The herald., 1896-01-03
Growing Out of the PeraIta-
ReaviS Case
AN INFINITY OF PERJURY
Committed to Sustain the Famous Land
Grant Case
A Long List OF the Claimants Witnesses,
Most Of Whom Are to Be
Indicted


ever heard in the United States is now be-
ing prepared for trial in the United States
district court of San Francisco, though the
defendants have not yet been arrested. 1t
Is the governments great fight to bring to
justice the countless conspirators who COM
mitted infinite perjures to aid James Ad-
olson Peralta-Reavis in his mythical claim
of 100000 acres of land, worth $751;
100000.
So important is the great series of whole
sale prosecutions which will soon begin be-
gin before Judge Morrow, and 80 compre-
hensive and intricate the issues, that United
States District Attorney Foote has been re-
lieved of the prosecutions and two of the
sbrewdest assistants TO the United States
attorney-general will come to San Fran
cisco and conduct them to a conclusion.
The lawyers who will have charge of these
important cases against the prominent
California witnesses who bolstered the Per-
alta claim with their voluminous, deposit
tions are Assistant Attorney-General Ed
ward b. Whitney of Washington and As
sistant Attorney General Joshua E. Dodge.
ut is not yet known just how many men
and women in California will be indicted
for perjury committed in this case" said a
prominent federal official, "but If the gov
ernment follows the same course here that
it has pursued in New Mexico and Arizona
it will 60 on the broad ground that nearly
all the Peralta Witnesses were guilty of per-
jury and few will escape Indictment"
1t is claimed that the perjuries COM
planned of were committed before United
States Commissioner S. G Hough on in the
Appraisers building, beginning on October
-, 1890, and continuing for many weeks
The witnesses who gave depositions for the
fraudulent claimants at that time, and who
have incur ed the displeasure of the de-
partment of justice, we're the following:
Alfred E. Sherwood of Sherwood Valley,
Mendocino county; John W. SNOWFALL,
merchant of Grafton, Yolo county; Jose
Jesus Tico, farmer, living at Ventura; his
wife, Naria Jesus Peralta Vasquez de
Tico; Julio Peralta Vasquez, farmer and
stock raiser of Santa Paula, Ventura coun-
ty; Miguel Lauro Peralto y Vasquez, clerk
i'll store at Tucson, A. I. .and Joseph Craig,
attorney at Woodland. Yolo county. The
examination was in the presence uf J. A.
-Reavis s,claimant;H Harvey s. Brown,
counsel for claimants and II. S. Biggs,
special attorney of the department of JUS
tice, counsel for the defendant.
But the CalifOrnians under the ban are
more numerous than the foregoing list, for
all who ever figured in the case will be
closely investigated. The drag net will be
spread as far as Los Angeles, where much
evidence for the claimants was secured.
The Los Angeles dispositions were taken
before G. A. baskerville, beginning on No
vember IL, 1890, and lasting for weeks.
The witnesses for the claimants were: Cy-
rus Lyon, overseer of ranches, living at
Los Angeles; Ygnacio Francisco Garcia of
Los Angeles; Juan Garcia, man of all
work. living at Riverside; Jose Juan AL
varado, laborer and teamster, LIVING at
East Riverside, and w. Writ Jenkins,
miner, Los Angeles.
"For twenty-five years the claimant had
at his command the finest legal talent in
the United States, has been able to secure
immense sums for the prosecution of his
claim, and so perfect was the chain of evil
dence which. link by link, he welded to-
gether, that Roscoe Conkling pronounced
it the most perfect title to any land grant
that he had ever examined.
I'm the prosecution of the claim Reavis,
who, when he began it, was only street
car driver, secured and spent, in the years
he has been engaged in the case not less
than 100000. to say nothing of attorneys
fees, which were paid for in stock and in
prospective shares in the estate. One of
the attorneys of the case, Colonel Broad
head, was to receive fee of $500, 900, and
the others were doubtless promised equally
large sums"
There was great activity in federal cir
cles today in preparation for the Peralta-
Reavis perjury prosecutions. The most
active man in the case was Special Agent
Hughes of the treasury department., whose
presence in the city was mystery to all
but the inner circle unul today.
The publication of the news of the gov.
ernment's program has fastened opera
lions. Agent Hughes forthwith made
plans to go into the country which abounds
with witnesses. Pc went to Ukiah today
and will probably bring some prisoners
from Sherwood valley, and arrests at Los
Angeles may follow shortly.
District Attorney Foote, his assistants,
the United States marshal, and Special
Agent Hughes held several consultations in
the forenoon, and the result was that
speedy action was decided upon.
The government relies on the confession
of several of the witnesses who appeared
for Reavis.
Another witness, in consideration of
promises of immunity fiom prosecution,
made confession, supplemented by his
affidavit. From these confessions it ap.
pears that vast sums were within reach of
the bogus claimant and that he made lib
cradle promises to those who agreed to
commit perjury in support Of his conten-
ton,