Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-06-12
PERALTA- REAVIS CASE.
Examination Of Reavis Continued
Largely Devoted to Long and
Rambling Explanations
Perfect Preparation of
Government Case.

The hearing of the celebrated Peralta-
Reavis land grant case, with Mr.. james
Addison Peralta- Reavis still on the wit
ness stand, was resumed at 10 O'Clock this
morning before the United States court
of private land claims with full bench
present. Inside of the bar of the beauti
full federal court room were numerous
lawyers, officials, witnesses from Arizona
and California, and twenty five or thirty
ladies.
Mr.. Peralta- Reavis continued his long
and rambling explanations, being allowed
almost unlimited latitude by the court
and only at intervals being interrupted
by pertinent questions of United States
Attorney Reynolds aimed as probes for
important facts and admissions which
the witness seemed willing to avoid or
reluctant to disclose.
The witness could not secure the mar
riage contract dated in 1859; said it was
in Denver; there was no one in Denver
who cond telegraph or send it to him.
Proceeding he said he had frequently
gone over with his associates the ques-
ton of the amount he had made out of
the grant and $65,000 covers the total
amount. The Southern Pacific Railroad
company paid him $4,000 for right of
way; that company was at one time inter-
ested, but is not interested now.
He made an application for the survey
of this grant, in his brief, which lie fled
| 1,J al <e ha ~ he
had, except the intermediate conveyances,
with the surveyor general of Arizona in
1888.
Governor Powers, of Missouri, assisted
him in making the survey, and, while
running a line, he ran into number Of
stones, which had fallen down and pas
sing through he ran on to a rock with
hierogyphics on it. He called the gov
ernor's attention to it. The governor
thought it was of no Importance, but wit
ness said: "Hold on; let us examine any
how" They examined it and found upon
it an old diagram three times its height,
and they found it standing upright, which
was rather peculiar for Indian HERO
glyphics.
II was certain this WAS the center of
the western boundary" continued wit
ness, "because if it was standing up it
would be right in the center of our west
| line. So we went through this place,
which was rather rough, and finished our
| survey.
"Immediately after finishing the sur
vey, we went to Mexico with R. G. Hop
klns, as commissioner. Governor Pow
ers was with Us also at this time and also
my brother, w. f. Reavis, and also man
who often acted as chairman in Arizona"
cat the time you went down there
making that survey didn't you go with
the expectation of finding this rock with
the hieroglyphics on it," asked United
States Attorney Reynolds.
"No sir" replied the witness.
He had been out as newspaper CORE
spondent several times before the sur
vey, writing up the Gila and Salt river
valleys went out with Mr.. Monihon, who
had livery stable in Prescott and had
fortune to drive. Mr.. Monihon had rep
resented to him, and he believed it, that
these horses could tell when Indians
were coming 100 miles off, and by prick
ing up their ears and shifting would warn
the driver and he could turn and avoid
an encounter.
The examination is being conducted by
United States Attorney Reynolds in a
mastery manner, not severe, but close
and clear, showing in its every detail the
care and attention with which the gov
eminent has prepared this case. While
some of the statements made by the wit
ness seem plausible on their face it is ap-
parent from the examination that the
United States attorney holds in his pos
session sufficient evidence to refute and
disprove all those which are important.