The Anaconda standard., 1895-11-20
THEY WANT A SHARE
Largey and 0wsley Say That Mantle
Is in Debt to Them.
THROUGH SALE OF A mime
The Matter Is>in Court Now and
Just How the Brittania Was
Handled Will Be Told
by Witnesses.

The trial of the case of p. A. Largey
against Lee Mantle over the owner
ship OF the Brittania mine, prior to the
date of dts sale by Mr.. Mantle, was
commenced In Judge McHatton's court
yesterday before a Jury composed OF @.
w. Gregg. John Boyd. Joseph Aroham-
bault. James Kemp. Gus Jenike. A.
Desjardines. John Ground. George c.
Ledford. w. l. FAINT. Isaac Meagher,
John Connell and Z. ]. Middleswort.
+. T. Mcbride appeared as council
for Mr.. Largey. and in his opening
statement to the jury promised to
show by testimony that the Brittania
was located by Mr.. Mantle for the
joint benefit of himself and Mr.. Largey
under an agreement between the two.
Mr.. Mantle afterwards sold the mine
for $4,000 and refused to divide with
Largey. who demand a half interest
in that amount.
John w. Cotter. who represents WILL
lam Owsley as intervenor in the case,
told the jury that they too wanted a
half of the $4,000 received by Mr..
Mantle because of an agreement had
with Mr.. Mantle by which he relocated
the ground. which originally was the
Charter Oak mining claim and owned
by Owsley and Mantle jointly. John
b. Welcome. f. Z. Corbett and Charles
r. Leonard appeared as attorneys for
Mr.. Mantle and Mr.. Welcome in his
opening statement to the jury said
the evidence would show that neither
Largey nor Owsley had any interest in
the Brittania. If Owsley and Largey
were given each a half interest Mr..
Mantle would be but a figure head and
get nothing
In January 1880 Mr.. Mantle located
| the Brittania for himself. After Mr..
Ma Ia had m ha mi N q
| he had a conversation with Mr.. Largey
| who suggested that they go in and
| work this property together and would
| share alike i'm the proceeds of the prop
| erty. Tue proceeds of the work that
| was done in 1888 was settled UP to 1892,
when 1T was sold by Mr.. Mantle and
there was no claim made by Mr..
Largey to any ownership in the mine.
| Mr. Owslev and one John Airport 10
| Gated the Charter Oak. John Airport
| sold his interest to Mr.. Mantle. The
| location was afterwards given up and
| Mr.. Mantle located the Brittania.
There WIS no agreement with Owsley,
and the latter never paid any atten-
/ ton to the new location and never
| claimed any interest in 1t.
Mr.. Largey was the first witness
| and testified that he had known Mr..
Mantle and Mr.. Owsley for Is or 20
] years. In regard TO the alleged agree
| ment over the Brittania he said 1t had
been agreed that Mr.. Mantle was TO
locate 1t half and half for both. The
| agreement was made in Mr.. Mantle S
office and afterwards Mr.. Mantle in
formed him that he had made the To-
cation. Mr.. Mantle said the claim was
going to be abandoned by Owsley and
Allport and that IL it was. he would
take 1t up and give Mr.. Largey a half
interest. He took the claim in his own
name and Mr.. Largey did not give II
much attention. but he knew what Mr.
Mantle was doing. He also had other
claims of Largev in his name. They
were partners in the Mary Ann, Pixies
Peak and Carte Blanche. The Mary
Ann was in Mr.. Mantle's name. The
title TO the Brittania remained in his
name after the patent was obtained
Mr.. Largey and Mr.. Rice took charge
of the property, Rice to get one-thirc
of the proceeds of the ore. II got n(
returns from the ore" said Mr.. Largey
Though 1 worked 1t for four months
! / paid out all the money, about 81, 500
Mr.. Rice was the foreman and l super
intended the work until 1 went cas-
and then Mr.. Mantle looked after 1t
1 found on return that work had beeI
stopped. There is now $167.65 of
balance standing to the credit of tn
Brntania on the books of the Butt.
Hardware company. We had converse
tions often about the Brittania and Il
1898 he denied my ownership in it III
said Il don't want to give you a hal
interest in It. i want to keep a hal
: interest for myself and / want to Civ
a half interest to Owsley.' felt prett.
sore about 1t when / heard the Brit
: tania had been sold. / went to Nj
: Mantle's office and asked him to max
| a statement of our business, and n
. | did so. l saw that 1t did not includ
|, the Brfttania and 1 called his attention
! to II and said there was money du
me. He replied that he had conclude
that I had no interest in the mine.
said / had understood that he ha
said Owsley was to have a quarter an
1 a quarter and he a half. but he sal
i, , re reconsidered that and that I had n
interest in 1T"
On cross-examination by Mr.. Wei
. come, Mr.. Largev said the first know
edge he had of the question he &c
from Mr.. Mantle In 1879. He said
belonged to Owslev and Airport II
said he gave Mr.. Mantle an intere<
in several claims. When Mantle spok
: | of the ground Il was near the tim
for doing the representation work an
he said he would watch II and locate
for himself and Mr.. Largey.
Z Owsley testified that he had live
!. in Montana for 80 wears. Mantle ha
no interest IN the Sndrter YAK pTloI
1879. Il owned a half interest and NJ
i Mantle bought Allports intrest." sal
: Mr.. Owsley. ''and we talked the matte
over and agreed to allow the Chart,
Oak to Lapse and he should relocai
J. IL for US jointly. / think he agreed !
e do IL. We were partners In the liver
business. abandoned the claim an
ne was to relocate & and get the otnel
: out / remember he was to tell n
Il when ne had the Brittania patente'
Mantle had entire charge of the bus
mesa / don't know even Of survt
n having been made. The first i kne
i about the sale OF the mine was wht
Largey brought this suit and then
made a demand on Mantle for n
q share and he gave me the laugh
J. Before the examination OF Mr.. Ow
ley was concluded court adjourn'
| until this morning.