“MONSTROUS AND ILLEGAL PROCEEDINGS”: LAW ...

sustain reciprocal ties and political power converged in the proceeding. The case was about
establishing each man’s and faction’s place in a turbulent borderlands world.
With so much at stake, Tristani not surprisingly mounted a spirited defense. He filed
his own defamation action against Parejas. In doing so, he set the stage for a dramatic
conflict between the two men and their respective factions on the day of the jury trial.
Reflecting the distinctly public nature of defamation proceedings and their importance for
asserting both personal reputation and factional power, Salto’s municipal theater served as
the venue for the trial. An article in El Salteño described the scene: “Yesterday at the
appointed hour we were in the Theater, the designated place for the trial that had to take
place with Tristany – As this was a novel spectacle in Salto, a large crowd had invaded the
theater” to witness it. 86 Tristani, however, failed to appear. After about forty-five minutes,
Parejas asked the public notary charged with the jury selection to locate the presiding judge,
Pedro Real, to inquire about Tristani’s whereabouts. Parejas then decided to search for
Tristani himself. Walking into the streets outside of the theater near Salto’s central plaza
towards the local courthouse, Parejas located Tristani speaking to several men. Parejas wrote
that “knowing the maneuvers with which one can elude justice, I that saw the hour draw
near when I could wash the dark stain that Rogelio Tristany had vilely thrown upon my
honor . . . I could not contain myself when I saw the calumnious one standing, calm, with a
cheery air at the door of the courthouse.” 87 In front of a small crowd, Parejas then yelled:
“Tristany!! You will have more honor in here (signaling to the theater). That is the place in
which you should be and you sir are afraid to enter!!” According to Parejas’ account,
86 D. Manuel R. Tristani c. D. José Parejas por publicación de injurias en prensa, El Salteño (June
12, 1862), included with the proceeding.
87 Ibid.
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