Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1893-01-20
AFTER HALF A MILLION.
THE ROMANTIC STORY OF
SOME PIONEERS.
Looking for the Payment of an Old
Debt-A Case Which Involves
Large Blocks OF San Fran
cisco Real Estate.


Debt-A Case Which Involves
Large Blocks OF San Fran
cisco Real Estate.
1t seems that Bernard Rooney ar
rived in San Francisco in ls49 with
lots OF plUck and willingness for
adventure He was Limerick man.
and presently he recognized an old
chum of his early life name Matthew
Maume. AT first the two were SIC.
cessful in the partnership which they
formed. and their general merchan-
disc business iourished.
However in 1851 speculation and
temporary dizziness OF trade preyed
upon Rooney's mind. so that when
there came ships telling OF the great
gold fields in Australia. he resolved
to seek other fields. Leaving the
business in the hands OF his partner.
Maume, he was sufficiently generous
enough not to demand an accounting
for his interest. Maume however
with an honest fairness, gave Rooney
a mortgage upon large tract OF
land in the Mission. In those days
land on Howard street toward Seven
teenth was not OF much value but
Rooney took the mortgage and sailed
for Australia while Maume continued
to work hard at the general merchan.
disc business.
Maume waxed rich through success
full speculations and still in posses
sion OF his real estate. decided to takc
lot OF ready capital which he had
accumulated to visit Mexico for the
purpose Of trying new field for for
tune He was lucky there and
year afterward resolved to spend the
rest of his days in Ireland. At home
in Limerick he tired few years later
of the dull routine OF an Irish provin-
cial city, so that he decided to look
up his interest at the further end OF
the Western continent and find the
; fortune he had left there.
Now in the day life in the musty
old town OF Limerick. there was a
constant companion in his brother-in =
law one Matthew Dundon. Dundon
was an old man OF cautious habits
: and Indifferent success in life.
Maume did not place so great value
on his San Francisco property and
with willingness to help along his
sisters husband. sent Dundon in 1860
3 to San Francisco. with n view of set
4 Ting his affairs.
I, In that era lawless men were fond
t OF 'squatting" on any property they
I could find, SO that when Dundon ar
Y rived to examine into Marines affairs
Y he was inundated by various threats.
In the mean time the old partner.
Bernard Rooney. had been rather sue.
:. cessful in his Australian venture. In
e 1854 it occurred to him to send over
/ the old note and mortgage which he
had obtained from his former partner
n in 1856 to the Adams Express company
for collection. The documents ar.
rived at the eve OF the company
!. | celebrated failure in business, ant
:, with great many other document:
+ were destroyed. However. as the
8 mortgage had been duly recorded and
there was sworn copy extant in the
. hands Of an old legal firm here. tn,
a loss meant nothing so far as ate
events were concerned.
r Now, the ancient man, Dundon, il
IS terror of the squatters' threats tool
refuge in the counsels OF one McMinn
ir formerly county clerk. but at tina
time chief clerk for the firm of Sharl
10 & Sharp In some fashion whicl
>, has been subject to many conjectures
~ Dundon decided the property at tn
RI Mission to McMinn and Sharp (
If Sharp in trust SO it was afterward
Or claimed. and hurriedly left for Ire
land. where he died shortly after hi
h. arrival. In the meantime Maume ha
a. xcI eho trir 20
US on his way back to Ireland at Calves
ho ton. Tex. in 1852. leaving a will i
- which he appointed c. M. Delane
: and p. M. o Brien his executors.
This will was not discovered unit
1870. when Maumes nephew VII
liam. traced It and obtaining the a,
pointment of a man named Patric
I'M, Ford as ad ministrator OF the estate
ted brought suit against Sharp II SHARP
the Exempt Fire company. the Unio
sE Insurance company Clerk McMin
and others. There was a long figl
,,, in the courts into which finally cam
r. a lawyer named Ryan. The fight Wa
,. mainly on law points and not upo
IS the facts OF the case. There w,
even IA supreme court decision throw
= ing the case back into the lowe
y, court but Ryan died shortly ate
{. never having pressed his advantage
An Now. the old man Rooney aft,
rg- forty years absence has come BAG
. to press his mortgage against u
ole ole, people who hold the Mission pro-
erty. now valued at a half millic
Ear dollars says the Examiner and h
in claim rests upon the statement a
OF, legged by Ryan in one OF his verbo
lies. and numerous complaints in the ear
.rs Az. seventies that on the 10th OF Nj
err Clerk McMinn. in tho Office of Shal
"a. "a & Sharp. conspired with other
- who frightened Old Dundon in
deciding over his Mission property
the pretense that he would be ASA
- sinated by malignant squatter
u Furthermore. it is claimed tn
On McMinn paid old Duudon 800 +
|, Is, his expenses back to Ireland and
ion that consideration agreed 10 hold t
sion property in trust for Maume nj
AMI MANAGE il for the latter's ntoiit