The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-07-18
A FEW FACTS.

lIr. Editor:-With your permission
wish to say few words in regard to
this land trouble, as I am personally
interested in its beng settled one way
or the other. I came here one year
ago; bought, through Mr.. Bowlus, OF
Nelson Burnham section of land. !
got an abstract of the land and took it
to an attorney to see if the title was all
right, and was informed that it was.
1t shows a patent from the govern
ment to the railroad company; war
rantee deed from them to Nelson
Burnham. He warrants to me no
tax titles or sales or judgments against
it. But 1 found the Land League on it,
claiming the government had no right
to patent these lands away to the rail-
road company, and I commenced suit
for possession and they got mad and
threatened my life and told me I had
better not stay around here as my life
is not safe; this can prove. One man
in particular came and told me the
League would come some night and
kill me; he is a Lacquer; knew him
before he came here. But that would
not win; don't scare worth a cent.
The next proposition was that the
League would pay all expenses if 1
would.push my suit through the court.
1 told them would not ask them to
pay MY share if they would keep their
side up and be ready for trial all the
time, and let the loser pay the costs {.
Oh, yes, that was what they wanted;
but, so help me God, they have done
all they could to stave off the suit.
and now their attorney says he is go
ing to put it off as long as he can.
Talk about their honesty and tn at they
don't want to steal the land; that is
all bosh. And that they don't uphold
wire-cutting and other devilment.
Why don't they put stop to it?
Look at the shanties they have put up
this spring.
1t is very strange that men owning
land and paying taxes on it year after
year, and if they don't pay them the
land will be sold, and then these land
jumpers or robbers using them and
paying nothing for them. know of a
widow woman i'm Illinois owning a
quarter section of land near Elsinore.
Her husband bought it and lived on
rented land until he got money
enough to come out. And behold,
when he came he could not get on;
some Lacquer was there, He went
back to Illinois and shot himself, and
his widow is on the town. She wrote
to me a few months ago and asked me
if 1 thought she would ever get it. In
my opinion 10 honorable man will I'M
dertake to take piece of land from
another that has paid for it. 1 can
make nothing else out of it but rob-
berry.
1 have not bothered the men OH my
land this summer, for I thought we
| would get hearing in June last, al
though some of them have violated
the Order of Court. But L will claim
rent and if the court will grant it !
will have it. I have been told that
there are threats made that must not
commence any more suits. But this
thing is forced upon me and
must defend myself. But /
am sorry that such a state of at
fairs exists in a civilized country. All
1 ask is what the courts are willing to
grant. If my title to the land is not
good and those men have better
right to it, let them haye it. / don't
see why we should wait for the odd
section suit. shall try hard to force
trial in November.
Yours truly, JOHN S. MARTIN,
Moran, Kans.
Plaintiff in Martin and Lawler case.