Omaha daily bee., 1892-05-15
DOUGLAS COUNTY'S HOODOO
Short History Of the Rise and Fall Of the
Hospital Building,
POOR MATERIAL AND WORKMANSHIP
Little Incidents That Have Helped to Make
an Interesting Story-Somc OF the Legal
Complications That the Struc-
ture Has Caused.

For thirty.thrce long YEARS Douglas county
has been in possession Of fun SIZED aud well
developed hoodoo. That hoodoo has been the
Douglas county poor farm. together with its
appur;enluces. Daring all OF this time, con.
siderable more than a quarter OF a century,
the county has never been able to secure a
| mascot TO break or couutcract the influence
OF the aforesaid hoodoo, although numerous
efforts have bseu made Some Of the
county commissioners are even now of tho
opinion. in view Of recent developments, that
in order to break the spell the poor iarm may
have to be abandoned and the pile of brick
and mortar known as hos pital turned over
TO be occupied by spooks and bats.
1t is only the oldest settler who can remem-
Der how and when the county achieved title
TO the land upon which the wrecked building
stands. The old records of the county com
missioners, written when Nebraska was
territory, assist in telling the tale. They
also tell a story to the effect that the tract Of
land has been the subject of endless liuga-
tion.
During the early days of 1853 the county
commissioners, James IL. McArdle, Sylvanus
Dodge and Harrison Johnston, conceived the
idea thai it would be a capital plan for
Douglas county to have poor farm. They
spent several weeks IN looking fora site and
IN getting prices, but were unable TO tind
anything that just suited. At the meeting
held on March OF that year, II. Il. Chap
man. long since deceased, appeared before
the board and made proposition TO sell the
county 10 acres of ground, 1t being the
northeast quarter of section -, township II,
range l3, the tract being what is now
known as the county poor farm.
He wanted 5000, $1,000 in cash
with the balance TO be paid
as follows: sl,l0J in one year Sl,2OO in two
f|l1
four years, which amounts were 10 include
pIacipal and interest at the rate of 10 per
cent per annum.
Bought Mr.. Chapman's Land.
Action upon this proposition was deferred
until March 4, when the couLtv commits
sioners again met. aud, after some discus
sion, MADE the purchase, giving Mr.. Chap
man $1,000 in county warrants, put in ut 80
cents on the dollar and their own personal
notes for $4,000, due in one, two, three and
four years, drawing interest at the rate OF 10
per cent per anuum. To secure the payment
of these notes they, as county officials,
mortgaged the land, giving Chapman the
first lien.
For just one year everything was serene,
but at the end of that time Mr. Chapman
wanted his moLey winch was due upon the
first note. When he made the demand the
three commissioners told him TO whistle;
that his claim was not worth the revenue
stamps that were upon the mortgage. They
~
territorial law forbiddiug county comms-
soners from mortgaging county property,
MIR. Chapman hoped that the three gentle
men would do little considering, but he
! hoped in vain. for they proposed nothing OF
! the kind and when the last note was due
| he went into our courts and was knocked
out, tho judge deciding that the commits
| sioners had exceeded their authority in exc
| cutting the mortgage, and that the county
| was not liable. General Experience Esta-
brooke defended and there won his spurs
Chapman was not discouraged, but at once
| appealed TO the supreme court Of the state.
| In due course of time a trial was reached and
| the decision of the lower court was sus-
talEed Then be gave up the fight and lett
| the state. The disappointment was too
much. and in q few years he died
| The old debt remained until about ISIS,
| when Attorney Bonney from Chicago, repre-
| senting the Chapman heirs, appeared upon
| the scene TO demand the payment OF the
notes. together with the accrued interest, or
| the return of the land, winch in the mean
| time had become valuable.
EIated by Former Victories.
J Elated by former victories, the commits
sioners told Mr.. Bonney to try MS hand at
collecting and advised him to sue for the
| money.
Bonney said that he would do that very
| thing and Immediately he brought suit IN the
| United States circuit court
! AS upon former occasions the county won,
| the court holding that the commissioners had
| no authority to mortgage county property
and that in doing so the creditor should have
! to LOOK TO them and not 10 the county for pay
| ment.
Bonney was not TO be bluffed and at once
| he appealed to the United States supreme
! court. j. NJ Wooworth was employed and
paid 5, 300 TO assist John G. Gown, who was
| then county attorney. In November, lSSj,
| a final decIslon was reached, and the judg
ment OF the court was that the county of
| Douglas was liable for the whole debt, both
| principal and interest amounting to Sl4,
! 1872 o. At that time the county was short
| OF funds, but on July 3, 1856, the Chapman
heirs were paid -, 800, and fifteen days later
| the balance.
An Urgent Demand for Hospital.
About this Time the commissioners, r.
/ O'Keefe f. w. Corliss and George W.
| Timme were convinced that there was an
| urgent demand for u county hospital and a
poor farm, as the old Hascall building, which
had been occupied poor house, was
| altogether too small.
How To raise the money to erect a new
| building was the question. But real estate
boom was at its heighth that year, and the
Baby's Blood Skin