The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-12-19
MERRITT COAL MINE
The Defendants Allege the Plaintiffs
Title Is Fraudulent
A RECEIVER is ASKED FOR
stockholders OF the Racing Assoc
citation Meet and Plan for Next
Seasons Events-ColoneI
Root Is In Town.

Great Falls, Dec 1s-The answer
was filed to-day In the district court in
the suit of Margaret Merritt VS.. Mark
Z. Bray and Hugh Corbett, in which
the plaintiff seeks to permanently en-
join defendants from interfering In the
operation of the coal mine at Belt,
known as the Merritt mine which is
located on the northeast quarter of the
southeast quarter of section 20 and the
northwest quarter of the southwest
quarter, and the last half of the SOUTH
west quarter of section "a. township 10
north of range 6, east. The answer de-
MES all the allegations of the COM
plant, and further the defendants al
lege that the plaintiffs alleged title to
the above described land is fraudulent,
because she filed upon said lands in
the interest of, and for the benefit of.
the Boston & Montana Consolidated
Copper & Silver Mining company and
Frank Klepetko, superintendent; that
the plaintiff has never legally filed up
on the land and is foreign born, and
has not become a citizen of the United
States and therefore cannot acquire
title to public land by filing thereon;
that Hugh Corbett. one of the defend
ants, filed upon the lands as coal lands
May 28, 1895; that the plaintiff has
never extracted coal from the mine for
the purpose of supplying any person
with whom she had a contract, but
that all the coal mined has been mined
under a contract between Corbett and
Bray and Klepetko, superintendent.
The defendants ask that Corbett be
declared entitled to sole ownership and
possession of the lands; that judgment
be entered in favor of Corbett against
the plaintiff for $4,000, the value of
coal extracted from the mine and sold
by the plaintiff; and that the court ap-
point receiver to conduct the mine
until the pending controversy shall
have been finally determined. Ransom
Cooper represents the plaintiff, and
Largent & Huntoon the defendants.
At meeting of the stockholders of
the Northern Montana Fair & Racing
association, held at the Office of Ran
som Cooper last night, a reorganiza-
ton of the association was effected.
The following trustees were elected:
Robert Vaughn Paris Gibson, Ira My
ers. Ransom Cooper, Captain Couch,
William Williams and Ira Ingraham.
and these gentlemen elected G. II.
Clark secretary vice George Wells, re-
signed The finances of the association
are not in the best condition, and IL
was decided to hold a race meeting
next season to clear off the indebted
ness IL possible. 1t was announced by
one or two present that Marcus DAILY
has promised his assistance in making
the meeting the best ever held in this
city, and to this end will send a large
string of his best horses. The time of
the meeting WILL of course, have to be
fixed at the time the circuit for the
state is arranged.
Col. John l.. Root, special agent of
the general land office at Washington,
and timber inspector on the side, is in
the city and will remain several days.
From the close manner in which the
colonel is inspecting records, the i'm
preston obtains that something of
sensational nature is likely to drop In
or adjacent to Great Falls in the near
future. If any one in this section has
been guilty of cutting timber on public
lands. they will do well to vanish in
definitely from these parts or make
satisfactory settlement with the gov
eminent