Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-06-03

port OF survey Or 0euerdl oOunSOu, heaVlS
seems simply to have awaited himself of
the suggestions of that official to perfect
and strengthen the pretended chain of
title of himself and his alleged wife to the
lands claimed in Arizona.
1t thus happened that, when, on Febru-
airy IS, 1893, the pretended Peralta- Reavis
grant claim was filed for confirmation in
the United States court of private land
claims in Santa Fe, it appeared very
much like an impregnable legal stone
wall to the officers of the government APP
pointed to contest the same. Reavis had
enlisted the services of several attorneys
of national repute in the preparation of
the elaborate papers in the case; had ex-
pended between $4,000 and $4,000 in
printing the same for filing in the court;
had personally visited Spain and Mexico
several times with his alleged wife in his
pretended efforts to secure evidence from
original sources; and generally had sue
ceeded in making such strong showing
that he had been able to raise sufficient
money from the Southern Pacific Rail
way company, from settlers on the al
legged grant and from sales of interests
therein to defray the enormous expenses
incident to prosecuting the claim and to
enable him and his alleged wife to live
like people of the greatest affluence
wherever it pleased them to sojourn. II
is said that while the aspiring and audac-
ious twain temporarily resided in Phoe-
nix they lived in princey fashion and re-
ceived their callers with befringed, be-
scolloped, bespangled and
coNDFscENnrNn por1rENrsa
Mrs. Peralta-Reavis, q large, heavy-f ea-
tured, plain looking woman of about
so, showily dressed and glittering with
jewels, calmly posed as the baroness OF
Arizona, and the great grand daughter
and only living heir of Baron Miguel de
Perata, who easily traced her lineage
back ECO years among the real grandees
of Spain. When the ladies of Phoenix
called upon her she would sometimes be
found sitting luxuriously in her "draw-
ing room" with an elegant bit of fancy
work lying in her lap, and at other times
she would appear, as if taken by sur
prise, in negl1gee costume with half
finished painting in her paint-besmeared
fingers. Yet no one ever saw her ply a
needle or touch canvass with paint
brush.
Such was the status of the case when
Mr.. Matt G. Reynolds, attorney for the
United States court of private land
claims, began his investigation in behalf
of the government. The outlook was
not encouraging. Mr.. Reynolds early
became satisfied that the so-called Per-
alta land grant was a fraud, that the
documents and records upon which it
was founded we're forged and fraudulent,
that Baron of the Coloradoes and Arizona
Miguel de Peralta was a myth and that
the persC n posing as the baroness of
Arizona and the lawful wife of James
Addison Peralta- Reavis was an arrant
and tawdry humbug; but so cunningly
and ably had the case been prepared and
such seemingly insurmountable obstacles
had been surmounted in working it up
that the work of unraveling the mystery
and Illuminating the case with the light of
truth appeared like an almost hopeless
task. But it was
COURAGESUsLY UNDERTAKEN.
The United States attorney general
freely supplied Mr.. Reynolds with such
assistance and money as he needed to
prosecute the investigation. Mr.. s.
Mallet-Prevost, an eminent legal expert
in matters of the sort indicated, was sent
on Investigating missions to Old Mexico
aid Spain; Mr.. Reynolds and Special
Agents Upton and Hughes spent months
on similar errands in Mexico and Cali
fornia, and even judges of the court went
to California, Mexico and Spain to take
testimony.
This searching and laborious investiga-
ton was finally fruitful of the results e1-
pected and desired by the law officers OF
the government. The government goes
into the hearing to-day prepared con-
clusively to prove that no such Spaniard
of noble birth and distinction as Miguel
de Peralta ever existed; that such grant
as that alleged was never decreed BY the
king of Spain or located in Arizona by
the viceroy of New Spain; that the baron
and baroness of Arizona and the Colo
radoes are pure fabrications; that the
pretended baroness of Arizona, sole heir
ess of the imaginary Baron Miguel de
Peralta and wife of James Addison Pc
ralta-Reavls is really the daughter of one
John Treadway by Digger Indian squaw
known as Kate, and that she was born in
Sherwood valley, Mendocino county, CAL,
and in is nowise related to any Spanish
family. How access was obtained to the
archives and records of Mexico and the
church records of California to erpetrate
the numerous forgeries and mutilations
discovered is still shrouded in mystery,
but that it was obtained is susceptible of
abundant proof. The total downfall of
the wonderful structure so painfully
erected by James Addison Reavs will
soon follow.
PERALTA CASE IN COURT.
The United States court of private
land claims convened at 10 O'Clock this
morning with full bench, Chief Justice
Reed and Justice Sluss having arrived
from the east last night. United States
Attorney Reynolds announced that the
government was ready to proceed to the
hearing. Judge Mckinney, a lawyer, of
Phoenix, appeared as che representative
of the alleged Peralta heirs in Arizona,
whose case was filed in Arizona and SUBJ
sequently consolidated with the Peralta-
Reavis claim in spite of the fact that
1t was adverse to the latter claim. In
entering his appearance this morning
Judge Mckinney expressly disclaimed
any connection with the Peralta- Reavia
claim, but explained that his clients had
been relying on the Peralta- Reavis peo-
pie to show the existence of grant az
alleged. "If Reavis has Jailed to do this"
he added, tour case fails Also" He
stated further that, as the hearing pro-
decided, he might ask the court to annul
the order consolidating the two cases.
Mr.. Reynolds then suggested that, as it
was reported that Reavis had recently
been seen in Los Angeles and might ar