The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-17

of the litigation is now in progress in
Judge Ogoen's courtroom. When the
case is finished the successors to Car
pentier will have about $S,000,000 worth
of the whole.
The methods employed by Carpenter
in divesting Don Domingo Peralta of
his vast possessions in what Is now
Oakland, and how he acquired title to
these lands, are best shown by the testi-
mony of the old Castilian Peralta,
given over thirty years ago in the
United States District Court before
Judge Hoffman in a suit brought by
Peralta for the purpose of setting aside
certain deeds executed and delivered to
Carpenter
Peralta was illiterate, and aside from
the sweet-accented Castilian tongue, he
had no language to express his
thoughts. He was all too kind-hearted
and an easy prey for the keen ingenuity
and legal skill of the Inscriptions Car
pentier, who was as well versed in the
Spanish and Latin languages as in the
vernacular. Moreover, he was pos
sessed of dramatic talent of no
mediocre degree, and, according to Do
mingo ,Peralta's testimony-if some of
his present living acquaintance re-
member rightly-Carpentier had i'm
pressed him with the idea that at one
time he had been a priest.
MI. Odl pcIllfSly LII lACl HUE dSISeQ
to set apart an evening when he would
visit the casa Peralta and in the family
circle, recite the rosary, and in other
ways offer up supplications. The even
ing came and with it Carpenter.
AS Father" Carpenter knelt upon
the rustic floor. surrounded by Don and
Donna Peralta, their sons, Seniors Ra-
mon, Louis and Miguel, and their two
daughters, Donna Peralta requested
Louis to step to her room and bring
forth a soft cushion upon which the
priest" might secure more comfort for
his knees. At this act of kindly con-
sideration Carpenter became indfg-
nant. He arose in dignity, and, snatch
ing the pillow, cast it aside, proclaiming
that the floor of Don Domingo Per-
atlas home is good enough for any
good Christian to kneel upon
Because of these and many other
similar traits of true Christian spirit
Don Domingo held implicit confidence
in Carpenter. He made the feigning
priest his confidential agent, and
when he signed the deeds-as best he
could-conveying to Carpenter nearly
the whole of Peralta grant from the es-
tuary of San Antonio to the east shore
of the bay, he believed and was led to
believe that he was simply signing
some power of attorney or other docu-
ment granting to his friend certain
necessary authority in connection with
the transaction of his business.
Thus Don Domingo lost the posses
standing on the tor of one of the
Contra Costa hills pointed out to him
as his legacy, and even to this day
when Louis Peralta, Domingos son,
traverses Oakland he is often
prompted almost to ask permission TO
walk through the streets of the city |
which once his father owned and which |
he claims was taken from him by fraud !
These facts are still fresh In the mem
Dry of Pontio Garcia, who still lives at |
Temescal. and who was Domingos |
brother-in-law, and a cousin of the |
famous Three fingered Jack. Victor |
Castro, one of the oldest Castilians re-
beyond Berkeley, remembers the incl |
dents, and they have been frequently. |
retold by Louis Peralta-
About twenty years ago H. W. Car |
pentier shook the dust of Oakland from /
his feet and with his riches went to /
New York, where he has since resided |
He was in this State in August, 1893.
and was subpenaed to make deposit |
ton in the cases on trial in the Circuit
Court over the Broadway riots. He
became very impatient and went East /
before the deposition was completed, |
vowing he would never return.
He owns a fine house on Third
street, but 1t is rented for nominal
sum merely to keep it in repair, there
being an idea prevalent that he might
some day return and close his career
amid the scenes of his many ventures.
The little schoolhouse given by Carpen-
Ter to the city is still standing It is
70 be found at Third and Market
streets, positive monument to the
most gigantic fraud ever planned and
carried out in this State, and beside
which the wrecking of the Pacific Bank
8 but triviality.