The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-10-02
HELENA NEWS NOTES
A Land Contest Of Long Standing Is
Finally Settled.
MANY BAPTlSTs IN TOWN
william McKendrIok's Store st
Marysville Burned-Patrick Spell.
man Arrested on Suspicion OF
Knowing About Cheun's Death.
Special Dispatch to the Standard.

Special Dispatch to the Standard.
Helena, Oct. 1.-The commissioner Of
the general land Office has affirmed the
Helena land Office In It's decision on the
contest case OF Alexander Majors vs.
Venzel c. Kinda. involving homestead
entry No. 7.254 or better known as the
Majors property. In the valley just be-
yond the fairgrounds. consisting Of the
southeast quarter OF the southeast quar-
ter Of section 13 The decision settles q
contest which has been carried on for
is years. In July. 1851. Carl Kleinschmidt
and some companions filed on the prop
erty as being mineral In character. The
land was within the land grant OF the
Northern Pacific. which protected 10
against the mineral application. Klein
schmidt tried TO appear before the local
land ofice hearing, and before the once
could render a decision Majors applied
for homestead entry under the act Of
March 2, 1889. second section Is. statutes
S4. The land Office decided the land was
non-mlneral, as did also the commission
er general, and the mineral application
was cancelled. The general land once
held that the tract was exempted from
the railroad grant and ruled that Majors
was disqualified from making the entry
at the date of making his application,
which was rejected. This left Kinda the
preference right Of entry. The case was
next taken to the secretary Of the inte-
rior who affirmed all the decisions up
to that date. October. 1894. In January
following Kinda made a homestead ap-
plication for the tract Majors filed a
protest In February. alleging In sub
stance that he was In possession by vir-
tue Of placer field. Last May the land
ONCE decided the land was non-minerai,
thereby entitling Kinda to the land The
case was appealed 10 the commissioner
general who, as stated above. affirmed
the decision Of the local land ONCE.
The city is full Of Baptists from all
over the state who are In attendance
st the 18th annual session OF the Mon.
tana Baptist association. Since yes
terday almost every train coming into
the city brought delegates. who as
sembled this morning In the First
Baptist church. The election OF ON
GERS for the coming year was almost
the first business transacted. 8. A.
swiggett, state land register Of Hell
era, was selected as the moderator;
Rev. II. Van Engelen. Great Falls,
clerk: Rev. ]. Anderson. Great Falls,
treasurer The delegates from Ana.
conda are Rev. James Spencer and
John Claybaugh. Tonight Rev. ]. A.
jenkins of Livingston delivered tho
annual address In the Baptist church.
which was crowded to Its utmost ca
| paclty.
The mercantile establishment Of
William McKendrick at Marysville
was almost totally destroyed last night
| by fire and water. The first particu-
lars OF which reached this city this
afternoon. Mr.. McKendrick places his
less at anywhere from $4,000 to $4,000,
with $4,000 insurance. The cause OF
the fire Is q mystery. About 1890
o'clock last night dense clouds Of
smoke were seen Issuing from the
basement OF the store. Immediately
under the boot and shoe department.
Before the flames could be subdued
the dry goods floor gave way. precipi-
tating a great quantity of goods be-
low. The building was owned by
Mares Brothers OF Helena and was in
sured for 5000.
The police have a man named Pat
rick Spelman under arrest on suspi.
cion OF having killed Charlie Cheun.
the Chinaman. soma time yesterday.
Spelman was working In the placer
| diggings near where Cheun was killed
and no real suspicion rested upon him
until after he had testified late this
| afternoon before the coroner's jury.
Although he told straightforward
story and could not be shaken upon
| cross-examination. certain cardinal
| points In his story failed to tally with
what was testified to by other wit
nesses just as reputable as he II.
| What first caused suspicion towards
| Spelman who is an Irishman about go
years OF age. was his repeated state
| ments that he had never had any
quarrels with the deceased or any 9TH
er Chlnaman working in the diggings.
Other witnesses swear that Spelman
was quarrelsome and had In times
past threatened to kill the deceased
and other Cinnamon who were work.
Ing there. Another point which telll
strongly against Spelman Is the fact
that a pair of overalls found In his
cabin had a drop Of fresh blood upon
them. All his tools had been recently
cleaned. as had also his rubber boots
which he wore the day Cheun wal
killed. The police are now looking fol
the two men who first discovered the
Chinaman lying dead In the ditch
When examined the men told different
stories concerning themselves. ThelI
general manner Is suspicious and they
are to be arrested also on suspicion
| and examined at length.