The San Francisco call., 1897-01-19
Los Angeles Prisoner Says
He Was a Son of the
Millionaire.
Attacks the Will Which Gave the
Estate to the Dead Mans
Brother.
Contest for Princely Domain B'gun
in the Ventura County
Courts.

VENTURA, CAL, Jan. ia docu-
ment was this afternoon filed in the office
of the Clerk of the Superior Court OF
Ventura County which gives promise of a
series of sensational developments. 1t is
a petition to revoke the probate Of the
paper claimed to be the will of the late
Antonio Schiappia Pietra. the wealthy
Italian rancher of Ventura.
Schiappia Pietra died on February l,
1895, at San Reno, Italy, whittier he had
gone in search OF health. He was never
married, and, it was generally supposed,
had no kindred nearer than brother. In
January, 1896, nearly a year after
Schiappia Pietra's death, small piece of
paper purporting to be in his hand writing
turned up in Ventura in the possession of
his brother, Leopoldo Schiappia Pietra.
By the terms of this brief document
Leopoldo was made his brothers sole heir
and the executor of the will. On the 18th
day OF January, 1885, this alleged will was
admitted to probate, and Leopoldo quietly
stepped into an estate that is estimate to
be worth anywhere from 81, 500, 900. to
81, ,0O0,000.
Now comes the most interesting feature
of the case. In the Los Angeles County
Jail is now confined on a serious charge a
man called John Lee but whose baptismal
name is Michael Antonio Ortega. The
paper filed in Ventura to-day comes from
Ortega and is presented by his counsel,
the bon. Frank F. Davis of Los Angeles.
1t sets forth among various other interest
ing matters that Ortega is the son and
only child and sole heir-at-law of the de-
ceased Schiappis Pietra; that the paper
admitted to probate as Schiappi Pietra' 8
will Is a forgery. and that Ortega is the
lawful inheritor of his fathers immense
estate. 1t is currently reported that Or
tega's parentage is within the knowledge
of dozen reputable witnesses, and that
he is backed by friends sufficient to enable
him to conduct most vigorous fight for
his patrimony.
The estate, which is one of the richest
and best-paying in Southern California,
was originally Spanish grant, and con-
sists Of several thousand acres adjoining
the city of Ventura, all of which is under
very. high state of cultivation. Besides
this there is choice business property in
the cities of Santa Barbara and Ventura.
The home of Leopoldo Schiappia Pietra,
in this city, is one of the finest in the
county, and is luxuriously furnished
throughout.
Ortega, who is now conte sting for his
interests, is charged with an attack upon
the 13-year-old daughter of wholesale
saddler of Los Angeles, which is alleged
to have been made two months ago. He
is about % years of age and quite intelli-
gent. His mother Mrs. Carrie Bisbee, is
at present resident of Oakland. The
latter admits Ortega to be her son by An
tonic Schiappia Pietrs, but never allowed
it to become known on account of the un-
pleasant notoriety which she would gain
by going to court. Mrs. Bisbee is very
highly connected throughout. Southern
California. Her brother, Joseph Brobbo,
was until recently manager of the Arling-
ton Hotel at Santa Barbara, while her
niece is Mrs. Richard Rearne, wife of one
of the leading grocers of this city. She
has other relatives who are also highly
connected here.