Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-13
THE PERALTA-REAVIS CASE
Attorney General Harmon's Report to
Congress on the Subject
History of the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
That Proved the Documents SUBJ
mitted to BE FOrgeries.

According to n report made to Congress
by Attorney General Harmon, the we'll
known Peralta Reavis case. in the magni-
tude Of the claim made and the fertility OF
criminal resource displayed in its support,
has rarely, if ever, been equaled in judi
cial annals.
History of the Case.
TN October, 1892" he says. James Addi-
son P.Ialta-Reavis and Sofia Loreto MI
carla de Peralta-Reavis. nee Maso Silva
de Peralta de Ia Cordoba husband ana
wife, sued in the court of private land
claims for confirmation of a grant alleged
to have been made by Spain in 1853 to one
Miguel Peralta, Baron of Arizonac. knight
of the Colorados. Grandee of Spain, etc,
covering II 100000 acres of land in Arizona
and New Mexico. including the lana on
which are situated Phoenix, the canitai OF
Arizona: the towns of Florence, Tempe.
Casa Grande, Globe, Silver King, finai
and Solomonsville, and portion Oh lhe
White Mountain or San Carlos indian res
eryatfon The title to this land had been
Investigated and pronounced perfect by
eminent counsel employed by the petitioh-
ers, and as a result many persons anu cor
porations throughout the United states hau
acquired interests therein 2S purchaser
from the plaintiffs.
In Support of the Claim.
that the original grant had been recon-
mended by Philip v of Spain in 1874. and
by his successor, Fernando VI, in 17is; that
it had actually been made by the Viceroy
of New Spain in 174S, and that it had sub
sequently been ratified and enlarged by
Carlos III. 1t was averred that possession
had been given to the grantee in los, ana
that the female petitioner had become
vested with the title to the property as the
grantees only descendant and heir.
large number of certificates ami aithentl-
Gated copies of original title papers on HE
in the various archives of Spain and Mex
leo were presented in support of the petit
ton.
Result of Investigations.
''In order properly to prepare for the trial,
Mr.. S. Mallet-Prevost of New York was re-
tanned as special counsel for the govern
nent and sent to Spain and to Mexico to
make personal Investigations among the
archives, for which duty he was peculiarly
fitted. An investigation as to the identity
of Mrs. Reavis was also commenced, under
the direction of Mr.. Reynolds. A mass of
testimony was taken on both these subjects
in Spain. Mexico and California, clearly
disclosing the most startling facts. Mrs.
ReaviS was proved to be an impoStor, and
the Instruments of which the copies were
correct and duly authenticated were shown
to have been cunningly forged on genuine
ancient parchments. from which other writ
ings had been skillfully erased. which false
documents Reavs had found means to place
without detection among the archives of
both Spain and Mexico on visits which he
made to tnosa countries for that purpose.
1t is curious fact that the suspicious of
counsel for the government We're first arous-
ed by an error of date due to the fOrger s
ignorance of Spanish history.
Decided to BE Forgerics.
'"The court by unanimous decision held
that every title paper out of the one hun
dred or more presented had been manufact-
ured and forged. in whole or in part. and
surreptitiously deposited among the ar
chives in the countries named, and also that
Mrs. Reavis was in no way related to the
alleged Baron of ArizoI ac.'
THE case is remarkable as probably the
greatest fraud ever attempted against a
government in its own courts, and its deci-
sion removes a cloud from thousands of
titles held by actual settlers.
Since the decision have caused Reavis TO
be arrested and indicted for fraud and per-
jury, and he is row in prison awaiting
trial"