Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-04-22
A BIG OIL CASE
ON TRIAL BEFORE JUDGs JACKSON, N rRs
0. S. COURT.
The Cause That Of Best & lockwood Y. The Twa
Brothers COmpany-Ths Grand Jury
The Circuit Court.

An important civil cause came up FOR
argument before Judge Jackson. In tho
United States Circuit Court. yesterday.
its title being Best a Lockwood =.
The Two Brothers oil Company. in
which corporation Messrs. c. W. and
w. c. Broekunier, c. h. Hart and other
well known citizens are very largely in
terested. The cause has its origin in
rather a complicated situation. arising
out OF new leases being given and op-
erations commenced on top Of rights
granted years ago, but which
were supposed to have llpSed. The
suit is to be- viewed somewhat in
the light OF test case, a. il is under
stood there are number Of similar
claims pending in other West Virginia
territories, and on this account, a. we'll
as from the large interests involved, ibe
case Is attracting general attention.
Away back, during the war period
there was big oil excitement in th"
vicinity Of the present Eureka field. aud
many leases were given by owners ~
the farms, and not few wells were put
down. The yield Of oil was hot pro
digious, as general thing. wells sunk
near the location Of present heavy pro
ducerS coming in busters, for the reason
that they were not drilled deep enough
TO strike the sand. After many thon-
andS OF dollars had been thus Sunh.
the field was abandoned. but numef
Gus leaserS had fully complied with
the terms OF their leases, as q prccau-
tionary measure. and IL j. through the
title given by such lease that the
present contrOverSy'arises, Best a Lock
wood claiming a prior right to the Two
Brothers Islands. leased by the owners
to the defendant Company, couple Of
years ago. Proceedings were com
menced some time ago, but a bond was
given by defendants aud they continued
operations under il up TO the
present time. Mcssrs. A. !.
Follett, OF Marietta. and Hubbard
and Clarke, OF this city are for the de-
fendents; and Hon. John 4. Hutchin-
son, OF Parkersburg, for plaintiffs.
The grand jury was charged ye-'er-
day morning and retired to this room
The body was made up of MeSsrs. 4
+. Raymond. foreman; j. \. Rice. j.
f. Rohrbaugh. II. A. Edgell. : c. stew
art. Hiram Carney. II. b. Clemens. W.
A. Watts, Charles Keller. K. X. Griilin.
+. C. Tenant, j. Il. McNally. L. II
Lange, j. W Dunlcvy. K. L. Berk-
shire, VIM. Jennings, A. u. Pierce. a.
w. Cunningham and Jacob White. \
few days before the Court met, 10 WAS
thought there would be but two or three
eases for the Jury, but 10
seemed to be- the opinion yes
terday there would be quite q little gri,t
IF true bills. Comparatively few vii
lesSes are in attendance, and alluding
10 this feature yesterday. L. ;. Marshal
White said:
The grand jury is getting 10 be
amc affair in Wheeling. One must go
o Charleston to see IL in all It's glory.
There we have six hundred. eight hun
lred. and even as high as one thousand
pitnassas summoned and tho ..roYi
lrawn together by TIE cOnNcnlng nl lh'
Court j. not only large. hut
varied in its character. There
ire large numbers OF witnesses 40
but we never have
many here.