Graham guardian., 1899-04-07

in 81 Louis, on Ollve street, De-
tween Fourth and Fifth streets,
l was successful in forging a title
to sustain tax title to some val |
liable land l had bought, not know |
ing the title vas imperfect. But
these are incidents in which there
rs little interest. However, sue
cess in these early evils sowed the
seed that later sprang forth into
the most gigantic.traud eff the cen,
tury.
1.-THE plan to secure the Peralta
grant and defraud the government
out of land valued ut $l00,000,000
was not conceived in day. 1t
was the resuitof series of crimes
extending over nearly score OF
wears. At first the stake was
small but it grew and grew in
magnitud. until even / sometimes
was appalled, at the thought of the
possibilities. | was playing
game which to win meant greater
wealth than that of Gould or a
Vanderbilt. Ny hand constantly
gained strength, noted men plead.
cd my cause and unlimited capi,
tai was at my command. Ny op
ponent was the government, and /
batlled its agents at every .urn,
Gradually | became absolutely
confident of success. As neared
the verge of triumph / was exult.
ant and sure. Until the very
moment of my downfall | gave no
thought to failure. But my sins
found me out, and as in the twinkle
Of an eye saw the millions which
had seemed already in my grasp
Jade away aud heard the courts
doom me to a prison cell.
"Now l am growing old, and the
thing hangs upon me like night
mare, until | am driven to make q
clean breast of it all that l may
end my days in peace.
''The first ! ever knew of the
Peralta grant was when DR.. George
NJ. Willing walked into my real
estate Office IN st. Louis, and told
me that he had land grant of
fabulous proportions in Arizona,
and wanted me to take hold of it,
After a number of interviews | de
cided to give my whole time to the
matter.
"Just as ! was about to start for
the West my health gave away
completely, and ! was forced to
abandon the trip. For two years
| remained an invalid at my fathers
home in Vernon county Mo. One
night | had dream that warned
me that l should start for Califor-
MIA. l left Immediately with scarce
ly any money and without prepara-
tions for the journey. Once in
California my health improved,
and after two more years l return
ed TO my fathers home for my
wife. She refused even to see me,
aud to appease my conscience l
placed what means | had accumu
lated a, her disposal and returned
to ST. Louis,
"Four years had elapsed since /
talked with Willing.
"A h,,,t 4h;a 4;n,n 4 ,an;-ol ~ lot
ter from Mrs. Willing reciting the
death of her husband, and propos
ing that / resume the grant mat.
ter. / entered into a contract
with her and returned to Califcr-
MIA. Here my money ran out and
| went to work on the Los Angeles
Daily Star. Subsequently work.
ed on the Examiner of San Francis
co, and all the prominent extreme
western papers. During these
months the land grant was in my
memory, but | did not have the
means to examine further in to the
matter.
"rhe contest between Jay Gould
and the Southern Pacific railroad
was then at It's height. The South
ern Pacific right of.way as survey
ed ran through the Peralta grant.
/ went to Huntington Stanford and
Crocker with the Willing title, and
they advanced me money to trace
its authenticity.
81 went Immediately to Ari
zona, and there, after much patient
research and a trip to Mexico,
learned that the Willing title was
purely mythical. The way of il
was this: October 20, 1864, in
Black Canyon, Yavapai county,
Arlz., there existed a mining camp,
the principal persons of the camp
being DR.. George M. Wiling OF
st. Lonis, Don Antonio Pablo Per.
alta, his son, Miguel Peralta, Don
Jose Ebarra, NJ. Bernatto Gueness,
Don Rafael Machado, Don Manuel
Ramon and Charles Loveioy, u
friend OF Willing. Another my
thical person executed a deed OF
this parole grant TO DR.. VIII.
ling, the paper recitlng that
the grant had beer cedsd to
the father Of the maker Of the
deed by the King of Spain, tor
military services in 1853, and that
he had been forced to abandon it
on account of hostile Indians. 1t
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