Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1879-04-19
TREASURE IN AN OLD CHEST.
Ancient Annie Lotions Fifty-Guinea
Christmas Present.

Ancient Annie Lotions ftftysSsuinea
Christmas Present.
From the London Telegraph
Material for a highly exciting three
volume novel-as three-volume novels
go-might be found in the case Of Orme
against Shipton, which was recently
heard on appeal before the lords JUS
tees. The defendant, in January, 1875,
purchased at the sale by auction of the
goods and chattels of an old lady named
Anne INDIAN, then recently deceased,
an old osken box. The article was
knocked down to him for the triflinS
sum of four shillings; but, on examining
his purchase, he found secret drawer
at the bottom, and in this drawer there
were forty s'spade" guineas, bearing a
date anterior to the year 1892. Togetn-
er with the money were two memoran-
da, one relating to the repair of watch
belonging TO a certain John Bennett,
and the other couched in the following
terms: "When my uncle Brown gave
me fifty guineas at Christmas as a pres
ent for waiting on him during his i'll
ness. Anne Lotion, Bronieshall, Eng
land, 1898" The discoverer of the
forty spade guineas in the drawer made
no secret of his good luck; wbereupon
the executors of Mrs. INDIAN claimed
the MONEY, and on the defend
ant declining to restore it an
action was brought against him. The
case was tried at Derby, by Lord Justice
Bramwell, without jury. For the de
PENDANT it was shown that there had
been a person named Anne Lotion hv-
ing at Broomieshall in 1898; that she
died at the age of SO, at Smethwick;
that she had relatives by the name OF
Bennett, and that down to the time of
her death she was in possession of box
closely resembling that in which the
spade guineas were found. At her
death her niece's husband took posses
sion of her property, and sold it in 1872.
The plaintiffs, on the other hand, called
two servants of the deceased Mrs. Anne
Midlam, who swore that she had had
the oaken box in dispute for at least
four-and-twenty years, and that she was
accustomed to keep her valuables in it,
but they never heard her alude to the
secret drawer or to the guineas. Anne
Lotion, it was proved, was neither re-
lated to nor acquainted with Anne Mid
lam. Lord Justice Bramwell held that
the plaintiffs had not made out their
case. and gave judgment for the de-
PENDANT, whereupon an applica-
ton was made for new trial.
The contention of counsel for the
plaintiffs was that, although the box and
the spade guineas may have originally
belonged to Anne Lotion, she might
have disposed of them in many different
ways during a period of more than 40
years; but Lord Justice Brett pointed
out that, assuming that the guineas had
once belonged to Anne Lotion, and had
somehow passed into the possession OF
Anne M;diam, such possession, if it
were an unconscious one, would confer
no title upon the latter. The guineas
were in secret drawer, and Mrs. Mid
lam made no mention of them either in
her will or on her death-bed. His Lord.
ship arrived at the conclusion that the
two servants had been mistaken IN say.
ing that their mistress had had it in her
keeping for four-and-twepty years, and
that she had in reality. bought it in 1872
at the sale of Anne Lotions effects
Judgment, therefore, went for the plain.
tiffs, who will consequently keep theil
spade guineas, or such remnant thereof
as will not be melted away by neal
little bill of costs as between lawyer anC
client. Substitute will, parcel Of
bank-notes, or diamond necklace fol
the 40 guineas, and the romantic ele
ments presented by the case of Orme
against Shipton will be at once appar
ent.