The Wichita daily eagle., 1896-12-09
GAVE HIM THE LIE
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT Mr.. STAN
LEY DID TO NIB. HEALY.
And Then Judge Dale Gave Mr.. Stanley
= Ten Dollar Fine for Contempt OF
Court-Mr Stanley Said He Would Pay
1.-THE Whole Thing Was the Outcome
of the Fight Now kaging in the District
Court for the Possession OF an Island I'm
the Arkansas River-Oid Timers Give
Testimony.

The legal fight in the district court yes
terday over Swan Island in the Arkansas
river caused W. Z. Stanley to be fined
$40 for contempt of court.
Pat Healy was on the stand testifying
about the navigation of the river in the
early days and MIR. Stanley was cross
examining him. Mr.. Stanley was asking
him about some alleged boat that came
down the river from Pueblo. when Mr..
Healy said he didn't know anything
about it much, except what Stanley him
self told him.
VIII you swear that l told you that?"
asked Mr. Stanley.
II believe that is what you told me-"
said Pat
II am not asking you that" said Mr.
Stanley, Il am asking you do you swear
to it?''
II will swear TO it." said Pat.
well. then you lie" said Stanley.
Judge Dale whipped around his chair
very promptly and said:
Mr.. Stanley L will fine you SO for
that"
"All right. your honor; will pay it,
Il want it understood" said Judge
Dale, that will not allow anything like
that in my court
Il suppose j ought not to have said it"
said Mr. Stanley, but l was provoked" )"
Go ahead with your case" said the
court
1t was not learned whether Mr.. Stanley
paid in the fine or not, but the Judge
did not revoke il.
Old timers who were present said that
that was the first time they had known
Mr.. Stanley to lose his temper 1t was
Me +o1 sI.-~ of HnaI Y
avenge the insult after court adjourned.
but there has been no trobule between
them yet and the supposition IS that
everything has blown over or will blow
over The matter was the subjet OF much
comment in court circles.
Immedia tely after Pat left the stand
]. r. Mead was called as witness and
he gave detailed informa ton about the
condition of the river from 1863 down to
the present time. 1t was in 1865 that he
halted opposite the island in question
and he swore that al that time it was
an island with well defined banks and a
well defined stream sepaparting IL from
the main land. He said that there used
TO be boats in the river in the early days.
both sail fiat and steam. He knew of
one boat TO have come down from the
mountains because he talked with the
crew. He said that in the early days
there was a great deal OF water in the
river all the time. AS early as 1867 he
operated ferry across the river him.
self and described how he operated II.
In many cases he had rope tied to the
boat and an Indian would take the end
of the rope, swim across the river and
pull the ferry boat over after him. At
one time Mr. Mead took Jesse Chisolm' S
outfit across the river an this ferry boat
He described how the first bridge came
to be built and how ii was operated as
toll bridge. He and William Mathew
son, William Grieffenstein and \. a. Eng
lish built the first bridge and it cost them
s29, 900. This bridge was located about
where the Douglas avenue bridge now
crosses the river.
Mr. Matnewson also gave testimony
that was very interesting.
The testimony of Mr.. Mead and Mr.
Mathewson was very favorable TO Mr..
Swans side of the case.
The case will go 10 the jury today.