“MONSTROUS AND ILLEGAL PROCEEDINGS”: LAW ...

twenty-five peso fine. 29 Leal promptly appealed the verdict. He also refused to pay any
amount owing to the procedural irregularities that were designed solely to “distain my rights
and deprive me of my interests.” 30 The proceeding now passed from Salto’s local theater to
Arteagada’s court for the final verdict.
Leal’s allegations of local corruption, along with what appeared to be the growing
discord between the two rival camps on the JEA, prompted national officials to conduct
further investigations. Latorre’s Government Minister, José Maria Montero, appointed
Carlos E. Sotto to look into the matter. Sotto tendered his report before Arteagada’s
verdict. He noted that both “circles struggling to acquire supremacy here” welcomed his
presence as a neutral outsider. 31 After reviewing the complaints, Sotto stated that the JEA
“consists entirely of honorable citizens, sons and long-standing [antiguos] vecinos of this
locality.” 32 Sotto posited that the controversies dividing the town primarily involved the
activities of two men: Emilio Thevenet and Mauricio Castro. Sotto made no
recommendations for how officials ought to proceed in resolving the matter. Once his
report was in, however, Arteagada wasted little time in upholding the jury selection’s
legitimacy. In doing so, he confirmed the outcome favoring Malta and his allies on the JEA.
It is impossible to determine from the documentary evidence whether Arteagada
knew of Sotto’s conclusions or even had any contact with national officials prior to his
decision. Taken together, however, the documents show a clear pattern of national officials
evaluating the strength of the two competing circles and selecting a winner between them.
Conversely, as Guarch, Thevenet and others jostled with Guimaraens and the members of
29 Ibid.
30 Ibid.
31 D. Carlos E. Sotto al Señor Ministro de Gobierno D. José Maria Montero, AGN. Salto.
Jefatura, Legajo 1875-1877 (November 8, 1876), 1.
32 Ibid.
345