Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-03-18
BOUNDARY OF TEXAS,
This Important Case Decided BY the
United States Supreme Court.
victory FOR THE GOVERNMENT.
ur. Edgar Allan, Who Conducted the
case and Won the Fight, Is Jubi-
liant over the ResuIt-The Ehect IL
Far-Reschiag.

Mr. Edear Allan has received informal
- e,,rn Washington that in an opinion
lv Justice Harlan. the Supreme court
- The United States has, as
,,feav told in yesterdays Dispatch.
-,.,5,d for tho government against the
e,ste Of Texas the boundary dispute, Of
which he has had charge as special as
.t.,ant 10 the Attorney-General for
,,arIy SIX years past. When seen by n
,ss,ofch reporter MIR. Allan was in high
,..o and said this. the greatest triumph
nis professional career, ought TO be
. ,rrfect panacca for the petty persecu-
,t,ns received at the hands Of Colonel
,,,,b 90 which he had been subjected for
.,veral months past; that he had been
..saylted because Cleveland's Admins
trafiou had retained him for over three
wars to finish this important litigation.
tbe charge Of which was given him by
President Harrison. 1t was sufficient for
him 20 feel that the confidence reposed
An him he'd not been misplaced. and. al
though lie had been confronted by n
hall dozen Of the leading lawyers of the
country as has opposing counsel, his VIC
tory was complete.
Ills WORK COMMENDED.
lie further stated that the Attorney
General. IN his annual report sent 10
Couere this year, speaking Of the case.
fad. The case was under the sole charge
OF Mr. Edgar Allan. He has devoted
much time and labor TO its preparation
and has shown great diligence and ca
pacity therein"
Fir. Allan further stated that the de-
c.sion was peculiarly gratifying 10 him
40 this particular time, and that the
Republicans OF Virginia, I'm judging Colo
uel Lambs efforts TO raise the Republican
party 10 q higher plane Of responsibility,
would be able TO contrast his standing
with the present choice Of Colonel Lamb
who, he says, was less than year ago
a candidate before Democratic caucus
Of the City Council for the position OF
City Physician.
FEATURES or THE CASE.
When aeked as to the peculiar features
OF the Texas case, Mr.. Allan replied:
The story is too long TO tell you. /
travelled nearly 5000 miles in taking
aepositions These three bound volumes
containing over 1000 pages" pointing 10
.hroe handsome books upon his desk.
ARE the record of testimony and the
briefs in the case. / could give you
b perfect romance Of incidents connected
with the case II IL would interest your
readers. il Grows out of construction
az treaty between the United States
and spain in 1919, and though the suit
originally was TO recover 200 square
miles Of territory, II assumed such
shap, under the pleadings as TO involve
o. claim against the United States for
al Of Oklahoma, all the territory Of
Kansas and Colorado south OF the Ar
kansas, all Of No Mans Land. and part
~ New Mexico. Had the government
lost the case II would have formed the
basis, probably. for a claim against the
United States for. possibly. $500 900 0lO
Many interesting legal questions in the
progress Of the case were decided. ID
was the first time in the country's his
tory that the question had been directly
raised and adjudicated as 20 the extent
of the Federal Judicial power in con
troversy between the General Government
and one OF the States composing IL. An
other legal problem discussed was
whether a boundary in dispute between
sOvereigns was judicially cognlzable and
also whether bill in equity would lie
10 determine the title 10 the territory in
dispute.
MOSTLY EXPERT EVIDENCE
The testimony was largely expert in
IT'S character. consisting of the evidence
Of civil and military engineers. astrono-
mers. surveyors. Mexicans. and surviving
officers and men who had been engaged
IN the barbarous border warfare be-
tween the whites and Indians. who
formerly occupied the territory Ex-At-
torney-General Garland. Hon. Heber j.
May. Governor Culberson, Hon. George
Clarke, Attorney General Craney, and
Judge Freeman were the counsel for
Texas.
This IS a brief synopsis OF the case"
Mr. Allan concluded. land l feel as
though a great burden had been lifted
from my shoulders by the judgment in
favor Of the government on every point
involved In the controversy upon Ques-
lions Of law or fact I have received
many congratulations. and It is no Won
der feel good tonight -