“MONSTROUS AND ILLEGAL PROCEEDINGS”: LAW ...

complete the exchange, however, Bica had allegedly welched on the deal. According to
Gándara, Bica allegedly had resold “his” cattle to another man. Gándara wrote: “Vica had
operated in bad faith, selling cattle that two years earlier had ceased to pertain to him.” 209
After conducting further investigations into the matter, Gándara concluded that Bica had
engaged in a number of fraudulent transactions in order to solidify his commercial position
and personal wealth. Gándara wrote that “it is undeniable that Vica is one of those men
that, unable to get out of [desconocer] the obligations he had undertaken, appeals to all manner
of artifice to fool his creditors.” 210 Gándara made it clear that Bica was dishonorable and
had abused the trust of his trading partners. He demanded Bica’s immediate arrest until his
creditors could sell-off his estate to recover their losses.
Gándara had filed suit fully six years after the alleged commercial fraud. Like similar
cases in Alegrete, the timing of Gándara’s fraud allegations suggests that blanco officials may
have been more concerned with attacking Bica’s current political and economic position
than actually securing justice for Souto. The rapid response by judicial officials further
supports this interpretation. Pedro Real, the blanco alcalde ordinario in Salto, immediately
ordered an investigation into Gándara’s allegations. Bica, however, refused to appear. Real
ordered Bica’s arrest. He then froze Bica’s assets so as to compel him to answer the civil
fraud charges pending against him.
Bica responded by seeking assistance from his own judicial allies. The juez de paz
around Mataojos where Bica resided claimed that he had been unable to locate the Brazilian
rancher. Gándara was furious. He wrote to Real, now demanding the arrest of the juez de
paz as well for refusing the “punctual compliance with that which your mercy [Judge Real] has
209 Ibid., 1.
210 Ibid., 6.
247