The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-03-12

The trial OF the Hart-Eucker case in
Judge Benson's court proceeds steadily
bat slowly. The cause may be hkened to
| a submarine mine, in this. that. according
| to runor. sensational allegations reflect
| ing on the parties interested either directly
| or as witnesses are liable 10 be touched of
at any moment. Since the first trial Of the
cause there have been charges and counter
i charges between the pssncIpals IN the suit
A feature of the case. reference to which
was made yesterday. lies in the inability
Of the attorneys for the defendant. Wyatt
Rucker, to secure the presence Of Miss
Maggie Black as a witness. Miss Black
was for several years an employe In the
county courthouse in Snehomish county.
OF late she has been working in the audi
tors office. IL appears from the deposition
OF A. N. Woods. which was offered IN eyi-
dence yesterday that Miss Black made
out the report of the appraisement Of the
Hart mill. the value of which Is an issue
between the parties TO the ssIft, to the
board of state land commissioners. 1t Is
alleged that Miss Black made an error OF
5000 in the footings. and discovering 1t.
called the attention of the board OF county
commissioners to the matter. w.
1t is further allsg I'D that the eemmis-
sioners replied thar an error or ss.eao in
favor of the owner OF the mill cut but
little figure. and the matter MAS allowed
TO go uDcorrectea.
Miss Black is we'll known in SnohoElish
county Just now she is greatly wanted in
King county to tell her little tale 10 the
jury that sits patiently all day long IN
Judge Jacobs court listening TO the ;esu-
mony of the witnesses that have been sum-
moned TO throw light on the transaction,
hA aJ.f and me n
attorneys and TO the courts rulings. Miss
Black has. IL is stated, eyinced feverish
desire TO visit friends on the north side or
the boundary line between the United
States and Canada every time the Hart
Rucker case has come up for trial III is
related that she was at Everett a Few
days before the superior court OF that
county on the last day OF December, 1871,
fixed the date of the trial of the cause for
February {, 1898. Immediately the case
had been set the attorneys for Mr. Rueker
had a subpoena issued for Miss Black, but
the most diligent officers found her not.
and II Is now stated that she is in van
couver. T. c.. enjoying the society of the
British and her immunity from subpoenas
and other processes from the courts OF the
United States.
Now. the question is. who would go and
kdnap Miss Black and take her out of
the country? And when one side OF the
Il looks with pious horror and amazement
not TO say suspicion. at the other. And
so the responsibility for Miss Blacks pres
ence on British Columbia soil and her fall
ure to appear before the superior court OF
the state of Washington has not as yet
been fixed.
The plaintiff in the suit closed its case
yesterday afternoon at 3 o'clock. The last
witnesses were Fred Brown and j. A. An
derson. both formerly county commission
ers of Snohomish county. IL was the duty
OF the board of county commissioners,
when school land was sold under the law
as IL stood in 1892 to appraise the value OF
the improvements on the land The land
was to be purchased subject 10 these i'm.
provements and the payment Of the value
placed on them by the proper authorities.
The commissioners appraised the Hart mill
az $4,000.
The witnesses. Brown and Anderson.
were shown copies OF the records at the
time the appraisement was made, and
identified them as the proceedings of the
board. In fine. the same proof was made
for the plaintiff in the case as was sub
mitted TO the supreme court when that
tribunal denied the motion for non-suit.
On cross-examination the questions were
cast IN vein leading 10 the superstition
that Ii was the purpose Of the defense TO
show that the appraisement had not been
strictly according 70 the la~. and that IN
fact IT had been loose and IN some ma
terIal points high out of all proportion.
There was a hint. too, OF a purpose on the
ps-t Of the defense 70 show corruption.
Ex-Deputy County Surveyor II. II. Niles
testified for the plaintiff 10 having sur
veyed the ground and 10 have measured
the dikinE which was appraised by the
commissioners Al - cents per cubic yard.
The first witness for the defense was
George w. Logvfe who testified that ne
was well acquainted with sawmils and
sawmiu machinery and was qualified 90
estimate the value Of a sawmiil such a.
that involved In the suit. He testified that
in 1854 At the request OF MIR. Woods ~
Seattle he examined the property and
found thaf II WAS worth. At A liberal esti-
mate sl2.@n.
The attorneys for the defense sought 10
show that Logic was not competent to
testify in this matter or was an Interested
party.
Before adjournment the court Aold the
jury that Il would he locked up over night
and kept from all communication with out