The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-08-01
WHO OWNS THE IsLANDq
A Legal Fight Will Occur Over the
Anastasia Property.

SSesN74N AOROA wy
From the st. augustine (Fa) Neps.
The present trouble between the squatters
and homesteaders on Anastasia island, which
OF late as grown to considerable impor-
lance, will in all likelihood get both parties
into expensive com plications, that will cost
time. money and endless annoyance to the
parties concerned, and in the end is most
likely to result in the loss of their la ds.
Anastasia island, which has hitherto
been considered worthless, is suddenly
sprlnging into prominence, and Is now a
much coveted possession. Il is a long and
narrow strip of land bounded on the north
by st. Augustine inlet entrance, on the east
by the Atlantic, on the south and west by
Nj tntanzas inlet and river.
There are now four claimants to the
island. The homes eaders and squat ers
claim portions of it, and with the exception
Of a small strip north Of the quarries, it is all
claimed by the state of Florida aud by We
nancio Sanchez and others, heirs of the late
Don Jose Fish, Jr.
John A. Sibbald, a leading lawyer of
Washington, has cen employed as counsel
by the state Of Florida to secure it, and has
written pamphlet in support of his claims.
There seems to be no record where the
United States has made any claim to the
property.
The principal claimants, however, are the
heirs of the estate of Don jose Fish, Jr.,
and their claim seems to be most tenable.
A NelUS reporter was shown recen ly a
document translated by the la 9 F. J. F ito,
land commissioner for East Florida, being
tran CRYPT from volume 4, American State
Papers. Mr.. Sanchez claims that the family
have been III un disputed possession of the
island TO 100 years, and that they the heirs
of lose Fish ,Ir the ahsOluta
owners of the Anastesia island, and tine
documents seem to prove it.
Dir. Sanchez Is one of the direct heirs of
Jose Fish, Jr. 1t seems that during the
year 1868 Jose Fish, ST., died and a paper or
memorial by his wife, Sarah Fish, claiming
that the island belonged to her deceased
husband was presented to the COVER
nor at TIE time of his death, and
no one knows how long he he'd held
possession of the island previously At
what Is now called Fish island, and where
the tomb of the Fish family can yet be
Seel, can be found the remains of a once
famous orange grove and what in the recol-
lection OF the writer bore We fine fruit
Fish island is separated from the rest of
Anastasa by a strip Of marsh, but is prac-
tlcally the same island.
1t seems that on the death of Jose Fish,
Sr., there was a valuable grove on the place,
anu dloO NOilSlNleldDi6 tlulDtT, WHICH Del0E
sold for the benefit of the creditors, was
bought in by Jose Fish, Jr The sale was
made by order of Quesada, governor of the
province, by BartOlome Moralese, act ng
governor or deputy, aud the price paid was
100 hard dollars" AT the time of 70
sale a reservation was made of the uuarries.
which it was stipulated should be used for
the purpose of obtaining stone for the
kings fortificatio S. Fish, however, got
no title to the lands by the purchase. He
therefor petitions Quesada, whose authority
TO grant his request seems u. questioned
that his excellency declare him the owner
OF the said orange grove and the afore said
lands, some 10000 acres Of which his father
bad held in undisputsd pos eSsion under
the English occupation and previous to that
time. The governor, after receiving the
petition, directed the assessor general to
INSULT with him on the subj ect.
On the sane day an opinion was sub
mitted by J seph de Ortega, lawyer,
which would seem to form Flshs claim.
Proof is demanded of the possession by
Jose Fish, ST. Fish Jr then pro luced his
witnesses Don John Leslies testifies to the
possession and ownership of sad lands by
Jose Fish, ST., during the British possess
sion, ana further swears that the ia. IDS
were granted to him by the Spanish gov
ernment prior to English occupation.
Lorenzo Lanes and Don Manuel S lana
also give direct and positive proof of
pc session of said ownership The deposit
tions In all these cases are taken by
Yabizarretta, the government notary.
After collecting the testimony Ouesnda
submits the matter the collector of the
royal treasury, who says tbst the sale was
only made of the fruit a I'd wood valuation.
but e sees no obiec ion is grating the
10000 acres annexed to young Fish as
new settler, as that would put the matter a
rest aud c,utirm to him what would seem
in EQUITY to belong to him.
Quesada tn n appoints Don Manuel
Solana aud Rogue Le0nardy to appraise the
lands AMI orange grove. The appraise-
menU is ma ie and the grove i, sod ON
Jan. 81, 1892, to Don Jose Fish, ST.. for
S1,605.
In the valuation Solana and Leonardv
fail to make out the boundaries of tue
purchase.
In the following March, as he is not vet
In possession, Fish again intercedes to the
COVER tOr to allow him to taIe posse siol of
the grove which he claims is going to ruin.
being without care. In the mea time he
applies for grant OF the 10000 acres as a
new settler
After hearing all sides Of the question
Morales, actin & governor, issues decree
granting Jose Fish the entire property. re-
serving portion Of the north side of the
island for the kings use, and the use of the
quarries for the kings fortifications. Tadeo
de Arrlbas, an officer in t royal co ND
trolier's office, makes out the bou diaries If
the lands, and Jose Fish, Jr., again becomes
possessed Of the property so long owned by