The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-11-20
AN END OF
NONSENSE.
Final Blow Given to the Wick
ed Custom
Of Stirring Up Litigation Over
"ClOuded Titles, "
Which Every L. S. Attorney
Has Undertaken For Years.
ALL NJ. *. & I. CASES
Have Been Dismissed In the
Federal Court.
Union Pacific Cases Have Also
Been Dismissed.
Have Been Dismissed In the
Federal Court.
Union Pacific Cases Have Also
Been Dismissed.
NOT A GOOD POLICY
To Make Trouble and Expense
For Industrious Farmers,
Merely to Get Business" For
Attorneys to Profit By.

The useless and expensive suits TO
harass settlers and make work for at
rorneys known as the NJ, X. & IT, and
Union Pacific land cases viii be heard
OF no more in court.
The Union Pacific cases which were
brought about a year ago and were
shown up by the Journal at the time,
have been dismissed without even the
appointment of a special master.
The special master in the NJ, x &. T.
cases made a report on the Allen county
lands today and United States District
Attorney Perry says that the rest of the
cases affecting lands in CoIey. Frank
lin. Lyon and other counties viii proba-
bly, be dismissed without further htiga-
ton.
The settlers have been to no end of
trouble and to a great deal of expense
in taking testimony and employing at
t0rneys- They have thought that they
might lose their farms upon which they
have toiled for years and the suit has
placed a cloud upon the titles which
prevented the sale of the farms No
one would care to purchase a law suit
IN the federal court with his farm
Special Master c. c. Booker of New
ton who reported on the Allen county
lands today justifes the position taken
by the Journal that the suits We're use
less and only served to make employ
ment for lawyers.
The suit affected q greater portion Of
the land in Allen county a strip Is miles
wide the whole distance across the
county. ar Booker holds in his report
(Which is very voluminOus) that the
present settlers are entitled to their
land, and there is consequently no cloud
ON their titles.
The grounds upon which the suits
were brought We're that the land was
granted to the railroad company after
j. had been pre-empted by settlers The
land granted to the railroads was sold
% q raNr1 =
hands several times. A great portion of
IT IS well improved and is in the pos
session of well to do farmers. who had
no doubt about the title to their farms
until this suit was commenced.
1T was more than five years ago that
tney We're served with SubpOenas to no.
tlry them that they had been sued in
behalf OF the government for possession
of the land on the ground that the rail-
road company from which 1T was Dur
chased had no title to the land
1t came like thunder clap to the SET
tiers They hired LAWYERS Ol-gra rlize7
an association and took stems to r7ro+lc+
their rights For years the case drayaa5
AIong ln the federal court and a wagon
Aoad of testimony was taken. The find
4liB OF AAr- Booker against the govern
ment viii probably be c0nfrr9e1 ~
Judge Foster, and the government viii
pay lne costs of the suit exceuf what
tne settlers have paid for the services of
tnelr attorneys and for the taking Of
evidence
The NJ. r. & II. cases affected the
Ltles to several hundred thousand acres
81 iaitd- MI B0oker's report on the All
len county lands which has required t,ro
Years of work makes 500 pages OF tvpe-
written matter. and if the cases in fba
other counties were not dismissed. it
Would require years TO complete tba
work and prepare a report
The United States district cour+ room,
vas Tled with attorneys todav vvban
-.lI- PIT i7ooher arrived They were lool1inp
Ior MIN an day yesterday ana [cars
~ Ss'..s I 1snal impatient to know what kind
eLe q t4g,.- spglt ne would make Nearly am
tie attorneys We're representing +be
present settlers and the report n9ef Nil,
universal satisfaction p" iel
Anere were some attorneys in +l,.
room VINO We're interested in lands in
the counties not covered in Mr.. Poolra,,.s 9
report and to them Mr.. Perry said tbs+
the cases in the other counties Womb
probably be dismissed in a short time
Mf Perry received letters from,
Washington instructing him to dismiss
the cases. and he says it is in accor5-
anee with an act of congress pssse5
several years ago