The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1897-08-20
Mr.. WAGNER Tells his Side of the story

EDITOR DELAMAR NUGGET: l desire
through your columns to say few
words to the public concerning mat.
ter of private interest to me but which
at the time, on account of the notoriety
which has been given the matter, con-
Germs the public. I refer to the tearing
down and destruction of my building
in Silver City, on the Fourth of July
by a mob headed by Probate Judge
George H. Handy.
will first state the facts under which
claimed the right to build on that
piece of ground:
In 1994-I believe it was in 1894
when Mr.. Upham, who claimed the
house known as Good Templers' Hall,
but afterwards used rs a school house
in the district, took the building down
and left the lumber on the ground, l
bought this lumber from him, and also,
as l supposed, the right to occupy the
ground on which it stood, no one claim
ing it at the time. l built two-room
house in the fall, intending to build an
addition later on. In the spring of
1885, Mr.. Sturwalt wanted to build q
house, and in my absence from Silver
City, was about to build on the
lot l had had graded for me by Mr..
Stoddard. Ny wife was informed of
his intention to build there, and asked
him to leave us have IS or 20 feet to
build our addition on. He left Is feet,
which suppose was meant for me. To
nfirm the same, he asked me before
he completed the house, if intended
to build there, and l told him l did.
He then said he would not put win
dow on that side of the house, and did
not do so at the time. Afterwards
Mrs. Sturwalt told me, one day, that
if l didn't want to have any one build
on the lot had better fence it, which l
did, borrowing Ratchet from her and,
with her permission, nailed one end of
the boards to the corner of her house,
in placing the fence across the front of
the vacant ground. l never heard Mr.
Sturwalt make any claim to this ground
or set post in it until last June, when
began to build. June 23rd, Mrs. Nc
Cabe came to me and told me Mr.. Stur-
walt claimed eight feet of the ground
and forbade me to build there. At this
time Handy had rented Sturwalts
house and was living in it, but was alb
sent at the time. Mr.. Handy came
back, and on the 26th of June l received
a notice from him to vacate, he stating
that he had a lease from Messrs. Regain
& st. Clair for this IS feet, which was a
part of mining claim located by these
gentlemen. This, of course, let Mr..
Sturwalt out of the CONTROVERSY as
Mr.. Handy and not he, claimed the
ground by virtue of a lease.
If Mr.. Handy had a lease, as he
claimed, am satisfied he obtained the
lease for the purpose of having some
pretense of protection from prosecu-
ton for the destruction of property;
and if Messrs. Regain u st. Clair gave
him such lease, they were doubtless
not informed of the circumstances I'M
der which had built there.
To prove that Mr.. Handy never was
in good faith in trying to claim this lot.
he moved out of the Stewalt building
and abandoned his claim soon after the
destruction of my building.
On the evening of Sunday, July 4th,
l came down from my residence and
found a boisterous and apparently
drunken mob, under the leadership of
George II. Handy, Probate Judge and
and Superintendent of Public Instruc
ton for Owyhee County, tearing down
my building, not fine example for the
growing generation, whose educational
interests he has under his care, nor a
happy employment for chosen con-
of the peace. In trying to
prevent the destruction of my house,
suffered severe injuries at the hands
of the mob, from the effects Of which l
was confined to my room for several
days. was thrown down and trampled
upon by the mob, which deed was wit
messed by hundred people, attracted
there by the noise and disturbance,
and the participants in the mob were
reeking in whisky and disgracefully |
boisterous in their profanity.
As far as the mob was concerned l
have nothing to say, except that did |
not see and recognize in it asingle man
who has either moral or financial re-
sponsibility, and I am not surprised |
that such men could be missled by a
man whom the people have placed in