The San Francisco call., 1909-11-11
RELATES FOILING
ABDUCTOR'S PLOT
Eebrian Takes Stand in De La.
veaga Contest and Explains
Dramatic Letter
Asserts Adyenturer and Conn
paniOns We're Ready to Force
Girl Into Marriage /,

The dramatic letter written by John
C. cebrian TO his brother in law. Miguel
de Laveaga, from Rome in February.
1855, barring the inmost secrets of the
family. formed the basis of a long cross
examination Of Cebrian by Attorney
B., PiIlsbury yesterday in the trial of the
contest OF the will Of Maria de Lavea ga.
Many additional details of the death
bed marriage of Jose ceryera and Ig-
ns cia de Lavea ga and Of the conspiracy
Ito abduct Maria de Laveaga 10 BARGE
Iona and there marry her TO Caesar
ss-ervera were told by Cebrian.
When ! was locked in the room with
The two CerVeras and the three women,
after the death of Ignacia, they abused
me and called me a monster" he stated.
Their object was not TO beat me or to
oVerpower me. Their object was TO
force me to attack them Then they
would have called in the police, sent
me 10 prison and in the meanwhile
would have carried out their purpose
10 get possession OF Maria. My thought
was that the same way they had cap
tured Ignacia they would capture
Maria"
You knew as a matter of fact they
planned TO take Maria to Barcelona,
didn't you2' asked Pillsb0ry.
Il DID not know it, but I suspected
st." Cebrian answered.
What did you mean when you wrote,
They would have had time to consum-
mate their wickedness'?"
Il meant that one Of the possibilities
was that they would we'd Maria to
Caesar"
But you said elsewhere in the letter.
Jose had prepared everything to abb
duct Maria and marry her TO Caesar "
Yes, I meant that"
T-gg -
sentence in the letter saying that Maria
was excluded from the sick chamber Of
1gnacia during the last Is days of that
unfortunate womsns life. and wanted
10 know IL this was not in pursuance
OF the injunction OF. the parents that
the other children should always spe-
cislly protect Maria
1T is customary in Spanish families
10 safeguard and protect the youngest
child" Cebrian replied There is al
vays little leniency toward the last
ember OF the family. certain tender
ness. as you might say. and we have a
vcrd for her-'Bebe.
Cebrian told OF going to the Ameri-
car and Spanish consuls in Rome and
cling them about the plot, but could
rot remember the details Of his con-
Sci So ion with those officials. He
reccllected saying to the American
eeuer Help me TO save Maria" The
enly hought in his mind was TO save
Maria against whom the second part
Of the conspiracy was directed. He
had no thought Of revenge for what
had been done to Ignacia-
Many points OF Spanish grammar
sn6 spelling We're discussed by the at
tcrPeys. and the witness. One curious
point was with reference to the words
no- no me ire con Cebrian." In that
forui. as they appear in Cebrian's let
tsr. they mean. no. no, I shall not go
win Cebrisn"; but il a comma were
placed after the second no" the mean
iuE would be no. I shall go with Ce-
trisn. the direct opposite The wit
-eFs continuously said that he wrote
. sis brother in law garrulously, and
%. IN the words he would use in
framing an affidavit.
letter introduced late in the aft
ernoon showed that Cebrian had some
complaint about his treatment by the
De LaveaEa family. The family is pre-
pared TO give $500 600. more or less to
the man who endeavored to carry off
Maria and seize her fortune which /
DO not oppose" he wrote. But Cebrian
has not brought anything like this
scandall into the De Laveaga family.
He has saved Maria from a yeritable
he'll. but nevertheless they abuse this
Cebrisn- Such is life again"
The hell I referred to is that of be-
ing married 10 an unworthy man, ne
explained. Il know Of no worse hell
on earth"
Cebrian said Maria could write and
spell readily. and he did not remember
his wife sitting down with her to help
her write.
A letter by Cebrian was introduced
in which he said: You know how
much work il costs Maria TO spell
Papa has not been in the humor to
sit down with her and make her
write"