All language subtitles for Death.Valley.Days.S04E11.The.Baron.of.Arizona.1080p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DD+2.0.H.264-bigworm_track3_[eng]

OLD RANGER:
And now,Death Valley Days.

♪♪ [ trumpet ]

Hi-yah!

Yah!

Yah!

Howdy, folks.

I'’m the Old Ranger,

and I have another interesting
true story for you

about the historic
Death Valley country.

There are some stories
that absolutely stagger
the imagination,

and this is one of them.

If it wasn'’t all documented
in the archives

of the United States government,

you'’d declare that nothing
so fantastic, so colossal

could have taken place
as the events set in motion

by the man known as...

Tom Weedin, owner and editor
of the local newspaper

in Florence, Arizona,

lived through
all these events.

I'’ve even saved one
of the first notices he posted,

back in '’83.

What a bombshell that was.

[ reading aloud ]

Pay through the nose,
in other words.

"By order of the Baron
Don James Addison

de Peralta-Reavis."

Where was this Peralta Grant?

Not was, is.

You'’re standing right
in the middle of it.

Come here, I'’ll show you.

It runs from here
225 miles east,

clear into New Mexico,

and south some 75 miles.

Takes in nearly
11 million acres altogether,

including the capital city
of Phoenix

and us, here.

One man owns the whole thing?

Every foot of it,
so he claims.

Every ranch, every building,
every homestead, every mine.

My gosh.You can imagine the panic

when those notices appeared.

Folks who had pioneered here,
spent half their lives

developing the land,
suddenly discovering
they were trespassers.

Facing ruin if they didn'’t come
to terms with the Baron.

He just appeared from nowhere?

Like a bolt from the blue,

but armed with every
possible credential.

A whole parade of documents.

Seems hard to believe.

I, for one,
didn'’t believe it.

I wrote a whole series
of editorials

urging people to stand up
and fight for their rights

against an imposter.

Now it seems I was wrong.

Two of the greatest lawyers
in the United States,

Roscoe Conkling
and Robert Ingersoll,

have investigated
the claims,

and they can'’t find
a flaw in them.

They'’ve just issued a statement
to that effect.

James Addison Reavis is indeed
the Baron de Arizonac

andCaballero de los Colorados.

So, what are you gonna do?

You said you wanted to be
a newspaperman,

graduate from typesetting.

Well, I-- Yeah, sure.

Then go down there and see
the Baron, and get me
the whole story.

Who, me?

Yes, you. Saddle up
and get going.

But, gosh, where to?

Whereabouts in all those
11 million acres?

Here.

Only a day'’s journey
on horseback.

Mr. John Rayburn
of the Southern Pacific Railway.

Your Excellency.

The directors
of the Southern Pacific agree,

in the light
of our lawyers'’ findings,

that the railroad is
trespassing upon rights of way

which belong legitimately
to you,

and are therefore prepared
to pay for the privilege
of crossing your property.

I have brought with me
a certified check
for the amount you stipulated,

$50,000.

My compliments
to your directors.

I am pleased the matter
has been amicably settled.

Mr. Frank Carlson
of the Silver King Mine.

Mr. Reavis--

Don James de Peralta-Reavis.

Acting upon instructions
from the owners
of the Silver King Mine,

I have brought you
this payment.

Twenty-five thousand dollars?
A mere bagatelle.

It represents--You mined nearly half a million
dollars'’ worth of ore last year,

declared a dividend
of 200,000,

and now you have the audacity
to offer me, the rightful owner
of this land,

a paltry 25,000.

Which represents,
as I was about to say
before being interrupted,

our first installment.

Oh, well, that'’s different.

The Baron will talk
with you now. His official
audiences are ended.

I'’m sorry to have kept
you waiting, sir.

I found it very illuminating.

So, they all capitulated.

Even the big boys.They have no choice.

[ inaudible ]

They would like to know
if they may be excused.

They have my permission.You may go.

As heirs
to the Peralta estate,

I feel they cannot begin
too young learning
about its administration,

meeting their tenants and ge-- [ door rattling ]

MAN:
No, no.
You cannot go in there.

Don Peralta is busy!

I don'’t care how busy he is.

I'’m a-talkin' to him
right now.

So, little princes.

[ men chattering ]

Dress '’em in velvet,
while our young'’uns go around
in gunny sacks.

Well, let me tell
you something,
Mr. Don Peralta-Reavis.

Us settlers
have had a meeting,

and we'’re not paying
any tribute.

We'’re free Americans.
We sweat blood
to homestead this land,

and we'’re not knuckling down
to no land grabber
with a fancy title!

Robbers!
[ shouts ]

We'’ll show you whose land
this is!

There was no need for you
to run like that, Sophia.

I was afraid for the children.

He would not dare lay hands
on a Peralta.

Out the side door.

You will remain here,
my dear.

My apologies
for the disturbance.

Does this happen often?

They hate us, these people.

Is it our fault they
settled on land to which
they had no right?

The government
had deeded it to them.

And the government is going
to compensate me
for all my trouble

in clearing these claims.

I'’m demanding $50 million.

Whew!

I feel sorry
for these people.

Would you like to be back
where I first met you?

These Spaniards.
All temperament.

You'’re not Spanish yourself?

No, English descent.

Born plain James Addison Reavis.

It'’s my wife in whose veins
flows the blood of the Peraltas.

My great-grandfather,
Miguel de Peralta,

received the grant
from King Ferdinand VI

back in 1748.

He lived at court,
was gentleman
of the king'’s bedchamber.

Wasn'’t that his title?

He had a great many titles,
my dear.

Do you read Spanish?

A little.

Then you might be interested
in the Peralta genealogy.

Over there.

A beautiful example
of old bookbinding.

Mm, smell
that old parchment.

Ah, here we are.

The record
of the first Baron.

Don Miguel Nemecio Silva
de Peralta de Córdoba.

With two pages listing
the various titles
and emoluments

bestowed on him
by the Spanish Crown.

Here, the records show
that his son, the second Baron,

went to Mexico
with his daughter
and son-in-law,

then later to California.

In San Bernardino,
they were caught in the flood.

The famous San Bernardino flood.

In San Bernardino,
twin children were born
to the Baron'’s daughter.

A boy and a girl.

The boy died.
But the girl was christened

Sophia Laureto Micaela Maso
y Silva de Peralta.

My wife,

the only living blood descendent
of old Miguel de Peralta,

and heir to all his estates.

Whew! All our family records
are just kept in a flyleaf
of a Bible.

How simple, compared
with all that.

Those are records too?

Every one of them.

Gosh. BARON:
Don'’t be alarmed.

You will not have to look
at them all.

Oh, there'’s one thing
I would like to see,

and that'’s the original
grant itself.

That, unfortunately,
is not in my possession
at the moment.

Oh. It'’s on exhibit

at the state capitol
in Phoenix,

along with some other
documents sent over
by the Spanish government.

We felt it might be
of interest to the public,

since the Barony takes in
such a large part of Arizona.

Bill, you'’re a born reporter.

Couldn'’t have gotten
a more complete story myself.

Oh, this isn'’t all of it.

Would you go over to Phoenix
with me and take a look

at the Peralta documents
on exhibit there?

The original grant'’s
among them.

You go.I'’ve already seen them.

Stopped on my way back
from the Baron'’s.

Then what'’s the idea
of going again?

Oh, I got to thinking we might
get pictures of them.

We should, by all means,

if they'’re not too faded
to reproduce well.

You'’re a better judge
of that than I am.

Nonsense. You know a lot
about paper and print.

However, I'’ll go with you.Thank you, sir.

Matter of fact, I'’m curious
to get a squint at the document

that'’s made us all underlings
of the Baron of Arizona.

And here'’s the grant.

Royal decree,

signed by Ferdinand VI
of Spain.

Those old printers
weren'’t half bad either,

when you think that'’s
almost 150 years old.

I don'’t.

You don'’t what?

I don'’t think that paper
is more than 15 years old.

What are you
talking about?

I'’m saying that this document
isn'’t old, either.

The date is 1757.

Take a look at the watermark
on the paper.

"Big Cedar Bond."

Made by a mill in Wisconsin
that wasn'’t started
until after the Civil War.

Jumping catfish.

So, this is why you were
so anxious for me to come here.

Yes.You haven'’t breathed it
to anyone else?

Not a living soul.Good.

We'’ve got to act
with the utmost caution

so Reavis doesn'’t
get wind of it.

And we'’ve got to
act fast, too.

These documents
are being returned
to Madrid any day now.

I'’ll have an expert on the job
in an hour.

Ah.

[ footsteps approach ]

[ footsteps continue ]

[ door closes ]

[ footsteps approach ]

[ door rattles ]

[ knocking ]

I'’m sorry, madam.
The exhibit is closed.

[ exhales ]

That was close.

How much longer
is it gonna take
the learned professor?

I don'’t know. I don'’t see why have to go
through this rigmarole.

We know the papers
are forgeries.

I'’ve been made a fool of
by the Baron before.

This time I'’m not showing
my hand until I have

indisputable evidence
to lay before the authorities.

Well, well.

The signature of the king
was written with a steel pen,

not quill, and the ink used
is what is known as logwood,

invented by
a German scientist.

When, Doctor? When?

Sometime during
the present century.

That'’s all we need to know.

Next stop, United States Court
of Private Land Claims.

They'’ve arrested the Baron!What does he say?

Denies everything,
of course.

How'’s this look?
The biggest type we'’ve got.

[ murmuring ]

I was nearly 16 years old
before I learned
who I really was.

I had grown up a waif,
passed from hand to hand,

and was working as a servant
on a ranch

near the Dragoon Mountains
in Arizona,

when one day,

a stranger sought me out,

and told me things that were
to change my whole life.

Sophia Laureto Micaela Maso
y Silva de Peralta.

That'’s me?

I'’ll take you to
the Mission of San Salvador,

near San Bernardino,
and show you the birth record.

I can'’t read.

Oh, my poor little Sophia,

we'’ll change all that.

What are you looking at?

The blueness of your veins,

in which flows the blood
of Spanish grandees.

I'’ve been searching for you
for years, my child.

Thank heaven I'’ve found you.

He placed me
in a convent school,

where the good sisters
educated me,

trained me in the ways
of a lady.

He bought me beautiful clothes,
jewels.

He showed me the world.

And I loved him
with all my heart.

It was on our honeymoon
in Spain that he gave me

these twin miniatures.

Your great-grandfather,
my darling,

Don Miguel de Peralta,
and his wife.

From whom you inherit
the vast Peralta Grant,

and the title Baronesa
de Arizona y de Colorados.

Then what does that
make you?

[ chuckling ]
Oh, Baron, of course,
my sweet simpleton.

The Baron of Arizona.

It all started
back 30 years ago,

when I was a streetcar conductor
in St. Joseph, Missouri,

with plenty of time
on my hands to dream.

I wanted to become rich.

As rich and powerful
as the old Spanish
conquistadoresI'’d read about.

How did they get that way?

Through land grants
from the Crown.

Gradually, the idea
took shape in my mind.

There was one great talent
I possessed,

which I'’d used in the army
to advantage.

I was an expert forger.

So, I gave up my job
on the horse car

and drifted down to Arizona.

And there one night,
in a cheap, frontier restaurant,

fate played right
into my hands...

in the person
of a ne'’er-do-well
by the name of Willing.

Three hundred
square leagues of land

in the very heart
of Arizona.

It'’s worth millions
of dollars.

Only it'’s a fake.What do you mean, a fake?

Why, I got this straight
from one of the Peraltas
down in Mexico.

Oh, no,
you can'’t fool me.

I'’m an old hand
at this game.

How much do you want for it?

Well, it cost me $1,000.

I'’ll give you ten dollars.

Ten dollars?

That'’s an insult.Go peddle it somewhere else.

Uh, uh,

make it, uh, 20.

Fifteen.[ grunts ]

Well, would you like me
to make out a deed?

No, thank you.

I can attend to that myself.

I now knew what I
was going to do.

It would take time
and patience,

ingenuity and nerve,

but I was going
to establish my claim
to this fictitious grant

of 300 square leagues.

Nearly 11 million acres
in Arizona.

I studied Spanish,
old and new,

till I was a master
of the language.

I practiced the art
of writing on parchment
with a quill pen,

copying the style
of the old scribes
and padres.

I invented an entire family tree
for the Peraltas,

with documents to substantiate
even the tiniest twig.

I traveled to Mexico,
to Portugal, to Spain,

placing these forgeries
in the proper places

among official records,
in libraries, museums,
and monasteries.

Sometimes, it was only
necessary to erase a few words
with chemicals,

substituting others
in their place.

Sometimes, I would exchange
whole pages.

How did I gain access
to these archives
and not get caught?

[ chuckles ]
I managed.

Like the time in a monastery
in Sevilla,

when the padre in charge
insisted on hanging around.

Senor, you are ill?

Just faint.
It will pass.

The air in here is close
and musty.

You are not used to it.
Here, Senor. Sit down.

There you are.

I'’ll be all right.

If I could just have
a glass of wine.

Certainly.
I'’ll get it right away.

You stay where you are.

Thank you.

[ door closes ]

It took me nearly ten years.

Even then, I wasn'’t through.

To cement my claim,

I would marry a girl
whom I could pass off

as the only living descendent

of old Miguel de Peralta.

She must be the right age,

a waif, ignorant
of her own origin,

beautiful and gullible.

I found her.

The rest you know,
gentlemen.

JUDGE:
James Addison Reavis,

for the crimes which you
have committed,

this court sentences you
to six years'’ imprisonment

in the state penitentiary
at Santa Fe.

Somebody said they thought
they saw his wife not long ago

in a little Mexican village.

It'’s where she took
the children after the divorce.

Well, if folks are kind,
they'’ll leave her alone.

Good morning.

Reavis!

You recognize me.

I'’m glad.

So many people don'’t.

What brings you here?

Oh, yes.

The bright young man who knows
so much about ink and paper.

If you'’ve come here
to threaten us--

Threaten? No.

I want to give you a story
for your newspaper.

I have devised a plan
for a huge water project

that would irrigate
this whole region around here.

Revolutionize agriculture.

Oh, it'’d take money--
millions of dollars--

but I will float
a bond issue.

You?

Once the public learns
the facts,

they'’ll rush to subscribe.

All I need is publicity.

A good front-page story.

Mr. Reavis--

Do you have a map
of Arizona here?

The idea is to build
a great dam on the Gila River.

Impound its waters.

The place is southeast
of Globe,

where the river bends, here.

The Peralta Grant.

Three hundred
square leagues,

eleven million acres,

and I owned it.

Claimed you did.

I fooled the biggest men
in this country

for 12 long years.

And you might have got
away with it longer,

if it hadn'’t been
for little men like Bill here,

all over America,

who know their jobs.

For a while, Reavis skulked
around the streets of Phoenix,

then he faded
from sight altogether.

And that, my friends,
is the story
of the Baron of Arizona.

Fantastic, colossal, but true,
every word of it.

♪♪ [ trumpet ]