The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1880-12-10
WHOLE NO. I342.
MATTISON.


The recent trial in the United States Court az
Grand RAPIDS, OF the case OF Solomon w.
Steele against Milo ID. Matteson, brings afresh
before the public gaze the Matteson family
who have figured so extensively in the courts
OF this vicinity for the last eight years. Prior
10 1913 the Mattesons were not strangers to
the courts but the suit commenced in July OF
that year by Charles II. Morris. against Milo
, ID. Matteson, to set aside. as forgery mort
gage or Sl1 900 dated in Aprtl 1872 was the
first thing that excited the public attention Ii
was claimed by Charles H. Morris IN hls bill in
chancery, that he never knew OF the existence
OF this mortgage until be heard OF il being put
on record.
Immediately after this, the report snread that
Matteson had on record three other mortgages
against Amos Morris, in Cass County; Amos
/ MOTIFS Claiming too, that he never knew Of
their existence until told OF their record Di-
! rectiy on the heels OF this discovery. Milo D.
Mhtteson was arrested on The charge OF forge
! ing the Amos Morris mortgages. ana in jana
/ ary 1874 long trial was had n the Van Buren
County Circuit Court, resulting in the convic-
/ tion Of Matteson. stay Of proceedings was
! obtained ostensby 10 give Matteson time TO
! get Bill OF Exceptions settled for the Supreme
Court. Pending this stay Of proceedings. Judge
Brown resigned without settling the Bin o,
/ Exceptions. This, under the practice Of the
Courts, gave Matteson a new trill. BE taeu
| got the case removed TO st. t.Joseph County, and
after another four weeks trial obtained a yer-
dict OF acquittal.
Meanwhile Matteson commenced in tle T..
;. Court, foreclosure OF the Amos Morris
mortgages, and got Amos indicted il the L. ).
cour. for perjury in his an swer TO the forecl0
sure bill; but the Indictment AMI the foreclo-
sure cases were dismissed by uha. cour. for
want OF jurisdiction. Matteson also commenc-
! ed foreclosure or the Charles II. Morris mort
| gage in the l. S. court, and this was a.so dis
missed Tor the same reason. Ma,teson then
commenced IN the Cass County Court TO fore
close the Amos Morris mortgage. Voiumnous
testimony was taken aud Judge Coolidge grant
( ed decree for foreclosure. Morris appealed
J TO the Supreme Court and that Court pr0nounc-
/ cd the mortgages fabricated" papers
Matteson also commenced again to goreclose
| his I'll 900 mortgage in the Van Buren Circuit
Court. This was fought inch, by inch. for
| about two years. until Mattesop Voluntarily
Withdrew his bill and commenced over AGAIN
/ BY virtue Of recent act Of congress lie trans
| ferred this suit into the C. ). Court. where il
was fought with all the force that Morris was
able 10 bring against il; Matteson nad been
| beaten IN the Amos Morris cases in the So
| preme Court OF the State. Before Charles Il.
/ Morris had been sworn IN the L. :. Court n his
own behalf, the community were horror stricken
with the announcement that he and his est-
mable wife had been murdered in cold blood in
! his own home.
| Efforts had been made before Morris mur-
der towards compromise, and his counsel
were authorized 10 offer $4,000 20 settle the
/ @ll.OOO mortgage. which had at that time in
creased to $4,000 and upwards: but nothing
| came Of this. In the summer OF 1880 Matte
/ son commenced taking testimony on his side
! before a commissioner appointed BIZ Judge
| Whitney; at the close or the second day OF the
taking OF this testimony, the cross examination
| OF Mr.. Mattesop, as to his movements and
I whereabouts for q week or two preceding the
murder, made him decidedly uncomfortable
Night came to bis relief. and an adjournment
| OF several days was obtained. during which, a
previous offer OF the adm. .DlstrAtor O. the
murdered man Tor a settlement was accepted,
and Matteson TOOK about fourteen per cent of
his claim and pad his own costs. o. course
! the cross-eXaminaton was never resumed and
| the mortgage on the Old Morris homestead was
discharged. It's estimated that ths whole it,
lgation has cost 81 parties public aud private,
not less than $4,000.
Parallel with these suits, numerous other
cases have burdened our courts and our Cit
| lzena, in which Matteson has been one OF the
parties. In 1873 or "A, Matteson held a second
mortgage on a piece OF land IN Lawrence. and
10 save himself, had 70 buy up the first one.-
! Instead OK dlscharglng the mortgage, he under
took TO hold Marks the eudorsar OF the notes
and IL was not until M2.tesOn had dragged
Marks to the Supreme Court twice that ne vas
! compelled 20 refund the money TO aim. About
1870 Caleb VI. Gardner borrowed 1ID5 OF Nat
teson, and gave q chattei mortgage on aO)ut all
he had TO secure The payment Of the same
Gardner made payments from time % time
amounting 10 C5J, but continually renewing
his notes and mortgages until il 1876 Nstteson
had his notes sor $40, and mortgages on all
ne had Gardner then paid 300 more, after
which Matteson took the balance q the mort
gagged property. Gardner brought replevln,
and after two tria's in the Circuit and one IN
| the supreme Court recovered his property
Matteson pCacticed the same tactics on solomon
W. Steele, until steele became tired OF he
game; and in the Spriny OF 1877. when
| Matteson with three armed men came 20 take
the balance OF wha. Steele had left, Steele for
bade his coming on his premises and lnder-
| took to defend his property. One OF Matte
| sons men drew his revolver on steele. and
while 1t was thus eveled on him, Matteson
knocked him down with n sei stake. Stseis
commenced suit against Matteson in The Cir
cult Court for damages. Matteson transferred
the case to the L. :. Court, thinning Steele
could not raise the money 70 pursue him Ia that
court, and far succeeded, that it was not until
the present term of that court that Steele
was able to bring the case on for trial. Steele
offered before the trial, to take S100 he got
5000. These suits have not all been IN the
name of Milo ID. Matteson, but his father and
his uncle have by turn been plaintiff or de-
fendant.
In the criminal trials, Mattesons attorneys
were Foster IL Coleman, OF Decatur Henry F.
Severns, Esq, Arthur Brown, Esq, Hon. ID.
Darwin Hughes and Hon. II. Fl. Riley. Dallas
Boudeman has acted for him of late ID the civil
cases. The attorneys for the People IN the
criminal cases we're Judge ID. E. Comstock, O.
w. Rowland, Esq, Il. f. Heckert, ESQ., w. h.
Tucker, Esq, L. T.. Barnum, Esq. and John
Van Armap, Esq. In the civil cases .he attor-
neys against Matteson have been Richards &
Barnum, Richards II Mills, Hon. Charles l..
Walker, Hon. Geo. W. Lawton Edward Bacon, /,
Esq, and Taggart, Stone u Earle. " anyone
thinks honesty is not the best policy, we wonld
not advise him to prove it by citing Matteson
as an Illustration.
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Tho RAILROADS and .bo paonio NJ l. II