Bellevue gazette. [volume] (Bellevue City, N.T. [i.e. Neb.]) 1856-1858, 1858-01-07
The Ferguson Land Trial.

This important trial am of ut Omn-
ha City, before the Register and Receiv-
er Of the Land Office, on Saturday last.
T. b. Lemon, ESQ. and s. A. Strickland,
of Bellevue, appeared as Counse for
Judge Ferguson. Judge Lockwood, the
Brother. in.law of b. d. Chapman, ap-
pearing 10 contest the right Of Judge Fer
guson to pre.empt the land in question.
The letter of instruction from the
Commissioner Of the General Land Office
at Washington, to the Register and Re.
ceiv'er of the Omaha Land Office, stated,
that the first afidaviis. made by Watson
and others, against Ferguson's pre-emP-
ton, were enclosed in a letter. sent to the
Department by B. B. Chapman. And
here his Bro,her-in-law appears as coun.
sci in the case on the same side. Ii the
squat,ers of Nebraska, were not satisfied
before, that this was the dirty work of this
| Chapman, they will be fully satisfied now,
that he is capable Of doing that which we
venture the assertion. no settler IN Me-
braska, could be found mean enough to
do. The testimony Of the adverse party,
ONLY showed how little they knew about
the presumption Of Judge Ferguson.
Their testimony was entirely negative,
1 ID L--- .
and proved nothing, only the fast, that
they knew less about the Judges living on
his claim, than they would, had they been
disinteressed, instead Of nlaiiciously piN.
ing Witnesses for the further purposes of
giving a semblance Of decency, to the
probability of there being some hhk foun-
dation for the wholesale assertion, about
the pre.emption in the first instance.
No, ONE of the witnesses disputed the
Judges improvements. While the wit.
nesses on the other side, one after anoth-
er, could not only swear TO the improve.
ments. but all had seen the Judge and his
family, at various times. living on the
land. y
Settlers and squatiers of Nebraska /.
you have been told that Chapman was a
non.residen, of Nebraska that he had
no interes, or sympathy in common with
you. You have also heard IN detail his
black and infamous reputation, from the
time he wns concerned as q coarse hand
clerk, in Washington, trying to smugle
and steal away negro slaves, from their
owners, down TO his framing out the Land
Offices in Dakota, Nebraska City, aud
Brownville /; and taking in violation of the
statutes of the U. S where il is made a
penal and p'nitentiary ofense, the sum Of
one thousand dollars, from an Indian trad
er, Gen. p. A. Sarpy +; and the further
putioining Of the public documents, given
by Congress, for the benefit of the set
tiers and squalterS Of Nebraska. You
may stand Nth n reasonable mou of
grace, these most villainous and shame
less acts of Madison & Co., but how will
he excuse this willful, malicious and pre-
m~edi,a,ed attempt u strike a, the very
foundation Of your rights, and highest
and best interest . for we unhesitaingly
say, .ha, if Judge Ferguson's Pre-emp-
tion can be broken. then one hundred and
fifty in Sarpy County, will share the same
fate, aud no less than one lhousand in the
Territory. You who have endured The
tolls and priva,iOns incident 10 a pioneer
life, will you loook idlely on, and see this
ambitious and corrupt aspirant for your
-o;es, come amorg ycI, 10 disturb the