The Baron of Arizona Page #5

---

Then remember that you are a baroness.

Now compose yourself.

Sit down, my dear.

How do you do, sir?

How do you do, Baron?

May I present Mr. Richardson,

Secretary of the Interior.

My wife, the Baroness Sofia de Peralta

- Reavis.

- An honor, Baroness.

- On our part, Mr. Secretary.

- Won't you sit down, sir?

- Thank you.

Well, sir...

we've had our best agent

investigating your claim...

for six tedious months.

Well, I have implicit faith in the

integrity of our Washington experts.

We can't afford delay, Baron.

It's costing the people too much.

And you leave us no alternative...

but to make good on the multitude

of land titles we've issued.

Well, I'm certain the government

findings will be fair...

and I shall abide by their

official confirmation or denial.

How much is the barony worth to you?

That's a difficult figure

to reach, Mr. Secretary.

As you are well aware...

there are treasures of

unmined gold and silver...

and, uh, the rich grazing land and -

A most difficult figure to reach.

Well...

the United States is prepared

to pay you $25 million...

for the purchase of the territory of Arizona.

I regret that we must

decline your offer, sir.

What do you expect?

Recognition of the Peralta grant.

Baroness. Baron.

Do you remember the day you

sobbed like a little peasant?

I did not want Arizona.

I wanted to be with you.

But I promised you your birthright, Sofia.

Now it's yours, all of it

- every mile, every foot, every inch.

What is it you really want?

And not only that, but my father

was the first white American...

to pitch a tent in Phoenix.

Since I was eight years old

I helped him plant and plow...

until we got enough to buy our own

piece ofland from the government.

And then this fella comes along who says he's a

- a baron...

whatever that is...

and every time I try talking

plain horse sense to him...

he told me to settle with one of his clerks.

Well, I'm gonna settle

with this baron himself.

There's your chance,

Lansing! There they come!

Clear the road.

"Clear the road. " Next we'll have

to pay you to breathe this air.

Reavis, you think the government'd sell

us land that doesn't belong to them?

No. And any man who speaks like

that is a traitor to his country.

Citizens of Arizona...

we don't want your homes

or shops or livestock.

Then why are you trying to scare us

into paying for what's already ours?

I have terrorized no one.

I don't want to hurt you.

I want to help all of you develop Arizona

into the richest barony in the world.

That ain't for America. That's for Europe.

We ain't slave workers,

and you ain't our king.

No.

But I am the Baron...

and what goes with the barony must

and will be recognized by all of you...

just as it was recognized 10 minutes

ago by the United States government.

We heard you forged them papers.

There will be all kinds of rumors.

Why don't you go to the surveyor

general's office right now?

There's a man there who can

straighten you out on this matter.

He's from Washington.

He just offered us $25 million for our land.

But I turned him down. I'm

not interested in money.

I'm interested in land and its development.

What if we don't have the money to pay

you? What if we don't have the money?

What'll you do?

I shall evict you.

James!

I feel like Caesar's wife

before he was murdered.

You've sacrificed much, but the effort'll

be worthless if something happens to you.

I saw the faces of those people today.

They hate us. They're afraid of us.

Once you were afraid of me. Remember?

I was never afraid of you.

I loved you the instant you gave

me the second piece of candy.

But I'm not happy to be the Baroness.

That's because you still feel

a sense of unnecessary guilt.

Why must we have all the land?

It would take me days to cover the

acreage around this house alone.

I don't want a dead baron.

I want a live husband.

Oh, I know only peasants cry, but I -

I love you, I love you,

I love you, I love you!

You ain't takin' my farm away from me!

You'll have to shoot me also.

"James Addison de Peralta-Reavis...

"and Sofia de Peralta Reavis...

"husband and wife...

versus the United States of America. "

The plaintiffs ask the government

to confirm their title...

to the territory of Arizona.

This is the most unusual case

in the history ofland claims.

Every spectator has land at stake and -

I paid the Baron $4,000.

Do I get my money back?

I don't want to be compelled

to have you arrested...

but this is now a federal court...

and while you have the

sympathy of the government...

I will tolerate no further disturbance.

Is that clear?

Has the government any legal proof

exposing my claim as a forgery?

No.

Has the government any evidence

to prove the ancestry...

of the Baroness Sofia

de Peralta-Reavis false?

The government has not.

Have you any proof to

discredit the Peralta claim?

No.

Your Honor, I accuse the government

of casting a cloud of suspicion...

on the integrity of my wife, the

Baroness Sofia de Peralta-Reavis.

I accuse the government of encouraging

mobs to violate our privacy...

and to make attempts on our lives.

I accuse the government of costing us

the hatred, suspicion and distrust...

of the people living on our land...

by the deliberate delay of

the recognition of our claim.

I accuse the government of violating the treaty

of Guadalupe Hidalgo and the Gadsen Purchase.

And I demand that the government,

according to its own law...

legally, officially and permanently

confirm the title to the Peralta land grant.

Is the government prepared

to question witnesses?

No, Your Honor.

Don't you even wish to

question the plaintiffs?

No, Your Honor.

This sudden move of the United

States being on the defense...

has come as a complete surprise.

At this moment we are unprepared to

establish evidence that will prove...

that the original Baron of

Arizona, Miguel de Peralta...

was a mythical gentleman created

by the fertile brain of Mr. Reavis.

Because the government is the defendant...

it is essential that this proof

be produced as quickly as possible.

It shall be presented as soon

as we are ready, Your Honor.

Let the Court point out that

if this proof is not valid...

the United States of America...

will be compelled to surrender

Arizona to the plaintiffs.

We understand the gravity of the situation.

Why, even at this moment we are awaiting

reports that will prove the grant...

and all the papers colossal forgeries.

We shall prove that the woman

known as the Baroness of Arizona...

inherited an utterly

fictitious and fraudulent title.

We shall prove that her husband,

James Reavis, is a fake...

a forger, a swindler and a thief.

Yes?

Up to now, I fought my husband all the way.

Poor showing for a wife, isn't it?

I was on your side. I felt sorry for you.

I did not like the thought of taking away

your land, even if it does belong to us.

I tried to erase the barony

and all it represented.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes