The Anaconda standard., 1895-11-21
Butte Department.
THEY'LL SOON KNOW
The Closing Arguments in the Brit
tania Case Are On.
TOLD BY THE WITNESSES
Mr.. Mantle Says That Mr.. Largey
Is Confused With Some Other
Matters = Mr.. Owsley
Testifies Also.

The trial OF the Brittania suit Of p. A.
Largey and William Owsley against Lee
Mantle was resumed in Judge McHat-
toms court yesterday morning with Mr..
Owsley on the witness stand. He said
that at the time the Brittania was To-
Gated he and John Airport were the own
ers of the Charter Oak. ION the 1st of
January the claim reverted to the public
domain" said Mr.. Owsley. 'and Mr..
Mantle told me he had bought a half in
terest in the Western World in Novem-
Der. 1872 and i told him he should have
purchased Allport's half interest I'm the
Charter Oak. i had work done that year
by Airport until an interest was given to
Joe Rosenthal for representation work
j advised Mr.. Mantle to buy Allport's in
terest in the Charter Oak. never did
any work on the claim after Mr.. Mantle
located IL as the Charter Oak. though /
have been on IL since. / did not have to
pay for he had our funds and he handled
our funds. He paid for the Western
World and he should have paid for the
Brittania, but whether he paid or not
do not know, as i have not the books.
The partnership was settled in 1881 Be-
fore that time Mantle said to me that
he had a patent on both the Western
World and the Brittania. 1 was away
of the time Largey and Mantle were
working the Brittania. / also knew the
time that a bond was given on the prop
erty and they were taking out ore. i did
not ask for a deed, as / did not think IL
was necessary. / considered Mantle as
an agent in fact for me- There was the
full amount of work done on the West
ern World. ! did not go on the Brittania
between the time of the location and the
issuance of the patent and do not know
the amount of work there was done. /
do not know. but think Largey told
me that he was putting up the money to
do the prospecting or to buy properties.
i understand that Largey is sueing for
Sl5.C00 the half of the sale price of the
Brittania received by Mr.. Mantle and /
also understand that was a half owner
in the mine and Largey and Mantle can
fight IL out. 1 claim that Mantle owes
me $4,000"
George Gemmell. deputy clerk and re-
corder, testified as to the records relating
TO the location of the Western World
and Brittania claims.
T. T. Baker, the civil engineer, testified
that he became familiar with the Brit
tania in 1881, when he was requested by
Mr.. Mantle TO make a survey OF the
claim for a patent He was asked to
make n survey of the Western World
about the same time. The two claims
adjoin each other and Mr.. Mantle paid
for the surveys. Mr.. Baker said he had
never heard of the Charter Oak until IT
was mentioned i'm court on Tuesday. He
examined the location notices of the two
claims and said he could not say that the
two covered the same ground. on cross
examination Mr.. Baker said he had no
dealings with either Largey or Owsley in
making the surveys and did not know
they had any interest in the Brittania
la aufa rlA 80.
in the names of Owsley and Mantle and
the Brittania in the name of Mr.. Mantle
alone.
Mr.. Largey was called as a witness in
behalf of Mr.. Owsley, the intervenor and
started to relate some conversations he
had with Mr.. Mantle relative to Owsley's
claim TO the property. but as he had
told the story the day previous, the court
ruled the testimony out.
Mr.. Kennedy testified that in 1855 or 1889
he asked Mr. Mantle for a lease on the
Brittania and Mr.. Mantle told him to see
owsley. but he never saw him about IT,
Mr.. Largey was recalled once more to
correct his testimony of Tuesday in re-
gard TO certain matters. and Mr.. Well
come objected on the ground that Largey
had testified positively to certain alleged
facts and he had learned since that the
records did not bear him out and now
wanted to correct himself. The court
overruled the objection and Largey tes-
titled about the location of the Pixies
Peak. Carte Blanche and other claims,
and his interest in them. He started to
tell about some trouble he had with
somebody and the court stopped him,
because IL was not material. Mr. Largey
was anxious to tell more than he was
asked to tell and had to be interrupted
frequently.
John Airport was the first witness for
the defense. He had been brought from
a sick room for the purpose of testifying.
Mr.. Airport was one of the original loca-
tors of the Charter Oak. the ground al
legged to be covered by the Brittania. He
owned half interest and sold Il for s1O0
He located the Western World and Char
ter Oak about the same time. Mr.. ALL
port Informed Mr.. Mantle that the Char
ter Oak was open to relocation and he
went and located the ground as the Brit
tania. Airport lived at Basin and came
in from there and informed Mr.. Mantle
that representation work on the Charter
Oak had not been done and Mr.. Mantle
Immediately drove out to the ground and
relocated IL. Allport's testimony on this
point was directly opposed TO that OF
Largey and Owsley. who each claimed TO
have given the information 10 Mantle
and that he located the ground for them
Jointly.
Lee Mantle. the defendant. testified that
he had absolutely no conversation with
Mr.. Largey about locating the Brittania.
He knew no more about IL than you did,