The sun., 1879-05-05
ALDRED'S RIG SHINDLE
Dead Mems Names Forged TO Deeds Convey
ing % square Miles OF Land.

NASHVILLE, May 1.-One Of the most i'm
portant and interesting land cases ever before
our courts was decided yesterday afternoon ny
Dr. Abram Litton ct al. brought suit against
John Adred ct al to, have declared forged the
deeds To u tract OF land in Oycrton. Fentress.
Putnam. and Cumberland Counties. nearly
twenty Ave miles square. The Luton iamlly
bnscd their claims on u conveyance e%ecut"d m
1889 10y John Is. COrmlck - tho New YORK
Manufacturing Company, and also on deeds
executed 10y James Manning.
One Of the deeds alleged % be false purported
to have been executed sept. D. 1892 by John B.
McCormick To John Aldred, and conveyed TO
Aldrcd for $4,000 cash. several hundreds OF
thousands Of acres in tho nbove- mentioned
counties. The deed also purported 70 have
been acknowledged by Mccormick in 1873, in
prrson before the Clerk Of the County Court Of
Maury. An elderly man walked into the Clerk ;
Office, introducing himself IA John Is. MrCor-
mick, and. after mentioning as friends various
well-knOwn citizens OF Maury County, and in
Quiring about others spoke OF his large landed
possessions In the mountain counties, stating
that they were now coming into lhe mhrkst ana
that he iutended 10 dispose OF u considerable
portion Of them. Finally. the stranger got mo
clerk 10 take his acknoW Wledgmrht OF tho deed
in question when he departed. and was not
alterward heard Of This was shown 70 have
been clear case Of false pcrsonuion The real
Mccormick had for some years previously re-
sided AT Dayton, ONO during Whl'i' \, i,,lne, me- uoWh
70 his death, he had meyer visited lrhhoSsce,
There were two subscribing witnesses names
signed to the deed. one Of whom was shown not
to have been born Mt the date OF H. ana mo other
To have been only ten cr twelve years old Mt tho
time. Mccormick. il wns shown. died several
years before the alleged proceedings, and twas
also proved that the counties, contrary To the
wording OF the lcei, We're not established untll
many years after the date OF the document
Almost identical proof was introduced to over
come the other deeds.
Tho Manning decd included precisely the
saino lands as the Mccormick deed. II was
shown that Manning WAS dead at the date ot the
deed Tho same two names were signed ~
subscribing Witnesses. II was shown thnl
! ncitLer of tho parties had signed il, The third
| deed was nso clearly shown To have been, q
| forgery. Tho consideration cNprcssed in thu
| Manning decd was ~ 600 cash, tunt IN tho large
| Mccormick decd being, ms stated, 81 OOO cash
| Ii was shown that John Aldred, the granted II
| both deeds WAS poor, and could not have com
| mnnded anything like either sum.
! Tho court decro"d that all these deeds Wer'
| forgorics, and that they be hnnulled 50 far a
| they conflict with the tito Of complalnants Il
thn lands claimed by them in their bill. Th
| proof showed the whole scheme to be one OF N
| most stuprndous land swlndles ON record. Tn
| land IN in tho fertile up-rlvcr country, and III
| Littons by Judge BnNtcr's decision find them
selves entitled TO one of the largest estates II
| tho country.
Weak Eyes, sore Eyes, Innamed EyeIids,
| 4 .-s.,s IA Il.al rfas ,.l.rn "a