New-York tribune., 1879-03-11
MORE THAN A HUNDRED CLAIMS.
YESTERDAY THE LAST DAY FOR TAKING TESTIMONY
on SOUTHERN CLAIMs--A RUSH OF BUSINESS
FRAUDS.


FRAUDS.
IBY TELEGRAPH TRIBUSH.I
WASHINGTON. March 10.-This being the last day
upon which testimony could be taken by the
Southern Claims Commission, there has been sub
mitted to the commission evidence in support of
more than a hundred of the old claims pending be-
fore it. The life of the commission was extended
by the late Congress to the 10th of March, 1880,
but the intervening time is to be given TO an adj
judication of pending claims upon testimony al
ready submitted.
The commissioners have reason to believe that
some extensive frauds have recently been at
tempted by means of false evidence in regard to
the ownership of certain property captured by
the Federal troops dnrng the war and sold for the
benefit of the Government. If the reports made by
the Southern agents of the commission are borne
out when their more detailed statements are re-
ceved, they Will show that in single class of trans
actions, in which not more than four five pereons
were engaged, claims amounting to more than
million and half of dollars, which were fully es-
tablshed by documentary or oral testimony III
Wash ngton, prove TO be utterly fraudulent when
examined upon the spot
Certain claimants of undisputed LOYALTY have ap-
pearcd and exhibited what puTported to be proofs
that they were the owners of certain large lots OF
confscated property. IL support of their claims
they have produced the former owners of the same
property who swore that they had sold it to
claimants. Subsequent developments have shown
that such transactions took place until after
the war, and then only with a view to recovering
the value of the property from the Government.
THE QUARREL OF COURTS IN VIRGINIA..
APPEAL MADE TO THE UNITED STATES SUPREME
COURT TO COMPEL JUDGE EvEs TO GIVE UP
HIS PRISONERS.
GENERAL PRESS DIsPATCn.i
WASHINGTON, March 1O.-An interesting and,
in some respects, anomalous case, involving
the powers aud jurisdiction of Federal
courts in the Southern States, came be-
fore the Supreme Court of the United States
to-day upon an application from the Governor of
Virginia for a writ of mandamus to compel Judge
Rvcs of the United States Circuit Court for
the Western District Of that State, to rede-
liver to the State authorities two crlmi-
mails whom he mad taken out of their
custody for trial in his own court.
Burwell and Lee Reynolds (colored) of Patrick
County, Va were tried for the murder of
A. c. Shelton. After several trials the case
of Burwell Reynolds resulted in a hung
Jury, and that Of Lee Reynolds his brother,
in verdict of guilty of murder in the second de-
gree Lee was sentenced to eighteen years IN the
pemtcntlaTy, and both prisoners were remandcd
temporarily TO the county jail. judge RlVcs, be
Loving that the petitioners had been denied such
trial as is secured to them by the laws of the State
by competent jurors without distinction OF race
or color, and that fair trial had been
denied them, had the two cases removed to his
court Upon this state of facts, the Genera Assem-
by Of the state passed joint resolution directing
the Governor to institute mandamus proceedings Ill
tho United States Supreme Court to re-
cover possession of the prisoners and pre-
vent their rc,rIal in the United States Court
The question of Federal jurisdiction raised here to
day by the petition of the State of Virginia is inter
Csting and important.