes about the territory,
asking voters to vote against Hon. T. B.
Catron, because the latter owns large
landed interests, for which he paid Just
and fair prices.
Read and judge for yourselves:
THE LAND GRANT CANDIDATE AGAIN.
We gave to the public a few days ago
some developments regarding the pocu-
liar methods by which Mr.. Joseph OBJ
tanned deeds from the poor and confiding
owners of their rights in the Cieneguila
grant. These showed that Mr.. Joseph
was largely interested in various uncon-
tirmed land grants which are now await
ing the action of congress, but that the
manner of obtaining them had been the
reverse of honorable.
The gentleman whom we requested to
make inquiries at Cieneguilla has now re-
turned and corroborates the worst state
ments that have been made. 1t seems that
after Joseph secured the man Vigil as
decoy for the other owners, by paying
him considerable sum, the rest of the
owners, 113 in number, were all cheated
out of their rights by misrepresentation
of different kinds. and actually received
the pittance of 81 each. Our representa-
tive says: II stopped at Cieneguilla as
you desired and saw several of the old
persons whose deeds were obtained by
Joseph. promised not to devulge their
names, as they are all in mortal dread of
Joseph, whom they think would drive
them away from their little cottages and
ntEjGuS anu OliClNlHt ulb lIClh
if he knew they had answered questions
as to his actions. The first house | visit
ed WAS that of an aged couple, evidently
very poor but with good, kindly faces,
that of the woman especially being a
striking one. l asked If they were among
the ones who sold the grant (the deeds
showed their names,) and both answered,
Eyes" "How much did you get for your
interests?" | as ked. "Only 81 EACH" said
they. "You don't mean you only received
that" | said. what did the others get?'
"That is all any of US got except Vigil,'
they answered. But why did you sign
for that" "Oh! we were all poor, in
nocent, ignorant people, said the woman
1--WE did not know about the business ex-
cept what they told us and we believed
them" 1--WE were all fools, that is the
reason" said the man. Antonio Joseph
came with an alcalde and made us think
il was all right, and we signed We were
fools. that's all. Oh! the thieves they
robbed us Yes, the thieves, they cheat
ed US because we were ignorant" chimed
in the poor old woman. AS l looked at
this aged couple in their restitution, tell
ing with Indignation of the way in which
they had been robbed of all they pos
sessed, could not see how any one could
have the heart to deceive them.
next saw a young man who was
gathering in his vegetables He had been
present at the meeting where Joseph and
his attending alcalde had obtained the
signatures of a number of the people.
He denounced more fiercely the deceit by
which they had been induced to sign away
their rights for nothing, using strong
terms against the perpetrators. ut was
a fraud" he said "they told us what was
not true. The people were ignorant and
knew nothing of the business and were
deceived"
This is the burden of what every one
said: 1t was the same old story of de-
ception. Some understood that they
were signing to have road made, others
that they were giving a power to present
their papers to the surveyor general,
none ever thought of signing away all
their rights. But afterward they found
That the papers were regular deeds and
their property gone. Joseph was the
man who did it all accompanied by the
alcalde to take the legal acknowledge
ments. Thus this great grant which in
the application Mr.. Joseph claimed to
contain 10000 acres, and which was al
lowed by the surveyor general for over
10000, was obtained from all its owners
but one for 81 paid to each.
1t is said that the shares in the Chama
grant which Joseph sold to Messrs
Blackburne q Co., for large sum was
obtained in the same manner. In fact
Joseph has been land grant Spectator
of the worst kind for years, nearly all his
money being obtained from these tran
Factions.
s-~mn-s-n-~.-z<zu-axn.E-s
HOW JOSEPH OBTAINED $1,000 ACRES IN THE
CIENEGUlLLA GRANT.
On Monday, the 9Th day of October