Original subtitles

♪ [ trumpet ]

One of the most fantastic characters of the Southwest

was a man who called himself the Baron of Arizona.

He claimed an empire larger than

the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island combined.

Government investigators suspected his claim was fraudulent.

It became the job of United States Attorney

Matthew Given Reynolds to put together...

Hey there, Mr. Weedin.

Oh, Bill.

What brings you to Tucson?

Well, newspaper man is supposed to go where the news is, Bill.

What's going on?

Well, it's the Reavis trial.

Matt Reynolds is supposed to talk to some witnesses.

You don't believe Reavis really is a baron, do you?

I mean, that it's all true?

No, but a lot of important people do believe it.

His documents have been examined by experts.

Authentic.

Some of them date back to 1748, 1776.

I'd sure like to see one.

I've done a lot of reading about old type and old printing,

And I've seen pictures, but I've never seen the real thing.

Well, I'll tell you what,

I'll mention it to Matt Reynolds,

could be to let you take a look at them.

I'd sure like that, Mr. Weedin.

Morning, Matt.

Tom. Yes, it is morning, I suppose.

You haven't been here all night?

Well, the trial's less than two weeks away.

I've got to be ready.

Any word from your man Prevost?

No. He's still in Spain.

Will he make it to Santa Fe for the trail?

He'd better.

I'm counting on him to find out something

about Reavis' dealings there.

You know, Tom, Reavis must have made a mistake somewhere,

but where?

When he first came to Arizona, that's where.

Well, the more I go over these papers, the more hopeless it looks.

It's like a puzzle with pieces that go back hundreds of years.

Look, Matt, he's a conman with his phony Spanish land grant.

The whole thing is a scheme.

Yes, but can we prove it with facts

to five judges sitting on that bench in Santa Fe?

He's no more a baron than I am.

Coming around here with his fake deeds,

scaring poor folks into paying him so he won't run them off their land

and then threatening those that won't pay,

sending the strongmen to wreck my paper.

I know, Tom. I know.

And it's up to me to prove it, or 12 million acres

of Arizona will belong to James Reavis.

I heard you were talking to some witnesses.

This afternoon. Speeds things up for the trail.

Will Reavis be here?

Well, he's supposed to.

I notified him.

He's still in San Francisco,

he and Mrs. Reavis.

Matt, you look worn out. Come on, let's get a cup of coffee.

All right.

Huh, look over there.

The Baron himself.

Yeah, it's him, all right.

Doesn't look much like the same seedy character

came riding through here 12 years ago.

You know, he said he was a newspaper man.

You know what he was?

Streetcar conductor in St. Louis.

Sophia Loreta Micaela de Maso Reavis,

Baroness of Arizona.

Or is she?

That's part of the puzzle.

What is this about a puzzle?

Well, James Reavis claims that King Ferdinand VI of Spain

gave the land to a Spanish nobleman named Miguel Peralta

as a favor for services rendered to the crown.

He also claims that his wife is the only decedent of Peralta,

and, as such, is entitled to this "land grant."

Now, that raises a couple of interesting questions.

First, was there ever such a grant?

Second, was there ever such a man as Miguel Peralta,

and if so, is Mrs. Reavis the true descendant?

Of course she's not. None of it's true.

Well, that the court will decide.

Come on, Tom. Let's get that coffee.

[ knocks at door ]

Come in.

Mr. Reynolds, pleasure to meet you.

Mr. Reavis.

May I present Mr. Miguel Noe.

I'm glad you could come, Mr. Noe.

Mucho gusto.

Gentlemen, won't you be seated?

Thank you. Gracias.

Now, as you know, Mr. Reavis has filed a case

against the United States,

and the questions today are similar to those

to be asked in court.

Do you understand?

Sí, Señor-- Ah, I mean, "yes".

Now, when was the first time you saw Mrs. Reavis?

Um, she was just a little baby,

two, three weeks old, in San Francisco.

What were the circumstances?

I mean, how did it happen that this baby of royal birth

came to be in San Francisco?

Well, you see,

my friend José Ramon de Maso

was the father of the baby, Sophia.

He had married a lady from Spain,

Doña Sophia Peralta.

She as visiting in California

with her mother and her father.

That was the second baron.

Yes. Go on, Mr. Noe.

Uh... Doña Sophia...

Doña Sophia died when the babies were born.

Babies?

Twins. My wife was one of twins.

And as you probably know,

two years ago we became the parents of twin boys.

Go on.

One of the babies die, a boy.

The old baron and the grandmother,

they bring to San Francisco

the baby girl.

What happened to your friend, the baby's father?

Oh, he was sick with grief.

He and the old man, they go back to Spain.

They died there.

Only the grandmother stay with the baby.

Where did she take the baby?

Um, to the house of John Treadway.

They lived there?

For a while,

and then they go to the ranch of...

Alfred Sherwood,

and she lived there until the grandmother die.

How old was she then?

Uh... I think...

15.

Then she go to Sacramento,

and one day she come back,

and on the train, she meet Señor Reavis,

and that is the way the romance started.

The Barony of Arizona.

Sometimes I wonder why he didn't throw in

California and New Mexico for good measure.

Beautiful. It's a good job.

Tom tells me you're interested in old printing.

That's right, Mr. Reynolds.

He said that maybe I could take a look at

one of those old Spanish papers,

if it isn't too much trouble.

Well, I don't think that would hurt anything.

There.

Now, then.

This is the will of the first baron.

Is it all right if I hold it up?

I can't see too well at a distance.

That'll be all right. Just be careful.

Well?

Did you ever see anything that old?

I don't think it's that old.

What do you mean?

I don't want to say anything wrong, but--

But what?

Mr. Weedin, I've seen this type.

You know those catalogues I'm always getting,

the ones with the new type styles?

But even if it were the same,

couldn't the foundry have copied an old Spanish type?

It's possible, but it sure seems--

Mac, what if he's right?

Well, we've nothing else to go on.

Let's check it out.

I'll try to get Will Tipton.

Who's he?

He's a graphologist.

Washington doesn't want to spend any more money

on this case, but he's the best and it's worth a try.

This is the best news yet, the people will--

Now, hold on a minute, Tom.

Don't go getting their hopes up, not yet.

I mean, we're not sure and this is only one document.

All right, but it's more than we had before.

Hello, Darling. Sorry I was so long.

I understand.Children resting?

Yes, they wanted to see you, but they fell asleep.

It's not good for us to be away so much.

They're just babies.Yeah, I know.

Well, in a couple of weeks this trial will be over,

and we'll be home for good.

I'm gonna miss you when you go to Santa Fe.

Sophia, I'm sorry, but, um...

What is it?

You'll have to come to Santa Fe to testify.

In court? But I can't.

My attorney insists.

But they'll ask me questions.

Just tell them the truth.

It's all in the records, the way you've always said.

I know it's in the records. They have to hear it from you.

Oh, I don't know.

All those people staring at me,

hating me for taking their land away.

You could say it so much better.

Why don't they believe you?

Because they're fools, all of them.

Everything is in order, all the documents.

When this trial's over, I'll make them wish

they'd settled it years ago.

What's this?

It was delivered for you.

Bad news?

From my attorney. Can't come to Santa Fe.

Well, it doesn't matter. I'll wire Mr. Ingersoll,

and if he can't come, I'll handle it myself.

I've been doing everything myself from the beginning.

I can finish it.

James, do you think it's wise to proceed with this trial?

What?

We don't need this land.

But it's ours, by right.

What's the matter with you?

I'm afraid.

[ chuckles ]

Don't you worry.

When you take that stand, everyone will know

that you're the Baroness of Arizona.

Mr. Tipton.

Matt Reynolds. Glad you could come, sir.

Got here soon as I could.

Dusty place, Arizona.

Well, it has dust, all right,

but let me tell you something, sir.

Arizona has everything.

Sand and stone and dust.

Well, that's just part of it.

And there's timber. There's great ranching and grazing land,

copper, gold, silver,

railroads, water,

but most important, Mr. Tipton,

it's home to hundreds of families who fought

for what they have and now stand to lose

everything if Reavis wins this case.

Reavis's documents have been examined.

I've read the report.

They appear to be authentic.

Well, that's true.

I've looked at documents till I'm sick of the word.

Well, so what did you drag me down here for?

Well, there's a young man in town who believes

one of the documents is printed in a wrong style of type.

I thought you might help us.

By what authority does he speak?

Well, he's the local printer?

This claim has been under investigation for 12 years,

and you expect me to make a careful inspection in--

When is the trial scheduled?

Next week, sir.Impossible.

As long as I'm here, I'll take a look.

Your name, sir, for the record.

Don James Addison de Peralta Reavis,

third Baron of Arizona.

Objection, Your Honor.

The title used by the plaintiff has not yet been established.

Sustained.

Strike it from the record.

You're not being represented by council, Mr. Reavis?

I'm representing myself, Your Honor.

So be it.

Is the defense ready?

Matthew Reynolds, United States Attorney, Your Honor.

Defense is ready.

This court calls--

Your Honor, I'm sorry to disturb the court.

This is evidence to support my claim.

I trust that we can proceed now.

This court calls upon the plaintiff.

Your Honors, I shall establish

by means of documents, the authenticity of which

has been verified by officials of Mexico,

Spain, and the United States,

that the land lying within that area

known as the Peralta grant

does rightfully belong to me,

as the spouse of a direct descendant

of Don Miguel Silva de Peralta de la Cordoba.

Born in 1708,

he was the son of Don José Gaston Silva y Carrillo

de Peralta de Mendoza.

This is the will of the second baron,

the grandfather of my wife.

All of the documents I have are indexed here.

They are all here in court.

Their authenticity is beyond doubt

[ inaudible speaking ]

Your Honor, may I request a recess?

My associate Mr. Prevost has information

pertinent to my case.

This court is adjourned until 9:00 tomorrow morning.

Ask the clerk for whatever papers you'll need,

and then come on into the office.

We've got a lot of work to do.

Mr. Reavis, during the course of the past 12 years,

how many people would you say paid you

for deeds to their property.

Well, that would be impossible to say exactly.

Well, approximately. Hundreds?

Hundreds.

Thousands?

Perhaps.

Was the Southern Pacific Railroad among them?

Yes.

And the Silver King Mining Company?

Yes.

How much money would you say you've collected

from these companies and others, approximately?

Oh, have no record of that.

Would you say five thousand?

I would say five million.

[ awed gasps ]

And when you lived with these families in California,

what name did you use?

Treadway.

You never used the name de Maso?

No.

The first time you ever heard that name was the day

you met Mr. Reavis on the train?

Yes.

Had you ever heard of any inheritance

before your meeting with Mr. Reavis?

No, I had not.

Mrs. Reavis,

do you understand Spanish?

Why, yes.

Now, this document...

When Mr. Reavis showed it to you,

was it your understanding that it referred

to the will of your grandfather?

I do not remember.

Well, you read it, didn't you?

I never taxed my mind to read it.

So that you only know what Mr. Reavis told you?

You never read it for yourself?

That is correct.

Well, read it now.

Go on. Take your time.

[ Mrs. Reavis stammers ]

But I can't.

Why not?

Because I...

never went to but three months of school in my life.

I cannot read.

[ crowd murmuring ]

I demand that the witness be protected.

I will excuse the witness until tomorrow.

No, we will finish today. I will not come back here again.

Mrs. Reavis, do you realize that you're impersonating someone

who does not exist and never did exist?

I'm impersonating no one but myself.

That will be all, Mrs. Reavis.

Your Honor, I call the Reverend P.J. Stockman,

rector of the church of San Salvador

in San Bernardino, California.

Father Stockman.Yes.

Do you keep a record book of the births and deaths

in your parish?Yes, sir.

Is this the book?

Yes, sir.

Did James Reavis ever have possession of this book?

Yes, sir, he had it over a period of several weeks.

When it was returned, did you notice anything different about it?

Yes, I noticed changes had been made.

Oh, would you explain that?

Two pages had been removed

and two new pages inserted,

one listing the birth of twins named de Maso,

the other listing the death of a baby boy de Maso

and Doña Sophia de Maso.

You see, there's another book,

a cross index.

When I checked against that,

I realized what had taken place.

That's a lie. You're lying.

JUDGE: Mr. Reavis.

I'm sorry, Your Honor.

According to the records of your church,

was there ever a baby girl named Sophia de Maso born there?

No, there was not.

Mr. Sherwood,

did Mrs. Reavis live in your home as a child?

She did.

Was there ever an old woman with her,

a Spanish woman, a grandmother?

No, sir, there was never any person like that.

Mr. Sherwood, who was the father of the child

called Sophia Treadway?

Why, John Treadway.

And who was her mother?

An Indian Squaw by the name of Kate.

That will be all for now, Mr. Sherwood.

Your Honor, I should like to call

Mr. Severo Mallet-Prevost.

Now then, Mr. Prevost,

you've just returned from Seville, Spain,

have you not?

Si, Señor, that is correct.

And will you tell us what you found there?

Mr. Reavis visited the archives in Seville.

He stated he was the husband of the heiress

to the Peralta land grant

and spent many days going through the files.

It is the policy to assign a staff member

to guard the documents,

and after a few days,

Mr. Reavis handed the guard an envelope

in which there was a document

and requested that a copy be made.

The guard, José--

José Cantano

noticed that was something unusual about the document.

First, that he'd never seen it in the files before,

and second, that it was folded lengthwise.

None of the files is ever folded there.

He reported the incident to his superior,

who verified that indeed Mr. Reavis was tampering with the files,

attempting to insert into them

a document of his own manufacture.

A warrant was issued in Seville for the arrest of Mr. Reavis.

However, he left the country before it could be served.

Thank you, Mr. Prevost.

Mr. Cantano told you, I suppose, that he tried to blackmail me.

Blackmail?

He knew that I was looking for documents

which would complete my evidence for this claim.

He said he'd get them for me if I paid him.

His word is worthless.

Now, Mr. Tipton, as an expert graphologist,

would you say that these documents are indeed authentic?

Oh, some are, and some are not.

Would you explain, please?

Well, take this one.

It's dated 1758.

In my opinion, the paper is genuine.

However, it has no bearing whatsoever on the Peralta grant.

As you can see, this title page, which is genuine,

has pasted over it a very thin piece of tissue.

Now, these two lines written on the pasted tissue,

do refer to the grant.

They were written with a modern writing fluid

and with a steel pen.

Is there anything unusual about that?

Well, the steel pen wasn't invented until

a hundred years later.

Now, this next paper--

this is printed, however.

The type used is modern.

On this one, the original name was erased,

and the words "Baron de Arizonaca"

substituted.

Go on.

Now, here,

"descrubudo,"

it says it's written by a clerk at the Spanish court.

It is supposed to be the past participle

of the word "to describe."

The correct word is "descrito."

This word, P-A-S-S-O,

should be "paso," with one "S."

Same with this one.

"Mil" should be one "L."

Any others?

Oh, lots of others.

Every document I examined was altered in some way

or was an out-and-out forgery.

Objection! I object.

Mr. Tipton is an expert witness, Mr. Reavis.

Go on, Mr. Tipton.

But they're not forgeries. They're lying, all of you.

It's collusion.

Sit down, Mr. Reavis.

I'll have you for contempt.

The court finds from the evidence

that said Peralta grant is not entitled to confirmation,

that the claim is wholly fictitious and fraudulent.

It is therefore ordered that the claim called

for Peralta grant is rejected and dismissed.

Mr. Reavis will remain in this courtroom

to be placed under arrest by the United States Marshal

for perjury and attempted fraud.

This United States court of private land claims is adjourned.

[ gavel strikes ]

Congratulations, Matt.

Congratulations.

Looks like you put all the pieces of your puzzle together.

All except one.

We'll never know who she really is.

Well, we know who she isn't,

and that's enough for the people of Arizona.

James Reavis was fined five thousand dollars

a served two years in the Santa Fe penitentiary.

He died penniless in 1914.

His wife, Sophia, brought up their two sons in Denver

and died there in 1934,

her true identity still a mystery.

Next week, another true story from Western history.