The morning call., 1893-02-24
THE STEELE STORY.
1t Was Clicked Off by
Objections.
NOUGUES' HIT AT BAGGETT.
An Interesting Tale Is Kept Back by
Argumentative WrangIes
of Counsel.
NOUGUES' HIT AT BAGGETT.

West Consolidated Virginia. All you
need to do is to mention the name on Pine
street to have gathered around you in an
instant not a score but a hundred men,
each and every one of them with the same
question on their lips: what do you know
about the bonanza?"
The kid-gloved, diamond bedecked miner
who operates only on the floor of the Stock
Exchange, and who never saw mine ex-
cept through telescope or a pair of opera
glasses; the forty-niner who dug and dug
and lost his pile In the days when "mines
was mines; the foreigner who came to
California expecting to find $50 pieces
under chips in the streets, and last, but
most important of all, the milionaires who
want to add to their colossal fortunes and
are ever ready TO invest in sure thing, are
the men who make up the crowd. They all
want TO know what facts have been devel-
oped in the suit now on trial before Judge
Slack in which Oscar C. Steele is the plain
tiff and The Western Consolidated Virginia
Gold and Silver Mining Company the de-
tendant.
1t was through The CALL that the min
ing men first heard of the case, and they
want to know more ab0utit. None OF them
care whether Steele wins his suit or loses it,
but they do want to know just how Wide
and how rich the newly discovered ledge is
and Just where IL Is.
When THE CALL first published the fact
that Steele had asserted in his pleadings
that great ledge. rich IN gold and silver,
easily worked and of unknown dimensions,
existed upon the property he had once
owned and afterward conveyed to the West
Consolidated Virginia Company. in which
he IS large kholder, every one laughed
and SAID. "Ob, yes. or course, now that
Steele thinks he has lost his claim it's worth
millions, but before that-well, he couldn't
find the pay dirt" but when NJ. w. Fox, the
millionaire mining man and one of the de-
PENDANTS in the suit, admitted that a great
ledge OF wonderfully rich ore had been dis
covered on Steele's old claim, then the
scoffers pricked up Ilelr ears and from that
time on have watched with eager interest
the progress of the trial to determine the
ownership of the property.
While the celebrated suit of Fox against
Hale IL NorcrOss ct al. created no little COM
ment among mining men and brokers, it
failed TO awaken half the interest that the
present suit has excited, because the wealth
of the Hale 81 NOrcross property was well
known while nothing whatever was known
of the West Consolidated Virginia claim,
and old mining men had always held that
no gold could be secured by tunnelIng
toward the west wall of the mountains,
exactly where the new bonanza is said to be
found.
Tie case was orened again Yesterday
morning, with Oscar c. Steele, the plaintiff
on the stand. He told only part of his
story during the day, for the time of the
court was consumed mainly by argument IS
by the counsel of plaintiff and defendants
Silted from the chaff Of objections as to
the testimony being irrelevant, incompe-
tent and immaterial, motions to strike
OUT" objections TO questions as leading and
NIT N Ia nI
are won't to harass their opponents, Steele
testified as follows:
He owned the claim now known as the
West Con. Virginia mine in 1888, but was
dead broke aud had no money 10 develop
the claim.
He was sure it would prove good-paying
property. and was anxious 10 get some one
TO take hold of IL.
He talked with Samuel T. Curtis, a
friend, who finally, after many converse
tons. came TO him and told him about Eek
and Brown.
Steele wanted money down. but Curtis
persuaded him 10 lei Fox and Brown handle
the property without cash con sidera, ion
Then, under many objections. he at
tempted to tell what Curtis had told him
Fox and Brown were willing to do, hut Cur
It's having admitted on tile stand that he
had told Steele things purp0iting to have
been said by Fox and Brown when he had
in reality seen neither OF them Judge Slack
ordered most Of the testimony as TO the rep
reservations made by Curtis stricken out.
Steele went on to describe how the first
great ledge, thirty feet in width and assay
ing from $40 in gold and $50 in silver pc r
ton up as high as $50 in gold and $50 in sill
yer per ton, was discovered, and told how
the average from all parts of the mine was
$50 per ton.
Just as he was getting TO that part of the
story where he WAS discharged as superin-
tendent of the mine, the counsel again be-
gan Directing and another long wrangle
ensued.
Then Steele resumed and told how the
work in the mine was done. and then the
court adjourned the case until Monday next
at 10 o'clock.
Thegreat bonanza ledge>was discovered
long after Steele left the mine, but it is
claimed that the plaintiff Will produce testi-
mony concerning its discovery. That is
what the outsiders want. They want to
know whether the ledge runs east and west
or north and south. They want to hear
read the reports OF the assayer, and the
chances are that they will hear none of It.
When court adjourned the counsel for
Steele announced that he had only conf
menced the examination in chief of his
client, and consequently Mr.. Steele will
take the stand again on Monday.
Ii was dry day for the spectators. and
the only flash OF wit was when Attorney
Nougues. for the plaintiff, referred to At
torney Baegett, Of counsel for the defense.
as the modern DR.. Jekyl and Mr.. Hyde,
intimatng that in the Hale q NurerOss suit,
when Baggett prosecuted for fraud, he was
the mild anu justice loving Jekyll. but
now that he was defending charge Of
fraud. he was veritable Mr.. Hyde,
Baggett took the laugh at his expense
htRt.. Il - -