Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1897-05-14
A UNIQUE DECISION.
HOW THE MISSOURI JUDGE SET.
TIED A BOUNDARY QUESTION.
Both Sides Proved Their Claims,
and Each Fully Disproved the
Claims of the Other-The Squire
Knew the Contestants Were Not
Responsible for the ss Lawfn.o
New York Tribune.

Chains OF the Other-The Squire
Knew the Contestants Were Not
Responsible for the 0 Lawfn.o
New York Tribune.
Asa Beeson served in the capacity of
a Justice of the Peace in one of the
back counties of Missouri in the good
old times preceding the war. His
knowledge of law was extremely linz
tied, and he wouldn't have known a
mandamus from an alibi, but he pos
sessed fine sense of justice, and his
decisions, though somewhat original,
were usually in favor of the right and
for the promotion of peace and har-
mony.
On one occasion he had on trial
before him a case entitled Hunter vs..
higgins, in which the cause of dispute
was line fence separating the farms
OF the contestants. The plaintiff was
young widow and the defendant a
bachelor, and good many people, the
Squire among the number, felt that it
would have been better for the happi-
ness and prosperity of both if they had
joined in matrimony rather than a
legal battle that promised to last
through years and bring no good
results to either party in the end. The
Squire, observing the contestants
closely before the trial, was sure he
had discovered something beneath the
surface of their hearts which they
were carefully concealiug from the
public and each other. When the case
was called, there was an army of wit
nesses and a world of evidence, and all
so conflicting that it would have re-
quired a Solomon to have rendered a
just decision. Squire Beeson listened,
scratched his head and looked COM
pletely puzzled.
"This is a case," he said, when the
last witness had testified, "that stumps
me, and acknowledge that I'm beat.
I've had lots O. cases afore this, an
some OF 'em was purity badly mixed,
but l hain't never had one that
couldn't figger out the right and
wrong of it. This, though, is different.
Both sides has proven every pint set
up, and both has disproved everything
proved by each other. The evidence
is jest stand-off all round, and I'll be
hanged if 40 Philadelphia lawyers
could make out which is right and
which is wrong"
The Squire paused moment, then
resumed: "Now, as / understand
this matter, the whole question is,
which of you two parties owns a six
foot strip of land lying between your
two farms. Am l correct?"
"You are" higgins answered, and
the widow nodded in the affirmative.
"You are both agreed on that" the
Squire remarked, $50 that pint is
settled. Now, another thing under
stand is this: The line between the
two farms has been surveyed and
located a dozen times, first by one
party and then the other, and no two
of them surveys has put the line in
the same place. Have 1 got the right
understandin' thar"
The plaintiff and defendant both
nodded their assent.
GAIL right" said the Squire, "that
settles that pint. Now, I believe this
matter has been in dispute a good
many years in the courts and out, and
that it has been decided dozen times
one way and another, but that so far
nobody has been satisfied, and nuthin
like settlement has been reached. Is
that correct?"
The contestants exchanged a quick
glance, then, turning their eyes back
on the Squire, nodded again.
"Then," continued the Squire, chow
am goin' to decide this matter when
the surveyors can't agree on the line
an the courts amt never been able to
agree on the ownership O. the land
An what good would it do if I decide
when the one 1 decided agin would &C
to work to git new hearin'?"
Neither of the interested parties
made any answer, and after shor,
pause the Squire went on:
ats we'll known to me-" he said
"tbat neither of you two amt respon
sible for this lawin', because neither o.
you started it. 1t was begun by youl
fathers, way back yonder years ago
an it's come to you with the land as 6
part O. your inheritance. I'm of the
opinion that you are both sick O the
thing, and that in your hearts yor
wish you were done with it. But
can tell you now you will never gil
done with it by lawin' over it. Nevel
in the world, for no courts will eve
settle on the ownership O. that six foo
strip O ground. Yet this matter car
be settled, an this court feels that il
is her duty to settle it. She dom
presume to say who is wrong nor wha
the division lines between the farm
ought to be. That would settle nothin
:. l., IA Tb,r 10 a haitian op' rOor,