The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1900-06-14
OLD KENOSHA CASE,
Chicago Tribune Tells an Interesting
Story OF Early KenOsha History
Never Heard Before.
SUIT OF Is YEARS NOW IN COURT
Ex-President Harrison will Come to Chi
cago to Take Part in Litigation Brought
by Kenosha People Years Ago

| The Chicago Tribune of this morn
ing has the following story which has
attracted quite little attention among
the early settlers:
/ A wenty-6ve-year-o lawsuit, with
over 5000 printed pages of record and
$50 printed pages of attorneys briefs
in the cause, will come up in the
United States District Court of Ap-
pea1s on June IS, probably with former
President Benjamin Harrison as one
of the counsel. The title of the suit is
George f. Harding, appellant, against
| Cynthia j. Hart and others.
The litigation began in 1875, when a
small factory in Kenosha, Wis, be-
longing to John S. and Cynthia ].
Hart was destroyed by fire. Action
was brought against the old Globe In
surance company in the United States
| Circuit Court in the Northern District
of Illinois to collect on two policies
and judgments of S1,O28 and $1,000
were obtained. A United States Mar
shall could find no property on which
to levy. An assignment m bankruptcy
had been taken, and it was alleged
Harding had obtained possession of
the company's funds and was response
bic for the claims.
Harding defended his own case. At
torney Frederick U11man represented
the Harris, and Attorney D. J. Schuyler,
as counsel for the Erie and Western
Transportation, the Wheeler and Will
son Manufacturing company, and 9TH
ers, interpleaded.
Judge B1odgett heard various mo-
tons in May, 1876. Judge Dyer's court
had the case for nearly three years,
rendering judgment at last. After
another three years Master-in-Chan-
Gerry Bishop submitted a report find
ing nearly 100000 for the original
compliments and their associates.
Then Judge Grosscup cut this to $780,
900, and in 1897 Harding took an ap-
peal to the present court.
In all of this litigation there have
been words, words, words. Volume l.
of the court record is only an abstract,
yet it has 672 pages of 800 words each.
Volume II has go pages and Volume
III has 185. Attorney Harding's first
brief had $50 pages. The brief of
Schuyler and U11mann had PIP pages,
and after it's fling Harding made a
second statement of 255 pages It
would require an ab1e-bodied man to
lift at one time all the papers in the
case.
81 am sick of it-sick of it!' said
Attorney Schuyler yesterday. "The
case might have been settled twenty
FIVE years ago for SIS, 900 Today
could not make an estimate of how
large the court costs alone will be.
Il am looking forward to a settle
ment soon. We should present the
case next Friday. The order of the
case probably will be presentation by
Attorney Harding. Mr.. U11mann Will
then reply for his clients, 1, for my
own, and General Harrison foil swing
and closing the argument.
''When General Harrison comes there
will be at least one good lawyer in he
case, but he will peed to be if he over
turns all the decisions that we have,
piled up for our clients. Harding has
made a record of talking eleven hours
on the case at one trial, but think we
may get the case to the court now in
one day. Whatever the decision, I
can see no possibility of it's going to
the Supreme Court Of the United
States.''
Attorney Harding is cut of the city.
At his Office yesterday no one could
say definitely that former President
Harrison would come is counsel.
Mr.. and Mrs. Hart, principals to the
original suit, are living at Kenosha,
Wis. They have grown old watching
the case and appearing in it. Most of
the witnesses in the cause are dead.
A careful effort has been made to
locate the parties to the suit, but it has
not been possible. There are several
Harris living in the city, but none of
them can remember that a factory in
this city was ever under their direc-
ton. There is now living in Racine
a Mrs. Cynthia c. Hart and it is sup
posed that she is in some manner con-
nected with the story.