Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-21
ALL FOR A REpsrEAp.
A Six Dollar Piece of Furniture BECOMES
a Landmark in a Court Room.

"A SIX Dollar Piece of Furniture BECOMES
Landmark in a Court Room.
A cheap looking bedstead, said to be
worth Sc, stands in Justice Molina's Of
fee, leaning haImlessly against the wall.
1t has already been the subject of three
days litigation, and notwithstanding its
innocent appearance has become
fruitful source of strife. A batch of wit
nesses and litigants have examined it
critically half dozen or more times, and
have sworn most sOlemnly that il is not
the bedstead they are testifying or litigat-
ing about. Another batch of witnesses
and litigants have sworn with equal sOlem-
nifty that it is the identical bedstead in
controversy. Lawyers have shaken their
fingers at it and have emphatically as
serted that IT is the bedstead they are
talking about, and other learned counsel
nave been equally positive that it is an
other bedstead altogether. The litigation
which has already cost four times
the amount involved, comes from
the sale Of bedstad by Ohlau-
der Bros. last October TO a negro
woman named Rebecca Lloyd. The pur-
chaser was to pay So for the bedstead in
weekly installments of 81. Four dollars
were paid in. The woman then became
unable TO paw the remainder. and one day
when she was absent from home and no
body was in the house Oklander Bros. lac
cOrding to the statement of one of their
employees, ''scOOped I'M the bedstead and
sold il to another customer. The same
day the negro woman went to pay the
other 81, and was told that she owed them
nothing, they having taken the bedstead
under the contract with her by which they
claimed that the property belonged to
them until all the payments were made.
She then went before Justice Molina and
took out possessOry warrant.
The warrant was served and bedstead
was produced in court which she swears
most positively was not the bedstead sold
her, and which the firm swears equally
as positively is the identical bedstead.
The case first came up Tor trial Thurs
day, Feb. u. Justice Molina, after hear
ing the evidence and considering all the
circumstances, concluded that the bed
stead in court was not the one sold to the
plaintiff, and the next question to be de-
cided was, whether the defendants could
produce the property. The attorneys
and litigants struggled with the
question for several hours on an
other day, and then the case was set down
for trial on its merits and again engaged
the attention of the court for several
hours yesterday afternoon.
Rebecca Lloyd, the plaintiff, distin-
guished looking negro woman, wearing
immense goggles, took the stand and tes-
titled that she bought the bedstead Oct.
10, 1884, and was to pay Sc for it in
weekly installments. After paying 81 she
was taken sick and was unable to pay
any more. On Feb. g, while she was
away and her house was locked up, one
Of the Ohlander Bros. took the bedstead.
She denied that she signed a lease prOvid-
ing that the property in the bedstead
should remain in Ohlander Brothers until
all the money was paid.
Mr.. Ohlander testified that he took the
bedstead during the plaintiff absence.
He got the key of the house, where IL was
placed behind a shutter, and unlocked the
door, and alter he got the bedstead locked
the door again and put the key back. tie
introduced a lease, signed by thu plain
:iff, in which it was agreed that the prop
erty to the bedstead should remain in his
firm, and they should have a right to take
it wherever they found it without legal
process if the payments were not made
each week. He also showed a similar
lease, to which a negro woman named Sal
" Hustled had signed the plaintiff S name
when the bedstead was delivered, the
plaintiff not being at home. Both papers
were ruled Out-the former because the
plaintiffs mark to it, she not being able
TO write, was not witnessed by dis
interested party, and the latter because
it did not appear that Sally Hustled was
authorized to sign the plaintiff IS name.
After hearing other evidence Justice
Molina decided the case in favor of the
plaintiff. 1t is said the plaintiff now in
tends bringing a damage suit, and that 1t
is not likely the courts will hear the last
Of the already famous bedStead for sew
eral months. J. j. Abrams, Esq, and
Judge OByrne represent the plaintiff
and z. j. O'COnnOr, Esq, the defendants.