The herald., 1896-12-01
FLAGSTAFF LAND TITLES
No Longer Clouded by Mrs. Gonlaze' 8
Claim
State Courts Decided to Have Partial
Criminal Jurisdiction in the Indian
Reservations
Associated Press Special Wire

Associated Press Special Wire
WASHINGTON, Nov 30.-The district
court for the southern district of Iowa
was reversed by the United States su-
preme court today In the case of A. A.
Edgington, because the court had re-
fused to accept evidence of the good
character of the defendant, who was ac-
cused Of perjury in pension case.
Whatever" said Justice Shiras in de-
livering the opinion, may have been
said in some of the earlier cases, the de-
cided weight of authority now Is that
good character when conidered in con-
nection with the other evidence in a case
may generate a reasonable doubt"
The solicitor general moved to advance
on the docket the Las Vegas land grant
case on the plea that 1t was likely to
abate by the retirement from office of
Commissioner Lamoreaux of the Eener-
al land office. The motion was taken un-
der advisement The case involves 496
acres of land. e-5r.-
The case of Emma J. Gonlaze VS.. r.
w. French ct al, appealed from the SUI
prsme court of the territory of Arizona,
involved the title to the townsite of the
the land under redemption entry, but
her claim was not sustained by the ART
zona court. and the United States court
today affirmed the decision.
Justice White delivered the opinion Of
the court In the case of Pleasant Draper
VS.. the United States. The case involv-
ed the question Of the jurisdiction of the
state courts of Montana over crime COM
mitted by persons not Indians in the
Indian reservations in the state Of Mon
tana. Draper. who Is a negro, was con-
victed in the United States circuit court
TOR the montana district of the murder of
ervation. He brought the case to the su-
preme court on a writ of error, alleging
want of juridiction on the part of the
federal court. The supreme court sus-
tained this view of the case, reversedthe
decision Of the circuit court and remand
ed the case for transfer to the state court
for prosecution. The prosecution in the
federal courts relied upon the clause in
the Montana enabling act providing that
Indian lands shall remain under the
absolute jurisdiction and control of the
congress of the United States" but
Justice White said it was clear it was
not intended this provision should ope-
rate to deprive the state of power to pun
ish crimes committed in an Indian reser-
walton by others than Indians.
SUPERIOR COURT CASE.
SAN FRANCISCO. Nov. 30.-Judge
Sewell rendered decision today the ef-
feet Of which is to put some $50, 900 in the
vaults Of the Pacific bank for the benefit
of depositors. In suit brought by P.
F. Dundon it was decreed that ]. NJ. Nc
Donald, as a director of the bank, had
no right to purchase on his own account
$75, 900 bonds of the os Angeles Consol-
idated Electric Railway company Of
fered for sale by tla, bank. It is further
held that Mcdonald purchased the
bonds as trustee for the bank A new
sale of the bonds is ordered for the bene-
fit Of the bank, and Mcdonald is to re-
ceive back the amount of his investment
with per cent interest added The
bonds are $50 in number and of the par
value of $150,000. They are expected in
the event of another sale to realize to the
bank $4,000 or $4,000 more than was
paid by Mcdonald.