The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1901-05-22
SENSATIONAL SUIT
AGAINST TAX TITLES


AGAINST TAX TITLES
Al Hsir Turus Ur 10 Claim Mr..
skifrs Timber Claim Out East Of
Ssiem.
Hop Chear wool Was Cut off An
other Aan's Land That viii Now
Have 10 Be Paid For.
Niger 10 the Woo1rile Has Been
DiSlose5 sB5 Also the Ethiopian
in tbs SawmiIl SlShs.
AD interesting and almost sensational
rst;sr .s coming 10 the surface through
the application for the appointment Of a
guu1s1 Tor Wm. z. Joseph, a spend.
Thrift 10 seems that in an early day in
tie history Of Salem one James Joseph,
. stone mason and contractor, who was
vel kn1un V many nOw living, gained
. c7mpsts1cy BY bic industry and frugal
aztlx, and lns.ly left the same 10 bic
s51. Wm J1sayn. The later grew up
70 b speujihrift, and a man Of disso-
l1ie habits. he sguaniered what money
bic lathe, .sfi him. lie joined the army,
a13 Eent from bad 10 worse, finally die.
appearing, bat he never disposed Of his
real property, nor sncumbered it with
anything but tsEes. This property con.
sisis ci a5gut 20 acres Of land joining
the svAY!z place, just east Of Salem, and
is F,ill the property Of Wm. +. Joseph.
It has beeu fold several times for taxes,
and was on February q, 1900, bid in by
Marx skiH, Of this city. Mr.. skif has
bought up all the former defective tax
titles sgsiBst the property, and under
tie law will be entitled 70 a tax deed
November q next. These different
claims 70 title have cost Mr.. skiff from
500 70 500 all told, aside from the
amount be bid for the property at tar
sale.
NJW appears one VIM. Joseph, an
uncle Of the real owner, who petitions
for the appointment Of jos. II. Albert
ss guardian, Of William +. Joseph and
bis property and bis petition will come
up for bearing on the % OF this month.
Wm. Joseph resides at DsSoto, Wis,
just across the Mississippi river from
the old home oi the Albert family, at
Lansing, Iowa.
The petition sets forth the facts
substantially az above related and in
addition sels forth that the reasonable
value Of the laDd at the present time is
S. 400 and that for more than seven
years last past the rightful owner has
had no benefits from said property, nor
cared for IL, and further the present
possessor Of said property has "com-
mitted and is now committing waste
thereupon," and "has wrongfully and
cut and removed from sGiI
estate 5000 worth Of timber"
THAT the said Wm. L. Josephs
present interest in and 10 said real
estate, over and above any all Just
debts, iorieiturSs, penalties and liabilities
Of any kind is more than s.. 900 co."
l.. II. Mcmahon is attorney for Vim.
Joseph.
Ever since the above tar title passed /
into Mr.. skiff's hands there has been /
excitement in the Salem wood morket. |
The wood cut from the tax title land has
been thrown on the market either 10 ca.
the price on all the public contracts
Dr. elSs il has been used 10 freeze out
small contractors. OF late Mr. skfisI
operations have extended into What is
known as the Salem wood trust, and but
or the state officials taking the bull By
he horns and wrestling with him, there
would have been 80 10 IS cents cord
.aken from the treasury for the trust.
I is generally understood that the slab
wood contract by which an advances Of
70 cents 10 81 a load is taken for each
oad Of slabs over former prices, is only
! aide issue OF the main wood trust
ounded upon tax title wood. Mr. skiff
Ias been 4 successful operator and has
made q fortune out Of the business. Still
he has TO pay for the tax title wood he
will lose quite a sum by the litigation.
{ lie an interesting legal question
whether tax title that has not been
gives holder any right 70 cut
imbsr. The whole matter will nov Re
thoroughly litigated and great deal Of
ide light thrown on the wood comb,na.
ion that has oppressed the small wood
armor and wood hsuler and Of late has
cached out for the wood consumer. al
he way from the state treasury 20 the
poorest washerwOman who uses load of
labs 10 heat her suds.