The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1894-07-18
A LIVELY SUIT.
Fun on the 0osdhus Ranch Pitchforks snd
Jsrsiss-Mr. Ward Rspsis On Invasion Of
Officers.

During the last week and part of the
present, Caldwell has been revealing in
all the delights of a real old fashioned
law suit. It seems that some employees
of the Boise Valley Land and Live
Stock Co., on the GOOdhue ranch, be-
came FESTIVE on account of a failure
to receive wages. They finally &C.
cepted sight checks in settlement and
endorsed them to Isidor Mayer for
collection. About the Fourth" their
yearning for coin of the realm became
intense and they all quit with an ag-
gregate balance due on account of SER
vices performed after settlement, of
some $48. They concluded to call in
the assistance of the courts and to that
end employed Lot. L. Feltham, attor-
ney at law. In due course attachment
papers were issued and the real fun be-
gan. The papers were placed in the
hands of Constable Mcconnell together
with written instructions by Attorney
Feltham and the officer proceeded to
make the levy. The claim embraced
not only the $48 balance but some $4OO
which had been endorsed to Mr.. Mayer.
The tenor of Mr.. Feltham's instructions
is not known but the constable some
way got the idea that the main object
of attachment proceedings was to take
possession of all the visible assets of
attache or any other property in or
about the immediate neighborh0od.
After engaging the services of half
a dozen friends, the constable pro-
ceeded to deplete the ranch belonging
to the Boise Valley Land and Live
Stock Co. Every movable thing was
moved, hogs, horses, lumber, harness,
live stock and what not, until some
$4,000 or $4,000 worth of property had
been secured. There were also six
teen or eighteen Jersey cows on the
premises belonging to Mrs. Ward,
wife of the Overseer of the ranch.
The constable felt that they ought to be
taken, too. Then the ranch forces in
terposed physical objections and the
constable retired for further instruc-
tions which came in the form of war
rant of arrest commanding that the
person of George Ward be brought be-
fore the court. Ward refused to &C
quiesce and the officer endeavored to
enforce. A free fight ensued. Mr..
Ward is q stout, active man and he
handled the officer and his posse with
vigor. He wiped the ground with
some of them. A negro "aunty" en-
ployed as cook also took a little interest
and it is claimed jabbed the minions
of the law with few tines of pitch
fork. There was smoke and blazes
on the GOodhue ranch and some
blood letting. Eventually the majesty
of the law prevailed and all the bel
ligerents came before Judge Jenkins.
Mr.. Ward was bound over to be in
vestigated by the grand jury, but the
attachment proceedings were kicked
out of court. "Aunty" received an
honorable discharge. Monday the
officers were brought before Judge
Jenkins to show cause why they
should not be punished for trespass.
The opening argument was made on
the sufficiency and legality of the
complaint. ATTORNEY Frank Smith
representing, as he had throughout,
Boise Valley Land and Live Stock
Co., and arguing in support of the
complaint. MIR. Feltham was on the
other side. Judge Jenkins sustained
the complaint, whereupon Mr.. Smith
asked that the case be dismissed, be-
cause there was no disposition to
prosecute the officers and his friends
farther than to indicate to them that
they had not proceeded according to
law. 1t is hoped that the clouds Of
war have all been dispersed and that
peace and good will toward mon will
reign down the Boise Valley for the
rest of 1894.