The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-03-21
SETTLING AN OLD SUIT.

From the New York Tribune.
Asa Beeson served in the capacity OF
justice of the peace in one Of the back
counties of Missouri in the good old
times preceding the war. His knowl-
edge of law was extremely limited.
and he wouldn't have known a man
damus from an abb, but he possessed
a fine sense of justice, and his de-
cisions, though sometimes original,
were usually in favor of the right, and
for the promotion of peace and har-
mony. On one occasion he had on
trial before him a case entitled Hun
ter VS.. Higgins, in which tie cause Of
dispute was line fence separating
the farms of the contestants. The
plaintiff was young widow and the
defendant bachelor, and a good
many people, the squire among the
number, felt that it would have been
better for the happiness and pros
perity of both If they had Joined in
matrimony rather than a legal battle.
When the case was called there was an
army of witnesses and world of evil
dence, and all SO conflicting that it
would have required a Solomon to have
rendered a just decision. Squire Bee
son listened, scratched his head and
looked completely puzzled
This IS 4 case, he said, when the
last witness had testified, that stumps
me, and acknowledge that L N beat
Both sides has proved every pint set
up, and both has disproved everything
proved by each other. The evidence il
jest O standoff al round, an III be
hanged il forty Philadelphia lawyers
could make cut which IS right and
which is wrong. Now, as l understand
this matter, the whole question Is
which OF you two parties owns six
foot strip of land lying between your
two farms The line between the two
farms has been surveyed and located
dozen times, first by one party and
then the other. an 10 two OF them
surveys has put the line in the same
place. Now, believe this matter has
been IN dispute good many years in
the courts an out, an that il has been
decided dozen times one way an an
other. but that 30 far nobody has been
satisfied an nothin' like settlement
has been reached How am ! goia' 70
decide this matter when the surveyors
can't agree on the line and the courts
amt never been able TO agree on the
ownership Of the land? An what good
would it do IL I did deoid, when the
one I decided agin' would 20 right x
work 10 git . new hesrin?
Neither OF the interested parties
made any answer and after . short
pause the squire vveat on
ats well known 20 me-" be sad
that neither OF you two Amt respo1-
sibIe for this lawin', because neither
Of you started IL II was begun by
your fathers way back years ago. an
I'm OF the opinion that yoE both. Ia
your hearts, wish you were done with
IT, But / can tell yoa noyv you viii
oever git done with IL By lawn over
~ Never IN the world, for no courts
viii ever settle on the ownership o
that six-foo. strip o ground"
The squire paused pat On his spec
sseles. and locked very hard ~ she
dispusaniS Directly ne resumed:
yet this matter car Be settled. he
said. an this coa-t feels that IL IS her |
duty 20 settle Il Soc doa't Prcxass 4
70 say who il right nor who IL wrong. /
nor whz- the division line between i
the farms csyhf - b. That xOzl&n't .
settle no.hin' II she Il Thar Is : be-
ter an a more seaside ~aT o get.s1
a. Shla buziaexS liz aeclxsoa II sAa.