Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-01-10
SOME MORE SKUNKS.
An Attempt to Cloud Other wichita Property.

The example of the would be legal rob-
bers, those natural born thieves and hypo-
| critics, who have been attempting to black
mail property owners of Wichita, by I'M
earthing worthless, if not disreputable
claimants, it seems is to be followed by
others on other property equally as valu-
able. We noticed one of these skunks, of
the first part, by the way, march into
church the other day and bow his head in
pretended prayer. The very devils of hell
smoker in glee over such mockery to just
God, and their fires glowed hotter over the
impious scene. Another one of them has
been around this week endeavoring to COM
promise on his failure to steal.
No citizens property, no de-
pendance of widows and orphans
can be safe SO long as such gToveling
whelps are tolerated in the community or
are countenanced by decent people Their
place is astride of a rail, tricked in tar, or
namented with feathers, followed by
Jeerlng mob on the hunt Of leafless tree.
The sacred mite of the helpless Is legiti-
mate prey for their sneaking greed, and
that they might raise stake to beat any
chance victim they would hawk the gray
hairs of a dead mother about for cheap
wax-ends. Lacking the courage to halt
neighbor or friend in the dark and force
him to terms, they record their deeds under
the color of law and then proceed to fleece
and bleed in cold blood the innocent, the
honest and the unsuspecting. There is q
chance against the man who pokes his
gun in your face and makes his
demand, but helpless is the victim
whose robber stands on the inside of the
bar with a law book under his arm and
cloud in his.pockeU on the title to your
property. If you escape it is only at an
unexpected and grevious cost and after
vexatious. delay which may prove disas-
trous.
All Of the older residents of this city
will remember a Whitworth, Familiarity
known as Baron Whitworth, an English
man who bought and owned for several
years the old Keno corner and the adjoin-
ing lots, now occupied by the Citizens
bank building and the Pacific Express.
W hitworth also owned three hundred
and twenty acre farm near the present 10
cation of the Gilbert Plow works. He was
a brilliant man, literally educated and ex-
ceedingly generous, but he was all unac
customed to the ways of America and as
a buyer and seller, or Spectator. he proved
a failure. He became involved and lost
most of his property, although for the
sake Of his estlmable wife and children
friends endeavored to stave off the evil
days. He removed from here to Harper
county, where he became editor of a paper
and died some time since. We incident
ally learned yesterday that some outside
parties, at Kansas City or elsewhere,
who we suspect are of the same stamp of
that we have in our own midst,
have obtained quit claim deed from Mrs.
Whitworth covering all the property ever
owned here by herself and husband. What
this means need not be set out The next
hing will be a demand of the present
owners for money, or the recording of a
Iced which will cloud the title and rem
Ter unstable property which is as
honestly owned and which was
as honestly paid for as any
other property in this entire
city. All this, of course, will be done in |
pursuance of legitimate practice, so-called, |
and under color of law and the protection |
If the courts, and there seems to be no le- !
gal remedy. Probably half of the city |
'AOPcASs VI w LSu4lGr w VI any OlucS ely
n the state, could be, in some way, cloud |
d to the extent of a quit claim deed. |
lawyers say that there is no legal way of |
these pestiferous and unprinci |
lied scoundrels who go nosing over books
# record in search of technical mistakes
Il titles conveyed by deed. 1t is said that
he claim set up against the validity Of /
he Whitworth deeds is that he was in
ane. Few brighter men ever struck this
own, as some of his contributions to the |
columns of the EAGLE will show, and as
many old residents will make OATH
1t seems to US that the question for the
,eople of Wichita 10 decide is whether
hey will make I'D their minds 10 regular
y and promptly pay all these demands as
hey are made, right along, or deliver up
heir property 10 them, or otherwise rem
Ter it too uncomfortabiy cool for any such
ermin TO exist in their midst.