Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-10-01


GrappIe With Tax Ferret
Problem.
Special to oTimes-Republican
Des Moines, Oct. 1.-The class seeking
admission to the bar before the Iowa
supreme court this term Is the smallest
known for a long time. This is the first
time there has been chance for admis-
sion since the new law went into effect
raising the requirements for admission
and placing the examination in charge
of a law commission. This commission
consists of w. D. Evans. Humboldt; F.
H. Helsell. Sioux Rapids: Louis Block,
Davenport; Finley Burke, Council
Bluffs. and e. c.. Ebersoie, Toledo. The
attorney general still retains some con-
troll over the admissions to the bar and
is virtually chairman of the commission.
Three years study is required instead
OF two as formerly, and In many ways
the entrance to the bar is made more
difficult than before. AS result just
an even dozen persons nave asked for
examination at this term. The supreme
court still has the duty OF examining
the printed copies of the supreme court
reports and passing on them. Volume
III. was ready to be passed on at this
term. the printers having got around to
1t much sooner than usual. 1t had also
been proof read and the printing done
fairly well. The last volume was reject
ed until the printer did it over for the
second time. However, the rejected
volumes were all worked off on the law
yers OF the state, so that there was no
great loss to the printer in having to do
1T ever again. The contract printer is
required to furnish $50 copies of the res
ports to the state free of cost, and it is
upon these free copies that the supreme
Judges pass. The state distributes 305
of the copies as follows: Library of con-
gress, two; library supreme court OF
the United States, two; United States
supreme judges, two: judges In Iowa,
two; district judges, fifty three; superb
or judges, three; clerk supreme court,
one; attorney general, 100; county audi
tors s101; !. state university, twenty, and
state historical society, twenty.
sss
One OF the most interesting civil cases
that will be decided at the term is that
known as the Skinner ranch case from
Woodbury. county. This is the case in
which j. G.. Shumaker, Leslie NJ. Shaw
and Carl Kuehnle purchased for $4,000
a farm of 2.c40 acres in the southern
part of Woodbury. county, and 1t after
wards turned out that the title was not
perfect. Their title came thru Dwight
Skinenr and man named Turner. Be-
fore they had completed their payments
on the land the purchasers were served
with notice by H. T.. Teachout, candi-
date for representative in Polk county,
and by others. that there We're claims
against Skinner on account OF old deals.
This tied up the matter and Judge
Hutchinson was called on to straighten
out the tangle. 1t was alleged that the
various transfers were fraudulent and
made for the purpose of defrauding
creditors. The court sustained this po-
sition and disposed of the unpaid por-
tion of the purchase money. The sole
question at issue is whether or not the
present owners had knowledge of the
fraudulent transfers or were in any way
responsible for them, or whether they
should be held to be innocent purchas-
ers and the title be quieted In their
name. The land is a valuable tract. At
the time the case was submitted there
was hut one side heard, and the attor-
ney for Governor Shaw and his part
ners In the deal claimed that there was
an agreement that there should be no
oral argumenht
The notorious court house controversy
in Des Moines is due for a guess from
the supreme court at this term. In May
A. B. Cummins, Thomas A. Cheshire
and others argued an appeal to the gu
pren1e court involving the legality of
various proceedings Of the board of gu
pervisors relating to the special court
house election, and the court will rem
der d decision on this. 1t also involves
the injunction to prevent the removal of
the county records to temporary quar-
ters pending the building of a new
court house. The county is paying rent
on building for that purpose, but can
not use 1t. This, however, is only one
phase of the court house question and
Others will come up sufficient to keep
the matter in court a long time.
The court will be asked to pass on an
Interesting petition for rehearing, a
document which severely arraigns the
supreme court in the politest and most
diplomatic manner and gently hints
that the court would do we'll to read the
evidence in the case before rendering a
decision. This is the Alston case from
Jefferson county, involving the inheri-
tance of property. 1t is q romantic
case, going back to the time of the
adoption of the code of 1851 and the
change in the rule of Inheritance made
at that time, and involving the parent
age of q claimant who is now an old
man. There was much evidence that
came down from the pioneer days In
Iowa and other evidence that, in other
cases. would be considered unworthy Of
credence. The feature of the cases most
conspicuous is that the family involved
is q prominent one and there has been
an evident effort to shield the family
from something or other. The supreme
court reversed the decision Of the lower
court and held for the claimant. The
attorneys for the legitimate heirs of the
estate have prepared an extended ar
gument for a rehearing in the case. in
which they go over the entire field and
display some temper In the case. The