The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-04-19
THEIR TITLE MADE GOOD
Clouds Lifted from Real Estate Involved
In Litigation.
Claims Set Up for Big Sums Which
are Said to Have Been
Settled 1t Low
Figures.
by the Standards special Wire.

BY the Standards special Wire.
BUTTE, April 1s.-The cloud which has
been hanging over several valuable pieces
OF property In Butte, owing to the litiga-
ton In the cases Of Martha G. Berdan
against John O'Rourke and several others
seems to have been cleared up mt last. II
will be remembered that last fall Mrs.
Berdan, who claimed TO he n daughter Of
the late James Matthews by an Indian
wife, began suit against the owners of
several important properties, the entire
amount involved I'm the litigation being
$4,000. the sum of 100000 having been
offered only a Few days q for the entire
property involved. II seems that when
James Matthews died he willed his prop
erty, one-half to n brother still i'm Ireland,
and the other half TO his married sister In
Boston. The property, which has since
become so valuable, was bid in by John
O,Rourke and w. l.. Napton for $4,000.
0 OF, this w sum SIG sls;ooo' - according 'Ca to the
in Ireland, hut the Massachusetts sister
could not be found. The other $1,000
accordingly remained i'm the possession of
the court. Three and one-half years
afterward there appeared some parties
named Harkins, who claimed to be the
children of Matthews sister. Their claim,
however, has bee well substan-
tiated and consequently the money was
not given them. About the same time
Martha &. Berdan appeared from Cali
fornia and laid claim for the $1,000. This
case is still in litigation and has not been
settled. Subsequently she began suit
against the owners of the various prop
critics which had belonged TO James
Matthews, and which in that time had
grown to more than a quarter of q million
dollars In value. Not only owners, but
lessees and renters were sued for all
rental from the time Of the death of Mr..
Matthews n for occupation of the
property. During the past few days
IL has been reported about the
streets that n settlement had been made
in these cases. The story was that Mrs.
Borden had received 81 900 i'm cash and
the promise of $4,000 more.
In order to ascertain the truth or falsity
OF this rumor. a STANDARD reporter
called on Mr.. Haldorn, one of Mrs Ber-
denis attorneys. Mr.. Haldorn said that
he had heard of n settlement having been
made, but that III made il was without his
knowledge. Mrs. Borden was next seen
and seemed to he i'm doubt as to the best
answer to he given To q question asked as
TO whether the litigation had been settled.
She said at first that no settlement had
been made in any of the cases, but finally
advised ther reporter to seeJohn O'Rourke,
and IL he said there was a settlement, why
then there wa one.
The reporter saw Mr.. O'Rourke, who
said "There is no reason why the truth
should not he known. Mrs. Berdan has
deededt to all of us all her right, title and in
t,rest in the properties for whic h she had
brought suit. Ii is not true that she was
given 81 900 or $4,000, or any other sum.
The deeds were all made i'm consideration
of 81, and there being a large number of
separate properties it may be that she re-
ceived $40 or S25 altogether. Mrs. Ber-
den "A led to see that she
had nc claim to this property, il hav-
ing passed legally into other hands. Her
only claim was to the $4,000 which re-
mains i'm the hands of the court, and in
consideration of her signing over any
right she might have had in these proper
ties, | AVE agreed to conduct her case
with the Harkins family for her. ! nave
taken the suit off her hands as she wished
to return to California, and have agreed
TO help her in the suit all l can. knew
MIR. Matthews intimately as we worked
together for IL years.