Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-03-21
.CROUNDLESS RUMOR
Report that Dain Land Deed Will
be Contested is Untrue.
TITLE TO LAND SEEMS TO BE CLEAR

Report was current Recently TO She
Effect That Alfred Martz Would At
tempt to Prove Himself the RiahfuI
owner-Not Substantiated.
From Mondays Daily]
Considerable excitement has been
caused recently in this city by, the an
that Alfred Martz had FL
I'D papers claiming ownership to the
and which is now included in the
Dain addition, on the grounds that
Seth Richards, the former owner of
the land, held it by virtue of nothing
but quit claim deed. 1t was at first |
said that the claim of Mr.. Martz relat-
ed to the land included in the entire
Dain addition, but later the territory |
narrowed to that portion lying be-
tween the railroad tracks and the riv-
er.
Investigation Disproves Report.
An investigation made this morning
by representative of the, Courier
showed that no deed or title of any
kind for the land mentioned has been
filed with the county recorder, and al
SO that no action has been begun thru
the county clerks Office, by Mr.. Martz
or by any other person. B. w. Scott,
who has for several years attended to
Mr.. Martz' legal affairs, stated today
that he knows absolutely nothing re.
garding the matter and believes that
there is no truthin the report. Mr..
Martz himself could not be found and
hence no statement could be obtained
from him.
Dain People Not Worried.
Attorney Work, who was interested
in the movement for buying the Daln
addition and plating it, was inter.
viewed, and said that he had heard
something of the matter in round
about manner, but that he had paid lit
tie attention to it, regarding it as i'm
probable. He said that the associa-
ton formed to buy and dispose OF the
land now known as the Dain addition
and Dain factory site, had received
from the Richards estate special war
ranty deed, and had given the same to
the present holders of the property.
He expressed surprise that the claim
should be brought up at such a late
date as nothing had been done in the
matter before.
Mr.. Work is of the opinion that the
land claimed by Mr.. Martz, if any, is
that which formerly was part OF the
bed of the Des Moines river, and
which, by the change in the current
of that stream, and by acretions, has
become land. This land, or nearly all
of it, is now the property OF l. N. Mast
and the l. Mast estate, and lies along
the south bank of the river. 1t was,
before the change in the course OF the
river, on the north side of that body
of water. tits more probable that Mr.
4 Martz's claims, if he has any, will be
for that land or part of it.
A Clear Title.
4 r. E. McElroy was interviewed OF
1.-THE question, and stated that he can
mot see that there is a clearer title tt
any piece of property in Wapellt
county than to the Dain addition His
abstracts show that all the land in
Icluded in the Dain addition except ;
triangular piece in the factory sit
nearest the river, and cut off from tn
, remainder by the range line between
ranges 10 and IA, which is in lin
with the Bloomfield road, divergin
from said road where it turns ives
) near Peck street, in South Ottumws
WAS conveyed by warranty deed, da'
, led February 10, 1852, by Benjami
.Sunderlin and wife to Seth Ricf
! lards According to the same abstract
) this land was received by patent fro1
/. the state of Iowa by Mr.. Sunderlil
March 4, 1850. and was granted to thi
!. state by the national governmer
thru an act of congress August
! ..846. This shows clear title for thu
y rortion Of the land lying in range l
x Another Clear Title.
!. The title to the remainder of I'll
Hand is also made clear by Mr. McE
rows abstracts, which show that IL
$. land included in the Dain addition
ling in range IS was received fro
1.-THE United States government by
am Cuppy, October 2, 1S48. decided
him to BENJAMIN Sunderlin Februal
n ll3, 1852, and on the same date co
st Iyeyed to Seth Richards by Mr.. al
Mrs. Sunderlin.
Undoubtedly Without Foundation.
The man who would attempt
), countcract the force of such articl
as those mentioned above would
Irossessed of more than ordina
I'd ',nerve" or would have to show sor
IL almost superhuman power, in order
at establish even the remctest doubt
of to the contestability of the clail
of which it is said Mr. Martz is prep
", ling to fight. Nothing can be pfoduc
81 as a foundation of the report 9th
thar that there is apparently sol
ed disagreement regarding the valid
he of the deed for some of the lots on !
". SHAW and Myrtle street. lying in
he rear of the Ainley mill, on ChW
or, street.
a Another Claim.
is This ground is. in times of hi
he water part of the bed of the J.
ng Moines. and was formerly very nut
nd nearer the river than at present. So
&C. discussion has been raised concerns
81 the rightful ownership of this la
as and it may result in a case in
,or courts. as a careful search thru
he books in the office of County Audi
lat George III. Smith reveals the fact T
ty, there is no record prior to the ii
mt when Robert Fellows came into +
TIA. session of this land There are
at records showing how or from VIII
,as he secured the property. and the l.
he. dents in. that portion OF the city
IN beginning to wonder whose Drope
NJ no.o bnc happ filed 4