The San Francisco call., 1897-05-19
Michael Ortega's Fight
for Ventura County
Riches.
From a Prison Cell He Directs
the Attack on the Dead
Mans Will.
The Putative Son Of the Late Cap
italist Awaiting Trial on
Serious Charge.

EN- y MA, CAL., may la-lu6 pIle1S
of the lawyers were filed yesterday before
Judge Williams anent the demurrer of
the proponents to the contest of the will
OF Antonio Sciappa Pietra. That is the
contest now being made by Michael An
tonic Ortega-for there have been other
contests of this will, and the story of the
litigation forms an Interesting bit of his
tory. The contestant, Spaniard of
Sc years, is now in Jail at Los Angeles
awaiting judgment in the Supreme Court
upon an appeal from conviction in the
lower court of brutal crime with which
he was charged by young girl.
The estate in contest is valued at about
$500, 600. Antonio Sciappa pietra was at
one time one OF the principal figures in
the affairs of this county. There were
three brothers Sciappa Pietra, and they
were all in business together, but the
name of Antonio sciap2a Pietra stood for
the firm. This was true to the extent
that the others were recognized merely as
employees OF the dominating head of the
concern. When FREDERICK dropped dead
one day in 1867 it was supposed that he
left nothing. Great was the surprise,
therefore, when Antonio went into court
and announced that the dead man was a
full partner and owner of the one-third OF
the firms assets. The firm was engaged
in sheep-rais:ng on large scale and mer-
chandising. Federico was unmarried
and his estate went back to his brothers.
One of the present contestants of An.
tonio's will is a young woman who claims
the relationship of niece, as having been
NJ of n q iod
Her name is Minnie r. Danner, and her
conte st is, at least for the time being, out
of court through the granting of a motion
of the attorneys for the proponent to
strike out the essential paragraphs OF ner
petition. The granting of the motion
practically killed the petition: and no
new move has since been made by her at
torncys, who are in San Francisco, where
she also resides.
Antonio Sciappa Pietra went to Italy
for health and recreation early in 1895,
but found neither. He was overtaken by
sickness, and on February died at Reno.
1t was not until year afterward, in Janu-
ary, 1896. that his will, leaving nearly all
OF his estate to his surviving brother Leo
poldo and creating him executor, was pro-
and decree of distribution was filed at
the end of that year. in December. Still
no objection was made until the last days
in which, under the law, a contest could
be filed. Miss Danner was the first to ap-
pear upon the scene on January 1 of this
year, and on the 18th of the same month
came Michael Antonio Ortega.
Miss banner, as stated, claimed to be
the daughter of the brother FREDERICK. and
because OF her not setting forth her claim
in proper shape she is now out of the
field.
Ortega claimed to be a legally recog-
nized son of Antonio, accepted into his
family as such, although Antonio was not
married. The proponents Of the will
formally deny this and offer in support
the record of the famous old Mission OF
San Buenaventura, which sets forth that
Michael Antonio Ortega, said to be the
contestant was baptized there by the
officiating priest on September 80, 1861. as
the natural son of Vicente Ortega and
Cariotta Bravo.
However this may be, there are many
citizens here who acknowledge having
been familiar with the claim of young
Ortega for years. and before the death of
Antonio Sciappa Petra, that he was the
son of that wealthy citizen. It is said to
have been quite commonly accepted as
true.
Ortega was convicted three months ago
at Los Angeles under the name OF John
Lee of a criminal attack upon girl. He
has appealed from the judgment to the
Supreme Court, and, pending the decision
of the higher court, is in jail in that city.