The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1877-09-27
A Nice Case Of Fraud.


Ter, y young man, living OH a farm near
Ashton, In this county, met a man by
the name 0f Thomas Lncas, ut Reed
City. Lucas represented to Miller that
he owned y mortgage Of 5000, on some
valuable land, situated In Wexford
county, within 8 miles Of Clam Lake;
and offered to assign to Miller a $1,000
interest in and to the same to Miller.
for some land owned by Miller, near
Ashton. Relying on the re2resenta-
tons, and not having seen the land,
Miller gave u warranty Decd OF his land,
ut Ashton, for a $lO0O interest In ilie
Wexford county lands. Skortly nfter
said deed was given, Miller went to
Wexfetyt county, to see the land upon
which his in0rtg,lgc was a lieu; aud dis
covered that IL was not worth a shilling
an acre.. He then offered 20 tr1,de back,
but Lucas refused, and in order Ia place
the lintl out of Miller's way, gave u
deed Of thc same to Libbic Allen, of
Baldwin. a bill in chancery was filed
to set asisle both, tile decd from Miller
tn Lucas, and from Lucas to ALEU-, ON
the ground Of fraud; and after lengthy
trial and elaborate arguments Of cuun-
sci, his honor, Judge Wheeler, Whose
ability as a Jurist and whose sterling
Integrity, make 1t easy to do all things
well, granted n decree In favor of Miller,
holding both deeds fraudulent and void.
The case was tried and argued on the
part of Miller by Messrs. Beardsley &
Judkins; and on the part of Lucas a.
Allen, by s. f. Dwight and +. l.. Allen.
Tie manner In which Beardsley & judi
kins conducted the case from its bcgin-
ming to end speaks highly In their fa-
vol. - Osccotd Outline.
+. ID. Miller, who owns farm hear
Ashton, Offered the same for sale In the
spring of 1876. Thomas Lucas, who by
the way Is better known to the people
of Clam Lake than Ashton, came to
Miller and offered to trade an interest
Of 81 900 In q mortgage OF S., 900, which
lie held OH 1C0 acres of land three and
one-half miles from Clam Lake village.
He represented that he sold the 100 for
1900 to james Nelson; received 81 900
down and u mortgage for the balance;
that the land was valuable and the Sc
curities good; that j. i. Heath of Reed
City would discount the mortgage for 5
per cent. Miller, supposing all WAS
right, executed dccd of his farm to
Lucas ami took four notes of $50 each,
secured by said mortgage. About tive
that the sale to Nelson was sham and
thcmortgage fraud. The land was
twelve miles from Clam Lake, and WAS
q worthless swamp, and Immediately
took steps to recover his firm. Il. l..
Allen, an attorney at Baldwin, who mp
pears to have been very muchinterest-
ed IN the whole transaction, put an at
tachmcnt ON the farm, but after being
notified i,y Miller that he Intended to lit
igate IL, abandoned the attachment and
tOok deed from Lucas to Mrs. Allen.
Miller pat his case In Bcardsley q judi
kins' hands, Who commenced suit I'm
chancery 10 recover title. The case has
been continued from session to session
until last term Of court, when Il was mr.
gued by ]. b. Judkins for Miller and 3.
+. Dwight for Lucas and Allen. Judge
Wheeler very justly decided that Lucas
attained his deed through fraud, and
that Mrs, Allen .wns mot an innocent
pul chaser. ,t3.s ~ .tsli l'
The ease was a complIcated ono and
j. ID. Judkins Is deserving 0f great credit
for the ability with which he conducted
II defea ting those precious rssscals In
their fraudulent designs. Reed city
Clarion. lF M
i And this h the lawycr(e) elected by
tire people Of Lake county 10 the posi-
tion Of Prosecuting Attorney, last Fall!
The creature who exacts chattel mort
gngcs on oxen, from posr, decrspit, old
men, who pratcs about "women whip
plng;'' and who hns sunk 80 low that
ne slraes the name Of his innocent wifs,
c1r, necfe,l With fraud. before the public.