The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-05-28
NO HARMONY IN It
Piano Case in Which Every
Note Is a Discord.
CITY COURT MUDDLED
Lawyers Twist a Plain Case
Out of Joint

There has been a prolonged scrap in
the city court over a piano that has not
been very much discussed because
nobody but the traditional Philadelphia
lawyer can comprehend it. and there are
no attorneys here who read law in the
Quaker city.
The case took a new turn yesterday
and the attorneys for the plaintiff, Ami
don & Comfy and Robert Piatt got out
an attachment for the defendant, Mrs.
Halford, her attorneys J. D. Casey and
". 3. Bailey and Miss Mollie Nichols.
to make them tell where the piano was.
1t was an attachment for their bodies
and all were brought into court and at
one time. while Jailor Dick Dodd stood
there with the attachment in his hand
it looked like the defendant and her at
| torneys were all going TO land IN the
county jail. One said they would give
bond for their appearance when Mr.. Con-
~ objected and claimed that it was not
baiable because the attachment was for
the bodies. Bailey said: Jim wants to
get US in Jail" Mr.. Comfy snapped back:
NO. I don't want TO get you in jail, I
want to get our piano"
1t was finally agreed that the arrested
parties might all go on their own recOg-
nisance if they would report today. There
have been law books enough brought into
the city court on this case to load car
and sometimes the eloquence Of the at
torneys reverbreats out in the hall and
causes the people in the district court
to rush in to see what It is all about. The
feeling in the matter may be inferred
from this one instance. Yesterday when
one Of the parties to the suit was trying
to tell a reporter for the Eagle how it
was, his lawyer came along and said:
Don't you take his word for it. he is q
d-m liar" Then the other party said:
''They are trying to steal this piano from
Halford''
The reporter finally concluded that he
ford and his wife, NJ. ]. Halford, lived,
or rather staid in the same house at Leon
in Butler county. Mrs. Halford con-
Guided that she would go into court and
get a divorce. Mr.. Halford said it is a
go. Then they entered into a contract.
Halford would consent to the divorce
Mrs. Halford was to have their house and
all Of the furniture except the piano.
The Butler county court said it should
go that way. But the parties admitted
that they owed Legran Lingenfelter a
small debt and 1t was agreed that Mrs.
Halford was to pay that. Now be II IN
derstood that Legran Lingenfelter is the
father of Mrs. Halford.
That all seemed to be satisfactory and
Mr.. Halford was to take the piano and
vacate the ranch. When Mr.. Halford
went to get his piano it was not there.
He thought Mrs. Ralford had slipped it
out and brought it over to Wichita Then
he and his attorneys went into the city
court and procured a writ Of replevin
for that piano. Bailey and J. D. Casey
got the piano and Amidon & Comfy got
the writ of replevin. but the trouble has
been to get them together. When the
matter came up for hearing Judge Har-
vey held that the bond was not sufficient
and the suit went to the wall. Then Mr..
Halford and his attorneys commenced
another suit on the contract and it was
this suit that was creating the riot yes
terday.
In the meantime, and since hostilities
have been open, Legran Lingenfelter Sc
cured a judgment against Halford for
S274 and when the person of the parties
Of the second part were attached it was
given out that they would make the de-
tense that Marshal Henry Schad had at
tached the piano on this judgment
against Halford and in favor OF Lingen-
felter and that ne had the piano and had
advertised it for sale. Amidon & Comfy
and Robert Piatt claim that Henry
Schad has carried those advertisements
in his pocket and that if It does appear
that he has the piano. they will go after
him with a sharp stick because the
piano belongs to their client and IS ex-
empt under the law from execution This
last turn makes the whole thing as clear
as hard pan mud
A friend OF the plaintiff in these cases
said yesterday the piano was worth about
$3.50. But there was nobody present who
could guess what the cost will be. The
lawyers have emitted wind enough in
arguments to initiate a balloon as big as
one Of the secondary planets and read
more law than the attorneys in the fam
Gus Porto Rican case. The same effort in
q big railroad case would have earned a
fee Of several thousand dollars. The court
is trying TO find out who owns that piano
but 10 find out where the piano is. seems
to be a mighty sight bigger problem to
solve.
jim Derr. the baiin in Judge Dale's
court. is getting to be somewhat OF a
lawyer. himself. He has not lost sleep OF
nights to read. but has absorbed II in the
district court Mr.. Derr got his legal
mind TO work yesterday and proposed a
compromise Of the whole matter He
would have the piano brought into the
city court ard while Henry Schad played
a tune. let all OF the disputants and their
attorneys join IN an old fashioned ho-
down. He said they could let Douglas V.
Donnelly be the Judge and give the old
piano to thee rowd that did the best
dancing.
He KICKS At TWO
Man Who Thinks Men Can be Good
and Love