Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1859-02-26
IPor the Democrat

49,
editorial in the Keokuk Post Of the
18th inst, which contains some silly
twaddle, apparently designed to dis
credit some facts regarding the origin
of Titles to what is called the Half
Breed Tract" which contains about
10000 acres Of valuable and favor
ably situated land, on which is stu
ated the famous city Of keokuk, and
it is certainly one of the best sites for
a prosperous and fiourishing city that
could be selected on either bank OF
the Mississippi river, between St. Louis
and the Falls of st. Anthony.
The Kcokuk editor in pointlcss and
unsustaincd slang regarding what he
alleges the undisputed title to lots in
the city of keokuk, and the one hun
dred and ninety-one thousand acres
of Half Breed Tract land, on which are
also situated several small towns-in
reference to communication | wrote
for your paper, in his scurrillous at
tempt to discredit the representations
made by the press generally, and by
myself, he uses the following language,
viz =
lie, and the editors of the Demo-
crdt know that the decree was made
by the highest Court of the Territory,
and was afterwards ratified by the Su
preme Court of the United States, the
highest legal tribunal there is in this
country, and that the validity of the
title has never been questioned by
those who know anything of it, and
that it is now considered as sound a
title as can be given for any of the
Davenport property he himself owns !;
and that it is downright foolishness to
attribute to the undisputed title the
embarrassmcnts which have been felt
alike by all cities East and West"
Now so far as l am concerned, be-
ing victim suffering serious loss from
the result OF what is called the "mid-
night Decree" instead of my own er
pdrte testimony, ! give you few ex-
tracts from deposition made by John
II. Lines, Esq, who was then Record
cr of the county of Lee, and who had
all the legal records of title to all the
lots in keokuk and all the acres in the
IIalfBeed Tract. This John II.
Lines, Esq, was, when the testimony
was taken, defendant in the case.
II admits that he is one of the
5'a'Tates 70 that proceeding, refers to the
,eso'cs, DC. This defendant admits
Ia. he had read and knew from the
book. in defendants office before the
petition for partition was filed.
That some if not all the complain
ants had an interest in said Half
Breed lands. He therefore cannot
deny that compliments had such in
terests in said tract as alleged in this
bill.
This defendant was in the room of
Mr.. Key, the Attorney for the COM
plalnant's for the petition for partition
in the afternoon of the last day of
the District Court and observed large
quantity of papers lying on the bed in
the room, most Of them from appear
ances belonged to the New York
Company.
"During the time / was there the
door was kept shut, and when any one
knocked at the door, the papers we're
covered up before the door was OPEN
ed.
From the actions and conversation
of several of the defendants and attor
neys, believed that it was the inten-
ton to keep as many of the Half.
Breed claimants from coming and
knowing anything about the compro-
mise as they could.
After dark returned to the Cont
room. Between ten and eleven o.
clock, the suit generally called the
Half Breed suit was called up. The
Judge asked if they we're ready to do
any thing in the matter. The reply
was, they were ready. A large guam
tity of papers were filed and the COM
promise or understanding was stated.
The Court then ordered the decree
to be entered. | heard no witnesses
called, and no evidence was given, as I
understood and no written or oral proof
of the validity of any claim was offered
to the best ofmy belief. Hartman Booth.
Joseph Webster and Samuel B. Ayres
were appointed Commissioners to
make division of said tract, and then
adjourned.
was Recorder of the county Of
Lee at the time, and admit that there
we're great many claims to the Halt.
breed lands, who had their deeds on
record, and who were not in the decree
therefore, believing that great wrong
and injustice had been done to m.n7
persons who reside on said Half. R,..a
lands, and Others who have valid and
Just claims, also having good reason to
Deneve that very many Of the claims
Of pessons who are in the decree. ~