The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-06-05
A BIG LAND CLAIM.
Heirs Of . Nicaragua VIII Fight for q
state.

Heirs Of . Nicaragua Will Fight for .
state.
Copyright 1898 by Associated Press.
Managua, Nicaragua, May EFFICIENTLY
claims for lands of an area more extern
sive than the whole state OF Nicaragua
have been made by the Shepperd heirs
now living at San Juan del Norte, Mica
ragua, against Costa RIGA and Nicara-
qua, including the route selected for an
in~ter-ocaenic canal across Nicaragua
The original claimant, Shepperd Tor
~Sheppard). now dead. was a negro, or
mulatto. from Jamaica. and a subject OF
the British crown. He claimed that about
1873 he paid to a chief Mosquito Indian
on the east coast of Nicaragua about
$3.50. 900 in gold for several million acres OF
land I'm Nicaragua and Costa Rica- and
now the heirs declare that they have the
papers complete and want either the land
or its money value.
The historic facts about the Caribbean
coast of Nicaragua and Costa RIGA, with
the adjacent islands and their sovereignty
are:
(a) Christopher Columbus discovered
and claimed them for Spain in October,
1905.
OBJ Spain retained sovereignty over
them until 1921. conquering all the tribes
Including the Mosauitoans). excepting the
Amerrique people. who held the central
and eastern mouptain districts in Nicara-
~ 1890
yet undisturbed.
() In 1921 Spain transferred the SOW
ereignty to the Spanish-American people
In Nicaragua, Costa RIGA and other Gen.
trail American states and acknowledged
their independence.
I'D In 1S4s Great Britain acknowledged
some one of the chiefs of the Mosquito
Indians in Nicaragua as the king and
sovereign of an underlined territory in. or
all of Nicaragua, and declared herself
protector of that king and his sover-
eighty. This was one of Great Britain's
bold preliminary steps after her bucca-
neering effort to obtain control of the
lsthmus of Nicaragua, and consequently
of the route for an inter-oceanic canal
across that isthmus.
t) On Jan. 70. 1860. under pressure of
the government of the United States, she
made a treaty with Nicaragua. conced-
ing to the latter the sovereignty of the
entire territory now held by Nicaragua,
and in an article of that treaty limited
to 100 square yards the claim of any for
eigner to lands by purchase or otherwise
from Indians In that territory.
b. Article X she authorized the ap-
pointment of a commission to adjudicate
all such claims for land i'm Nicaragua.
The commission was duly appointed and
exhausted by its decisions, the lists of
lands claimed that were presented to II.
after which the commission was dis
solved. The Shepherd claim. IL presented,
was not recognized. The Shepherd claim
ants overlook the facts:
(a) That buccaneers and other English
pirates virtually controlled the eastern or
Caribbean sea coast of Nicaragua, and
not the Mosquito Indians.
0) The Amerriques from which most
probably the name American originated),
were about that time 0S33, the most pow
erful people excepting the Latin-Ameri-
cans in Nicaragua, and occupied the cen
trail and eastern mountain ranges in Nc
aragua. dominating the Mosquito Indians.
although with them. The Amerriques
were conquered by the Spaniards. not the
Spanish-Americans and have slowly dis
appeared. without war, until now their
number Is very small.
No Mosquito chief has ever held. at
least in times of which there is any his
tory. any of the territory of the Amer
riques. Moreover. every foreigner in
eastern Nicaragua of intelligence enough
to attempt the acquisition of any large
body of land from the Mosquito Indians.
must have known of the power and DOM
mating influence over the Mosquito chiefs
of the Amerriques. and. consequently.
that the chiefs could sell only very linn
tied lots Of land.