1722. Carta de Juan Ortega Lara para Toribio Díaz.

Letter from Juan Ortega Lara to Toribio Díaz

The author informs Toribio Díaz of his good state of health and also of certain news from Villacastín.

On December 28th 1722 there were elections in Villacastín. The council gathered and designated as constituents to Juan Ortega Lara, the mayor; and Toribio Díaz and Simón del Río, both councilmen. The three of them, together with the account notary José Martínez Martel, met in the town council chambers for designating the new mayor. The disagreements began when Juan Ortega Lara proposed Pedro de Mediana (José Martínez Martel´s father-in-law) for the office, given that until that moment José Alonso had received unanimous support for the nomination. Toribio Díaz and Simón del Río´s disbelief was notorious, since Juan Ortega had stated in previous months that the solution to the ills of the village was in José Alonso´s designation. The constituent´s favourite was a doctor and he had made a good job managing public affairs in previous years, when he was requested in Villacastín leaving his position as a doctor and his salary in Navas del Marqués and move to the new village. On the other hand, it was also well known Pedro de Mediana´s bad management during his passage through the administration of Carnicería, which he had left highly indebted. The problem was not the difference of opinions, but Juan Ortega Lara´s stubbornness to Pedro de Mediana´s designation, for which he counted on José Martínez´s support. The latter refused to record José Alonso´s two positive votes and together with Juan Ortega went outside the town council and incited the crowd to insult the elected mayor and to take him to jail. José de la Torre Escobedo, the mayor of Segovia, had to intervene proceeding against the defendants accused of the tumult and releasing José Alonso from prison. Besides sending Juan Ortega and his followers to jail, seizing their properties and conducting their interrogation; he collected testimonies from several witnesses in order to clarify the facts of the election day. A great emphasis was given to Juan Ortega Lara´s motives to act as he did, since during the previous months he had shown his enmity towards Pedro de Mediana and his family, to whom he accused of many of the ills of Villacastín. That was why he insisted in José Alonso´s nomination, which he made explicit in his correspondence with Toribio Díaz. He also proceeded against Mediana and his followers, requesting the services of Juan de Espinosa, a councilman, to take the matter before Court. The explanation to his change of heart was attributed to the threats he received from Pedro de Mediana and his family. This fact was admitted in a veiled way by Juan Ortega. The sentence barred Ortega from any public position, apart from issuing several pecuniary penalties and banishment for the other defendants. They all appealed the Council to reduce their sentences.