Los Angeles herald., 1905-08-17
HEDDEu.
CAREAGA ESTATE
is BASIS OF
Family Skeleton Will
Be Exposed
Daughter Seeks to Prove
Her Parentage
She Says Jesus Figueroa Was
Not Her Father
Long Search for Important Witness
Results In Discovery That He
Lived on Same Block With
Those Who Sought Him
She Says Jesus Figueroa Was
Not Her Father

In one of the most remarkable cases
ever brought into the courts of Califor-
mia, Mrs. Eloisa de Sammann Of Los
Angeles will next month seek to prove
herself born out of wedlock, the price
in case she Is successful to be quar-
ter interest in the large estate of Juan
B. Careaga, consisting of 10000 acres
of oil lands in the northern part of
Santa Barbara county and variously es-
timated at from $3,0O00OO to $4,000, 900.
The family skeleton of the Careagas
is to be dragged from its closet The
life of Rosa Castro Careaga, daughter
of old General Castro, one of the most
prominent Spaniards of the olden, gold
en-, dreamy days of California, is to be
held up before the public. Incidents.
even spicy half a century ago, when
law acted as no barrier to love, will be
recounted by those who will give their
testimony.
The life history of Careaga, who died
intestate two years ago, will be gone
over, year by year,
Over 100 witnesses, some of them
from as far south as Mexico, will as
semble in Santa Barbara September
10, at the opening of the trial. There
will be depositions from as many
others. The four claimants to the es-
tate have determined to fight the case
to the bitter end.
Suit Means Fortune
Should Mrs. de Sammann win her
suit the little plainly furnished home
on a quiet street in Los Angeles will
give place to one more in accord with
such wealth, while the dream of an ed
ucation for Eloisa, the daughter, will
become reality.
Following is the story related by at
torneys and the plaintiff in the strange
case:
'In the late sos Rose Castro, daugh-
ter of General Castro, who was broth
Mexican governors of Northern Cali
fornia, was married to Jesus Figueroa.
AS a result of the marriage was born
Antonio, now living in Santa Barbara
county, and Josepha, wife of Captain
l.. Harris, who has large estate in
the oil belt of Northern Santa Barbara
county, but resides in Berkeley.
"The marriage proved an unhappy
one. Figueroa deserted his wife in 1868,
going to the Nueva Idria mines in San
Benito county, where he died a few
months ago. Late in 1864 Mrs. Figueroa
and Juan B. Careaga began living to-
gether as man and wife, and in July of
the succeeding year Eloisa was born.
"The later progeny declare this, the
first born after the illegal union, to
have been the daughter of Figueroa.
This Figueroa before his death dis
claimed. Juan looked upon Eloisa as
his own child and throughout his long
lifetime esteemed her as his favorite
daughter. The society of that early
period accepted her as such.
Other Children Born
-Four other children, Joseph, Manuel,
John and James, were born before Mrs.
Careaga obtained a divorce from her
husband in 1878, when, as soon as the
decree was granted, she became the le-
gal wife of the man with whom she
had lived for fourteen years. After the
birth Of Laura in 1884 she became an
invalid, her constant attendant until
her death in 1894 being Eloisa.
"Those now claimants to the Careaga
estate are Eloisa. the widow of Joseph,
Manuel and Laura.
by a vagary of fate destined to rat
tie the bones of the family skeleton,
when the mother-in-law of Mrs. Fig
ueroa believed she had effectually bur-
led them, Mrs. Castro on the birth of
stole the child from its mother and TAX
ing 1t to an old mission church, had the
padre baptize the child as Eloisa Fig
ueroa. The record still stands and is
an important fact for the defense.
"Careaga was one of the few Span
iards In California who did not throw
away his birthright, given by the fact
OF being one of the first of the Euro
pean settlers. With Daniel Harris in
1875 he purchased 10000 acres of the Los
Alamos grant. Three years later he
moved his family there and began
farming. Later he dissolved partner
ship with Harris, taking the south
10000 acres, lying near the town of Los
Alamos
''The two Figueroa children were
known as such. the remainder, includ-
ing Eloisa. being known as Careaga.
Made Rich by OIL
"The first discovery OF oil in Santa
Barbara county was made on the Car
eaga estate in 1891 by the Western
Union oil company, which sought to
purchase the entire 10000 acres. This