davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Saint Paul globe., 1899-04-22
John E. Moore, respondent, VS.. A. T

Townshand ct al, appellants.
Syllabus. By employing an independ-
ent contractor to paint a building the
owner or occupant thereof cannot relieve
themselves of a continuing duty which
they owe to the public not to create or
maintain PUBLIC nuisance on their prem
such building Is located be absolved
from a like duty in respect to permitting
a nuisance to be maintained partly or
wholly in Its streets.
2. A long ladder, the lower end rest
ing in village street outside the side
walk inclined over and across the walk,
the upper end resting upon building.
was blown down in an unusual wind and
injured passer-by. Held, that the neg
ligence of the owner and occupants of
the building in allowing the ladder to be
inclined and to remain across the walk,
and of the village authorities. after hav
ing knowledge of the facts. was the prox-
innate cause of the injury, and not the
unusual wind.
g. Held further, that the trial court
erred when allowing counsel for plaintiff
to PROFOUND certain question to wit
ness and also when 1T refused to strike
out the answer. Order reversed.
The Saint Paul globe., 1899-04-22

For big man what little man Shaft
er liz.
The Saint Paul globe., 1899-04-22

State of Minnesota ex rel. W. B. Doug
las, attorney general, relator. vs.. VII
lage Of Reads ct al, respondents.
Syllabus-The express repeal of the
then existing charter o Of the village of
Laws 1895, chapter $780, did not revive the
village charter originally enacted by Spe-
cial Laws 1888, chapter 34 The act of
1895 took effect Feb. 6, 1896, and on that
day the village Of Reads ceased to exist
-COIlins
The Saint Paul globe., 1899-04-22

First National Bank of Mankato, a cor
poration, appellant, vs. e. F. Buchan.
respondent.
Syllabus-Held, that upon the conflict
ing evidence presented upon the hearing
of motion to vacate and set aside a
writ of attachment the court below did
not err when granting the same. Order
affirmed. Collins, j.
The Saint Paul globe., 1899-04-22
RIVER AT s A. M.
Fall. Rise.
YESTERDAYS TEMPERATURES.
SIXTH DISTRICT COMBINATIONS.

washington time q p. m. St. Paul..
The Saint Paul globe., 1899-04-22
SUPREME COURT DECISIONS.
Some Important Cases Among the
List of Those Passed Upon.

List OF Those Passed Upon.
Two reversals were recorded In batch
of decisions handed down in the supreme
court yesterday by Judge Collins.
Aid John Sibley will retain his seat as
a member Of the Minneapolis board OF al
dermen as result Of a decision given In
the contest of his election filed by James
H. Duryea. The supreme court holds that
Duryea did not f1lc sufficient notice Of
appeal in the district court within the
time prescribed by law. The syllabus Is
as follows:
In re contested election, City of Minne-
apolis. James H. Duryea, appellant, VS..
John Sibley, respondent
Syllabus-1. By the terms Of the char
ter of the city of Minneapolis the city
council is the proper canvassing BOARD
dermen Of said city. In case an appeal Is
taken to the district court from the
declaration Of the board as to who has
been elected aldermen aa of s said oSs city Gen en-
are applicable, and the notice of appeal
must be entered with the clerk of the
court within twenty days after the day
Of election or no jurisdiction is acquired.
2. The contest bond given In this case
Is not the equivalent OF a notice Of ap-
peal. Order affirmed.
Street Railway Company, respondent:
Syllabus-1. Actions were brought by
different plaintiffs, husband and Wire,
against the same defendant to recover
for injuries received in the same acci-
dent By consent of all parties the cases
were tried together, separate verdicts be-
ing rendered. Plaintiffs wife had a ver-
dict in which her costs and disburse-
ments were taxed and allowed, judgment
entered and paid. In the other action
the verdict was in defendants favor.
Held, that under the provisions of Cen
eral Statutes 1894, section 549S, the de-
fendant, prevailing party in the action
brought by the husband, was entitled to
recover $40 statutory costs therein pre-
scribed.
2. Held further, that under section $500
defendant, prevailing party in the action
brought by the husband, was also en-
titled to recover disbursements paid or
incurred as fees for witnesses who were
subpoenaed and attended in that action,
although it was admitted that the wit
nesses were as necessary and material
in one case as in the other, and would
have been produced and sworn in both
had there been separate trials.
8. 1t is not error to allow fees for trav-
ell and attendance of witnesses who were
not sworn at the trial, where the at
tendance of such witnesses is regularly
proved and fees Of witnesses actually in
attendance, though not called to testify.
are properly taxed, where If a certain
state of facts had been shown by the
other party his opponent would have
been compelled to call such witness
Judgment affirmed. Collins, J.
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-17
BAD RODENTS ARE THESE.
AaURDERs IN THE CALUMET REGION
BROUGHT ON NJ MUsKRATs.
Long List Of Crimes-BloOdy Feuds
Between Hunters and Game War
dens-Men Killed and Others In
jursd i'm Dispates Over Marshes.

.Muskrats? Yes. sir There's muskrats
roupd here by the millions" said South
Chicago man "All this swamp country Is
full OF them clear into Northern Indiana.
And. what's more. they are not common
rats. No. sir Not by blamed sight, they
amt Muskrats in this section are re-
eponsible for murders, maimngs, assaults.
dynamite wrecks and arson. This is no
dream. Court records prove what say"
A little investigation showed that this
strange assertion was correct The Sunday
Inter Ocean man had gone to South Chi
cago to get material for q story about the
muskrats that were said to have attacked
J. J. Geraghty. police telegraph operator,
near his home on the STRAND" He found
that Mr.. Geraghty had fought pitched
battle with q colony of rats. which Is
something very unusual, as the average
muskrat is q well-behaved, timid animal,
strongly averse to hostile encounters. But
the Sunday Inter Ocean man also learned
that the brand OF South Chicago muskrat
II peculiar unto itself 1t has reputation
for dong queer things that makes the ex-
perience OF Mr.. Geraghty sound lame.
In the district along the Northern Indi-
ana border there is a great morass which,
by reason of the killings and shootings
that have taken place there, Is known as
the dark and bloody ground" In the
tangles Of this swamp farmers and game
wardens have had many deadly combats.
Primarily muskrats were the cause or
nearly every encounter of this nature.
Over this harmless rodent there has been
waged war that rivals the feuds of Ken
lucky. 30 far as bitterness Is concerned.
II 10 the belief Of most sportsmen that y
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-17

killed his brother. He missed LOCKER, and
a moment later he lay dead with a bullet
lodged in his brain. LOCKER had escaped
assassination. and could count his third
victim. A Kansas City jury exonerated
him from all blame.
Assaults and Mysterious Deaths.
Some of the assaults which enraged the
Indiana farmers and had their effect in
leading up to the killing of the gamekeep-
ers were those committed on Robert A.
Norris, William Dale, Charles Slidel and
State Commissioner La Sarre. All of these
persons had been severely dubbed by
game wardens. one of whom was James
Conroy. Slidell was SO badly hurt that he
was unable to leave his house for year.
On one occasion some muskrat hunters,
whose identity has never been established,
concealed themselves behind a pile Of dirt
by a ditch in the gray of a March morn
ing and waited for the coming of Came
keepers Frank Witlock and Lawrence
TRACER. These two men passed the am
bush at a distance of about forty yards.
Each OF the keepers was treated to two
charges of duck shot, both being badly
wounded. No clew to the men who did
the shooting has ever been had.
There have been mysterious deaths on
the muskrat marsh. In January, 1892 Ar
thur Morton, a muskrat spearer, was
found. near little stream in the swamp.
the day that the coroner's jury declared
that the death was from unknown causes
the veil of the mystery has not been
raised.
The assault on Fish Commissioner La
Sarre. of Indiana. was one that created a
tremendous sensation all over the state.
La Sarre was trying to land few fish
from the waters of the Calumet river. The
section Of the river on which he was fish
ing was situated on game preserve. and
the fact that La Sarre was an Indiana off,
cial did not stand in the way of his getting
terrible trouncing at the hands of the
game wardens. A suit grew out of this
assault, La Sarre claiming that as the
Calumet was a government stream. no
private corporation had a right to prohib-
it fishing therein. This matter of the
right to close the stream to outsiders is
said to be still undecided.
Legal tangles over the muskrat swamp
have brought fame and money to many ,
lawyer. The title to the land and water
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-17


has been the subject Of dispute in the
courts for years The state Of Indiana
claims the entire territory, and there are
private claimants by the score. Norris and
Dale. who were assaulted on the marsh,
took a surveyor to the place. when they
had recovered from their wounds, and
proved in court from the surveyors testi-
mony that the assault took place outside
of the game clubs preserves The jury
promptly awarded the plaintiffs 81 800 dam
ages.
The game club built dam across the
river in order that the water might back
up and flood the land and make II an in
wiling place for migrating ducks The
flooding and the backing up of the water
into small bitches made the marsh a para
disc for muskrats as well. J. H. Clough
resident farmer, who owned land abut-
ting on the game preserves, declared that
one end of the clubs dam was on his
property. He did not care to go to court
with the matter, because of possible de-
lay, so one day he dug a hole under the
abutment which lay on his property, and
into the hole he put large amount Of
dynamite, Pretty soon there was an ex-
ploson, one end of the dam was gone, the
water ran out. the ducks passed south
ward, looking disdainfully at their former
feeding grounds, shooting was ruined and
for a season muskrat hunting was not
proftable.-Chicago Inter Ocean.
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-17

the muskrats desert a swamp It's useful
ness as a resort for wild ducks is forever
gone. Scientists say this belief Is vulgar
superstition, but the sportsmen hold to It
tenaeiously A large part OF the greater
and little Calumet region was until re-
Gently vast game preserve, and the farm
ers of the country round about were for
hidden to trespass thereon. Staiwart game
wardens armed with guns and clubs, were
hired to enforce the rule.
Winter muskrat skins In good condition
are worth Is cents each. The farmers In
the Calumet country found the game pre-
serve profitable trapping ground, and
when they were driven off by armed war;
dens there was trouble. The game club
members did not care for the sport of
shooting muskrats nor for the revenue
coming from the sale of the skins, but,
thoroughly imbued with the thought that
If the muskrats were killed off the ducks
would desert. they forbade farmers the
privilege Of going into the preserve to poke
their three prOnged spears into the DOME
shaped houses of the rodents. In some re-
spects, particularly so far as game was
concerned, the farmers respected the edict
which forbade their shooting over the
leased marsh, but they laughed at the
muskrat inhibition, and this led to feud
in which several lives were lost, a number
Va AhSii Wtic tt'Ppicub toHSiuSidu ic
property destroyed.
Pitched Battle on the Calumet.
In January, 1897 the rats were unusual
ly plentiful along the Calumet and Alvin
Boutwell,. Theodore Prott Frank Cost:ck
and two others started out early one morn
ing armed with spears and guns to get
lot of pelts. They were hard at work
among the muskrat houses on the marsh
when Gamekeepers Frank Witlock, Bar
mum Wilcox, Alfred Taylor and John
Blackburn appeared and ordered the
muskrat hunters to clear out. The latter
refused to go, saying they were not on
leased ground, but on property belonging
to j. II. Clough. 1t took only few min
utes for words to lead to war. Rat spears,
rifles and shotguns were used as weapons,
and. a bloody fight followed. Keeper
Blackburn was shot in the head Theo-
dore Prott, farmer. had both his legs filled
with lead; Alvin Boutwell,, muskrat hunt
err. was wounded In the side with a charge
Of bird shot, and Frank Costick was shot
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-17

in the lungs with rifle bullet, from which
lie suffered for months.
Some of the muskrat hunters brought
suit in the circuit court against members
Of the game club and succeeded In secur-
ing damages, Theodore Prott receiving the
sum OF 5000. The feature which had the
greatest weight, apparently. with the jury
was the assertion that the muskrat
mounds were ttpon land over which the
club had no rights.
Double Murder Near ToIlestOn.
One day in March, 1884, Alfred Locker,
of Tolleston, went muskrat spearing He
was trailed by Wardens William Cleary
and James Conroy, but they could not
catch him on the marsh. About the time
that LOCKER went Illustrating his friend,
Richard Smith, had trouble with Conroy
and Cleary. The wardenS had killed
Smiths dog and had taken a potshot at
Smith himself, one of the pellets striking
him in the cheek. A short time after this
Conroy and Cleary went to a saloon kept
by man named Harden, where they
found LOCKER, who was seated on chair
by the stove watching a game of billiards.
Conroy went up to LOCKER and struck him
on the head with pair of brass knuckles
knocking him to the floor, and saying:
That's for the duck you killed when
you pretended to be hunting muskrats."
LOCKER succeeded In regaining his feet,
Then he drew a revolver and shot Conroy
through the head, killing him instantly
Conroy's companion, Cleary, jumped for
LOCKER and attempted to seize the revolt
yer, but was in turn shot and killed.
A few days after this a coroner's Jury
exonerated LOCKER on the ground of self
defense Conroy and Cleary had many
friends and relatives in Northern Indiana,
and feud was declared. LOCKER was
threatened with assassination, and his
friends advised him to leave the country
He went West and obtained work in Kan
sas City. A night or two after he had
gone some unknown persons went to the
house Of Lockers father and set fire to a
quantity Of valuable property, which was
completely destroyed.
A brother of Conroy, the gamekeeper.
discovered the whereabouts of LOCKER and
went to Kansas City for the purpose of
killing him. The two men met face to
face, and Conroy fred from a distance of
less than ten feet at the man who had
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-17

of air. When the harpoon is thrown the
barbed point remains in the blubber, with
the rope attached, the shaft falling out
After whale has had few of these
stuck in him he usually succumbs and the
Indians secure him by means of the buoys,
which locate him and prevent him from
sinking.
Among the weapons is strange club of
black slate. carved to represent the
thunder bird This was called the slave
killer, and was used to dispatch slaves in
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-17

specimens OF Mexican and Central Ameri-
can shells was mostly the gift Of Prof.
Starks. In the same section is the fine dis
play of crustaceans, starf1sh, coral, sponges
and sea ferns.
A fine collection OF Alaska plants has
lately been presented to the museum and
will soon be displayed. 1t was made by
the late Prof Hill. of the university, who
died in Alaska while completing it, and
the collection is given to the institution by
his son, now a student at the university.
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-17

The Starks collection of fishes, valued at
$500, consists Of about $50 species, beauti-
fully mounted, with exact colors restored.
Many very rare and costly specimens are
included in this collection, which was first
loaned. but has lately been presented to
the museum by Prof. Starks. 1t Is largely
made up of Atlantic ocean Species though
many fishes from the Middle Western
states and Pacific waters are shown.
Specimens of flying fish, sea robins, sea
horses and strange and notwithstanding
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-17

the performance OF certain tribal rites.
There are chunks Of jade. showing how
the savages cut out stone axes and weap-
ons by wearing away with infinite pa
thence at the jade, using sand and a stick.
= = =
I'm huge case near the entrance stand
finely mounted specimens of elk, wapti,
mountain sheep and sea lion. The whole
of the south side of the building is occu-
pied by the bird collection, which is very
excellent.
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-17

A EW people are aware that this
state has an excellent. free miise-
um and thatitis open to the public
at the state university In Seattle.
A considerable number Of valu-
able collections OF various scientific cub
jects have lately been received as gifts
to the institution, and description of
these and Of the place In general Is timely
The Washington State Museum occupies
tho entire ground floor of the west wing
Of the state university building. 1t Is
well lighted and well arranged with glass
cases. lockers and other fittings. The
nucleus OF this museum was the valuable
chronological collection exhibited by the
Washington state commission at the
Worlds Columbian exposition. To this
have been added an enormous and very
compleee collection Of water fowl and
other birds D: the Pacific Northwest,
Beautiful and very valuable collection OF
fishes, mounted and presented to the mu-
scum by Prof. Edwin C. Starks; a hne
collection Of minerals the Baker collection
of crystals, also fine collections of woods.
crustaceans, starfish, silurian fossils CO.
rails and some wild animals of the North
west.
~ HE nrst conspicuous object that strikes
the ere upon entering the museum is
the Hartman totem pole. brought
from B'Ox F01nt OfxOu'S hHtraHCe, WneFo
It was doing service az the prop to the
roof Of q chiefs house. The village from
which this was taken Is known to have
been In existence rs early as 1892.
In the adjacent cases Is the collection OF
Indian relics for which the state WORLDS
fair commission paid man named Swan
$500 to collect. 1t contains a very large
number Of strange and interesting articles.
Curious dancing shirts and aprons bearing
totem devices and worn by the Indians in
their peculiar dances; blankets and CLOTH
ing made of mountain goats WOOL cedar
bark blankets and articles of dress: won-i
derfully woven blankets. rope made of
spruce root and strong as cable. s-
The Indian device for taking whales is
exhibited in the case Of fishing tackle. 1t
consists Of a long harpoon with barbed
point. To this point is fastened fifteen feet
or more Of powerful catgut rope, which is
spliced into long coil Of spruce root rope.
The rope is secured to q buoy. made solely
of q seaskin. turned inside out, painted,
the openings tied and the skin blown full
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-17

ALI. glasses we sell for holiday gifts
viii be fitted free afterwards. H Clay
Eversole. TO First avenue.
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-17
MANY VALUABLE SCIENTIFIC COLLECTIONS NOW EXHIBITED MUSEUM

sea porcupines, armored fishes and other
remarkable inhabitants OF the deep were
secured by Frof. 6tarks along the coast
OF Central America.
How many people know that the noun.
der family. such as the common halibut
and sele Of the markets, have both eyes
on one side Of the head and that this II
because they lie fiat on the side at the
bottom Of the sea, when not swimming
about? In the embryo fish the eyes are
located as In other fish, but as 1t develops
one eye gradually creeps over near Its
mate. so both can be used by this indolent
fish to gaze upward from its restful pose.
Several specimens Of these are shown, as 10
also very fine and complete display Of
the various kinds of rock cod In all their
gorgeous colorings
AN one Of the shelves is the fossil skull
u OF asbison found In the frozen ground
Of the far north. 1t was an enormous
animal, and the horns In life must have
measured fully four or i've feet between
the points.
At the western end is the collection Of
decp-sea fishes presented to the state from
the Albatross expedition. Near 1t is the
collection OF woods, and in adjacent. cases
are stuffed specimens of flying squirrels.
beaver and other small animals.
The entire north side is taken up by the
collection OF minerals. 1t Ii very complete
as regards the gold and silver-bearing ores
OF this state, also iron ores and coal: but
IL incomplete In other respects. In case
on the same side Is the Baker collection
Of rare crystals presented by T. r. Baker.
of the Arm of Baker g. Richards. 1t Is
worth several thousand dollars, represent
ing many years collection by J. r. Baker
and r. r. Baker 1t includes specimens
Of cats-eye agate from South Africa, lapis
lazuli from Siberia, fiurite crystals covered
with quartz crystals, and many other UNI
usual crystal forms, In all comprising
about 1900 specimens.
q = q
~ HE collection OF land and fresh-water
shells was presented by Brooks Ran
dolph, and the collection Of about go
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-17

Ew people. are aware that this
state has an excellent free mllse-
UNI and thatsitis open to the publc
1t the state university in Seattle.