Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-04-08
THE REAVIS CONSPIRACY.
Witnesses Wanted In New Mexico
Attorney Reynolds Mission In
California.

Says the San Francisco Chronicle:
Special United States Attorney Matt G.
Reynolds won significant victory yes
terday when United States Commissions
Heacock decided that Andres Sandoyal
and Jose M. Valencia, indicted in New
Mexico for conspiring with James Ad-
Olson Reavis to defrnud the government
in the famous Peralta-Reavis land frauds,
must 60 to New Mexico to stand trial for
their alleged crimes.
In rendering his decision Commission.
er Heacock took occasion to say some
pretty harsh things about the character
of the testimony offered by thu defend
ants. Very little, if any, of 1t he found
worthy of belief, and he characterized the
evidence of William i. McClintock, who
claimed to have seen the 80 called grand
child of Don Miguel Peralta in Sherwood
valley and at Knights Landing, as false
and misleading. There could be no doubt,
the court said, of the true identity of Mrs.
Reavis, and that her father, John Tread
way, died in this city year previous to
the time that Valencia and Sandoval
swore that he was here. In all his ex.
perience on the bench, the commissioner
added, he had never seen case 40 full of
palpable fraud and deception.
Before reaching his decision Comms-
sioner Heacock heard lengthy arguments.
Attorney Reynolds, who is familiar with
every detail of the complicated case,
opened and closed for the state, and
Attorney Adams made the argument for
the defendants. Both entered into
the law on the subject very deeply,
quoting extensively from opinions and
commentaries.
Special Attorney Reynolds argued facts
and law with an assurance born of thor
ough and comprehensive study of the
case. He was counsel for the United
States court of land claims when it took
up the examination of the Peralta- Reavis
claims, and he it was who picked the first
flaw in Reavis' network of forged titles.
He tried the civil case for the govern
ment and succeeded in securing a deci-
sion in the United States court June 26,
1896, declaring Reavis' claim fraudulent.
A few days latter he caused the arrest of
Reavis in Santa Fe on charges of con-
spring to defraud the government.
Reavis tried to secure bis freedom on n
writ of habeas corpus, but Attorney Rey-
nolds Succeeded in keeping him 10 Jail,
and later in securing indictments against
him for conspiracy, fraud, perjury and
forgery. The first of these cases is set
for hearing May A, next. Reynolds
success led to his appointment as special
United States attorney to conduct the
criminal prosecutions in this famous
case.
Sandoval and Valencia are the first
persons arrested for cons piting with Rea-
Wis by furnishing him with false afi-
davits. About twenty such indictments
have been found against persons who
tried to help Reavls to establish his claim.
At least two of these, other than the Va
lencia and Sandoval indictments, are
against former residents of San Franciaco
Miguel Noe and his son, who are sup
posed to be in Mexico. The Noes are
supposed to have induced Sandoval and
Valencia to enter into the conspiracy,
and to have otherwise materially assisted
Reavis in forging records, ETC.,