Los Angeles herald., 1907-03-20
WOMAN BATTLES
FOR GOOD NAME
CHARGES THAT WITNESS COM
MITTED PERJURY
Mrs. Beatrice Arnaz Alleges Husbands
Friend Maligned Her When He
Testified in Suit for
Divorce

In defense of the honor of Beatrice
Arnaz, Leo Monreal, a Mexican, was
yesterday compelled to face a charge
of perjury in preliminary examination
before Justice Pierce of the township
court and at the termination of the eX-
animation was held to answer for trial
in the higher court, his bond being fixed
at $4,000.
The charge of perjury against the
young Mexican is an outgrowth of the
suit for divorce recently made by Mrs
Beatrice Arnaz against James Arnaz
the details of which caused general ex-
citement in Spanish circles in Los An
geles.
Mrs. Arnaz is a pretty little Spanish
woman, just 20 years of age, and for
nearly four years she endured most
unusual marital hardships rather than
sue for divorce, according to her allie
cations. The fight in the case was for
the custody of the baby, and after Mrs.
Arnaz had been granted her decree of
divorce the custody of the child was
awarded the mother for a certain time
and to the fathers mother for another
period, the little girl to be eventually
put under her mothers sole care.
Case Sensational
The details of the case were sensa-
tional and for more than a week the
witnesses for both sides were heard
before Judge Hutton Of the superior
court. Arnaz contested the case, al
leging his wife had been guilty of in
discretions. Two of his witnesses were
young Mexicans, who told a story tend
ing to disgrace the young woman.
One witness, a Mexican named
Ybarra, has since fled the country, and
a warrant for his arrest charging per-
jury has been issued. The other wit
ness, Leo Monreal was arrested on a
warrant. Yesterday his preliminary eX-
animation was held before Justice
Pierce, the investigation being behind
closed DOORS, so as to offer no techni-
cality or objection to the procedure.
Perjury is a rare charge in the south
ern courts and rarely ever proved, but
the prosecuting attorneys in the Mon
real case are hopeful
Monreal on the witness stand during
the divorce case testified that on GER
tain night in August he and Ybarra
went to a room occupied by Mrs. Ar
naz. They had with them, according
to Monrears testimony, six bottles OF
beer, which they drank. Monreal then
testified that Mrs. Arnaz sat in his lap,
had finally executed a dance for him,
during which she kicked her skirts i'm
modestly high.
Charge Immoral Conduct
He alleged that after drinking much
more beer he had seen Mrs. Arnaz walk
into the next room and throw herself
across a bed and embrace man who
was lying thereupon, and he and his
fK,ia OFF a a Wit That
timony was given against Mrs. Arnaz
when she was fighting for the custody
of her little girl, but the court refused
to consider it.
witnesses were produced who testi-
fed that on the day alleged by Mon
real and for a week before and two
weeks afterward Mrs. Arnaz was suf-
fering with rheumatism and that she
had been confined to her bed during
that period.
Witnesses also testified that no such
orgy had ever taken place in the board
ing house The landlady testified that
on the night of the alleged dance she
personally had attended Mrs. Arnaz,
who was i'll, anI doctors testimony and
doctors bills bore out her statements.
Was Only a storeroom
The landlady further testified that
the next room to that occupied by Mrs.
Arnaz and the one which Monreal
swore had been occupied by some un-
known man. was store room for a
cigar manufacturer. She testified that
there had not been a bed in the room
for years and that the door between
the cigar room and Mrs. Arnazs room
has been nailed up many months be-
fore the alleged incident. and cigar box
shelves had been nailed across the door.
Yesterday that evidence was produced
and Monreal made no reply. He was
held over, while Mrs. Arnaz sat by
watching the attorneys fight for her
reputation. In the superior court Mon
real will have a chance to offer his tes-
timony and the legal battle there prom
ises TO be a hitter one.