Arizona weekly citizen., 1884-12-20
Court Gossip.
[Communlcated

Court GlssIp.
 LCommunlcatedI
 Thanks to the indefaiigsble efforts of our most estimRble District Judge the many civil suits which have been stand ing for a long time on the court calendar are being rapidly disposed of. Two of these suits, lately brought to a termins tion, have exited the interest and atten- tion of the public in a more than ordinary degree; one of these, decided by His Honor Judge Fitzgerald last Saturday, was brought by Richard Woffenden against Peter Charoulesu and John Charouleau with the inten- ton of making a claim of part of the latter geDtlemen's property purchased by them from their aunt Anna 0. Wof- fenden about eleven years ago. said property consisting of five ranches situated on the GIla River and con- siderable real estate in the city of Tue son. Seeing that the Supreme Court of the Territory of Arizona decided some years ago that Anna c. Woffen- den, having through purchase, trade or otherwise entered into possession of this property before her marriage with Richard Woffenden, it could not be considered as common property, but that she was at full liberty to dispose of the same to whom and at whatever con- ditions she might chose, and consider ing that the plaintiff was fully aware of this decision by said Supreme Court, the bringing of thIs suit before the District Court was generally looked upon as a-well, let us ssy-very foolish proceeding, and nobody was at all astonished when His Honor stated, that the Court would abide hy the ruling of the Supreme Court, until indeed this highest tribunal of our Territory should reverse its own decision.
 The other most remarkable suit in which l.. c. Hughes was the plaintiff and Anna c. Woffenden or her agents, Peter and John Charouleau the defend ants, was brought before a jury about three weeks ago, and was for days after it's conclusion yariously styled in the streets as the Bird of Prey," the "Black Mail" the "ren Horse Power Hammered Brass Cheek" Said l.. 0. Hughes sued Anna c. Woffsnden or her agents for the sum of $2,0O0 for services rendered. Being under oath he stated that Anna O. Wofenden about one day before her departure from France entered the plaintiffs office (then kept under the firm name of Titus < Hughes) and | stated that the grand Jury then in ses- sion had found an indictment against l her and then and there, made a verbal | contract with them, promising to pay | the firm of Titus & Hughes the sum of | 5000 for conducting her defense. This | was m the forepart of March, 1874. Mir. Hughes never saw Anna c. Woffenden agaIn, but heard a short time after wards that she had left the | country for France. Two years ago, that IS eight years after the alleged verbal contract he brings suit for the S2,OO0 Mir. John Charouleau stated that his aunt Anna c. Wofenden while en route to California in the stage stop ped at bis then residence at the Gila River, and told him that she was in- debtsd to Titus < Hughes in the sum of SoOC-being a balance of S5.0O0-for legal services, she having paid S4,2OO of the amount and commissioned him to pay this balance of $500, to Titus & Hughes upon his arrival in Tucson. John c. Charouleau on the 17th of April following, not having the ready money, gave two notes of S400 each lone 10 Titus, the other to Hughes) with iD- terest at per cent. monthly payable in Iour months. These notes were paid within the stipulated tune. In ex- change for this payment in full of the 5000, John Charouleau received from L. c. Hughes on the 17th of April 1874, hat IS about four or five weeks after Nrs. Woffenden's departure, receipt as Tucson, A. T., April I7th, 1874 Received of Anna O. Woffenden the sum ,f S5,0O0 five thousand dollars) in full # all services rendered from May 1st, SIP, until date. Signed, Titus < Hughes. This receipt was produced as evidence. 7 4. c. Hughes did not deny the giving # said receipt nor the payment of the . $50, but stated that the defense above i. as contracted for was a mat Il CT apart; a matter which he, out of pure delicacy," and in order not to iurt the feelings of the two nephews, lad never mentioned to them.
 Thus eight years passed away till one inc morning Mir. Hughes recollected hat these g., 600 were still due him and le brought suit.
 After the very able pleading of Mir. 7. c. Stephens and Mir. Franklin for 1t took the jury a very, very mall fraction of eight yesrs-in fact ! nly three minutes to bring in a verdict or the defendants.
 But the end IS not yet!