Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-15
WILL BE A BIG FIGHT.
Sligo LeSsees Give Clinton Iron Works
Company a Stout Defiance.
HALF A DOZEN LAWYERS AT WORK.
An Animated Hearing Before Alderman
McNaSterS Yesterday.
ACQUISITION OF LAW RESERVED BY HIM.
Men and Women Fighting Against EIetiOn From
Their Homes

There is intense feeling in Sligo. The
people whom it is sought to evict from their
homes are strongly attached to the place,
and propose to have the question go to court
for settlement, and there are hslf dozen
lawyers already in the wrsngle. The pre-
liminary hearing before Alderman Nc
Masters yesterday was listened to by large
crowd OF interested men and women.
Alderman McMasters spent most of yes
terday afternoon hearing the cases of Joseph
Irwin. John Garmin, John Cassidy, Patrick
Stanton, Thomas O'Mally. Bridget Con-
molly, Jerry Lynch, Daniel Connolly, Eliza
Ferrick, Ellen Murphy, Bridget Halloran
and Joseph Burns, whom the purchasers Of
Graf, Bennett & Co.'s iron works, Friend,
Hofstott & Co., on the Southside, are at
tempting to evict The tenants have not
bsrricaded their holdings, as is done in Ire
land, but they have got a barricsde by coun-
sci and appear likely to cause the evicting
party considerable trouble before the matter
is settled. For the plaintiff there are Knox
& Reed and Edward Smith, and the defend
ants had John Madden, Major MOreland
and ex-District Attorney Porter to fight
their legal battle.
First in order, the dozen defendants stood
up in row and made an affidavit that the
title of the land on which their tenements
stand will be called into question. This
was preliminary to an appeal to court, and
was the signal for a set-to between Messrs.
Madden and Smith, the latter holding that
the tenants could not raise the question of
the landlords title by tenancy, and Mr..
Madden contending that they could, and he
said the Magistrate could 20 no further with
the case at present
SOME SIMILAR CASES.
Major MoreIand stepped into the ring,
and read from PurdOn's Digest, Vol !, re-
garding proceedings to recover possession in
such cases as the one in point.
Mr.. Smith said Mr.. Moreland had read
himself out of court as he hadn't named
the claimants, but Major Moreland held
that it wasn't much trouble to amend, and
then named S. S. Brown and Harry Brown,
sons of W. b. Brown, deceased, as the
claimants.
Mr.. Smith contended that plaintiffs must
Hllege that title had commenced since the
leases were made, and there was an ami
mated wrangle as to whether the Magistrate
should hold up at this point and let the case
20 to court.
Alderman McMasters said: 'I think we
had better hear the testimony and reserve
the question of law for further considera-
ton"
Mr.. Madden rendered one-half the costs,
30 as to comply with the law, on which the
DEFENDANTS relied.
Major Moreland held that the act was ex-
plicit and the tenants could not be dis
possessed summarily, but that the claimants
should be summoned within six days and
the case tried at the next session of the
Common Pleas Court.
Alderman McMasters ordered the band to
play, and the leases of the defendants were
offered in evidence and the plaintiffs offered
the deeds from Hon. John 81. Bailey, as
signee of Graf, Bennett & Co. Alderman
Stoufer identified the signatures of the
notices to quit, and Conrad Sill deposed
that be served them on the defendants.
ACQUAINTED WITH THE CASE.
A. H. Boxing testified as to some of the
signatures and as to his general knowledge
ofthe matters in dispute during p years
past, be having been connected with Graf,
Bennett & Co. during that time.
Mr.. Hoffstott testified regarding the plain
Gfs' purchase of the property.
Mr.. Booking testified to a trade made
years ago between Graf, Bennett & Co.
with W. H. Brown by which the former
took the West Carson street frontage and
Brown the river front to make boat land
ing. Witness couldn't say whether there
were writings or merely parol contract.
n,r,- Il Il. IL
tiffs with all the feet thev (defendants)
could muster, and gave evidence to show
that some of the original lessees were dead
and leases had been made to their sons with
out legal right the latter not having been
made administrators or executors of their
fathers estates. John Farrin had paid rent
but would never sign a lease, and it had
been made with his wife, which defendants
lawyers said was of no binding force on
John. In the case of Bridget Connolly
evidence was given to show that she had
never been served with notice to quit, but
that it had been served on Mrs. Cassidy, who
lived next door to the tenement in question.
Plaintiffs attorney held that Mrs. Cassidy
had been Mrs. Connolly's agent, and the
notice was effective, but the Magistrate
shook his head as vigorously as William
goat when making a declaration of war.
Daniel Connolly's lease had been signed by
his son, NJ. P. Connolly, clerk in the post
Office, and Mr.. Porter held that the fact
Titiated the notice to quit in this case.
THIRTY DAYS TO GET OUT.
Patrick Stanton deposed that be had got.
ten his lease from William H. Brown q
years ago, and had never signed one for
Graf, Bennett & Co. Notice was served on
him on the 9TH of January, and be was
given 80 days to get out. Mr.. Stanton said
his house had cost him altogether since he
had been there, about 81 500 beside the rent
he paid. He had offered to pay the ground
rent 10 the plaintiffs in this case. He said
he had always paid the taxes on the person.
atty and had signed a lease with the Browns
within few weeks.
There was some warmth shown at times
by both sides, and the hearing ran until
late in the afternoon, and when the testi-
mony was all in Alderman McMasters an
nounced that he would hear argument on
the question of law reserved at 8 O'Clock
next Wednesday afternoon.
Some people express establishment that
some Of the tenants take the eviction so
much to heart. but anyone who knows the
associations that have grown up in and
about these humble tenements understands
that an order to move would sound in that
settlement like sentence of expatriation.
The settlement is a little world bv itself. |
and dispersion means the severance of life |
Iono tias and tandar