The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-02-20
A UNIQUE DECISION.
HOW THE MiSsOU1! JuCaE SETTLED
BOUNDARY QUESTION.

Fully Disprovcd the Claims Of the Other.
The Squire Knew the Contestants We're
Not Resporsible For the LAWN"
Asa Eecson served in the capacity of
a Justice of the peace in one of the back
counties of Missouri in the good Oh"
times preceding the war. His knowledge
of law was extremely limited. and he
wouldn't have known a mandamus from
an alibi. but he possessed "A tine sens"
of Justice. and his decisions, though
sometimes original. were usually In i'd
yor of the right and for the promotion
of peace and harmony.
On one occasion he had on trial be
fore him a case entitled Hunter versus
higgins, in which the cause of dispute
was a line fence separating the farms
of the contestants. The plaintiff was Il
young widow and the defendant a bach !
. elur, and IA good many people, the squire
among the number, felt that it would
have been better for the happiness and
prosperity of both if they had Joined IN
matrimony rather than a legal battle
that promised to last through years and
bring no good results to either party in
the end. The squire, observing the con-
t~estants closely before the trial. was
sure he had discovered something be
meath the surface of their hearts which
they were carefully concealing from the
public and each other. When the case
was called, there was an army OF wit
nesses and a world Of evidence, and all
so conflicting that it would have re-
quired q Solomon to have rendered a
Just decision. Squire Beeson listened
scratched his head and looked complete.
ly puzzled.
This is a case, he said, when the
last witness had testified, that stumps
me, and acknowledge that I'm beat.
I've had lots O. cases a-fore this. an
some of 'em was purity bad mixed, but
[ amt never had one that | couldn't
figger out the right an the wrong Of it.
!, This. though. is different. Both sides
has proved every pint set up, an both
has dlsprovcd everything proved hy
each other. The evidence is jest a stand
off all round, an I'll he hanged if 40
Philadelphia lawyers could make out
r which is right an which is wrong.
v The squire paused a moment, then
resumed: Now. ss | understand this
@ matter. the whole question is, which of
you two parties owns a six foot strip OF
land lying between your two farms
. Am | correct?'
i You are. Higgins answered. And
the widow nodded in the affirmative.
You are both agreed on that, Athe
,c,-o ~o&,,crl,oI ''Sp that Mint ia Spt.
tied. Now. another thing | understand
is this: The line between the w o farms
= has been surveyed and located a dozel
times, first by II party, an then the
other, an no two of them surveys ha:
put the line in the same place. Have
- got the right understandin thar
The plaintiff and defendant both nod
"a An rlgnI, salu the squire, tina
settles that pint. Now, | believe thi
matter has been in dispute Il good man,
i years i'll the courts an out, an that i
u has been decided a dozen times one way
an another. but that so far nobody ha
been satisfied, an nothin like d settlement
has been reached. Is that correct::'
y The contestants exchanged a quicl
glance. then. turning their eyes bacl
r on the squire, nodded again.
a Then, continued the squire. how
q am | goin TO decide this matter whel
n the surveyors cant agree on the line
an the courts amt never been able tx
agree on the ownership o the land? AT
what good would it do if | decide whel
the enc | decided agin would 60 righ
to work to glt a new hearin!'
@ Neither OF the interested parties made
any answer, and after a short pause tn,
squire went IN.
Its well known to me- he said
that neither of you two amt respon
y sible for this lawin,, because neither Of
r you started it. 1t was begun by you,
G. fathers way back yonder years ago, al
r it's come down to you with the land a.
q part o your inheritance I'm of the
opinion that you are both sick @ the
thing, an that in your hearts you wish
u you were lone with it. But | can tel
You now you will never git done with i
/, by lawn ovcr it. Never in the world
s for no courts will ever settle on the
= ownership o that six foot strip 0
{ ground. Yet this matter can be set
r tied, an this court feels that it is he
duty to settle it. She don presume tt
$ say who is right nor who is wrong no
a whar the division line between tn,
r farms ought to be. That wouldn't settle
nothin if she did. Thar is a better an s
g more sensible way o gettin at his bust
i ness. My decision is that thar shan
be no division line no more, an that tn,
two farms shall hc consolidated int
:, one.
t The contestants looked at the suuir,
! in Amusement, and almost a minute
passed in perfect silence. Finally Rig
II gins gasped: "Consolidate tn" tw,
d farms into one! How can that be man
e aged!
q jest AS easy AS fallin off n iox. AL
X you have to do is to stan mp we're afor,
y me bout 10 seconds. All I'll have i
fixed. I'll make You man m wife, al
then ther won't need to be no line be
tween the farms. Come. that is my de
Il ,-