The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1902-10-11
WATSON WON.
Judge Stone Upheld Him In
His Contention in the Tax
Litigation --Other
Court News.

ing the fact that the cases were rev.
The session lasted the greater part OF
the three days, court adjourned We'd
nesday.
On the call Of the docket Monday
morning, but one criminal case was
ready for trial, that being the case
against Mike Fahey, Of Saunders for
selling liquor without a license Or in
common yernacular, running blind
pig. Fahey was accused os retailing
liquor to the people about Saunders
on the sly and he had evidently been
doing it Tor some time. He was lcare-
ful to secure a Gosernment'licen : as
we learned from the,revenue collector
who was present here during court
week Complaint was made by some
of the people over there and the Off
GERS put on his trail Some time was
spent ia securing evidence and when
they were ready to apprehend him
he was. given the tip by some one and
he skipped Soon afterwards he was
caught and arraigned being released
80 bonds.
When the case came up for trial. E.
p. Lott appeared for the detendan
and ne pleaded not guilty as charged.
Before a jury was impanelled he chang
ed his mind and withdrew the plea,
entering one Of guilty as charged in
the Indictment He was fine $50 90
and costs.
That ended. the criminal cases, s-all Of
the others going over TO the December
term
The first case on the civil calendar
was that Of the Metropolitan Lumber
company against the Marinette Lumber
company and Zebina McColman and
il proved to be very complicated case,
really embracing three lawsuits in
one a number Of years eago Mr. Me
Colman purchased some timber by, bin
of sale from "A homesteader the bill-of-
sale, limiting the time allowed for the
removal of the timber. He sold this
timber to the Metropolitan Lumber Co.
They logged some from the timber
and some of il stood there uncut.
Mike Kelley, of Iron River, purchased
the land from the original owner and
supposing that the purchase of the land
carried with it the right to the timber,
he started to cut it when he was
stopped by Mr. McComan who claimed
it by virtue of his bill Of sale and the
failure Of the Metropolitan lumb er
Co. 30 remove il within the time limit
that he claimed was on the bill Of
sale that be gave them Mr. Me
Colman then sold the timber to the
Marinotte Lumber Go and then the Met
ropolitan Lumber company stepped in,
produced bin of sale from McComan
tU them that containd no limitations
at all aud they sued for the amount
of the timber Thus there were three
parties cllmingt his timber and ain of
their claims Were merged In this suit
McColman and also Peters who was
az, ed with him in the original
- timber and the sale
"a '''V the Matropolitan
of the timber TO asy libcr6, \ a..
people swore that the signatures on E6bi
bill of sale produced were not Of tn cir
own inscription, or into ther word
that they were forged.
II seems that the wife of the home
steader who sold the timber did not
sign the deed IL was this point
that was dwelt upon largely and. in
fact, the one upon which the case
hninged. Judge Stone held that IN
the matter Of a certain tract no includ.
cd in the homestead, that the signature
OF the ife was no necessary. The
jury late at night ronedred verdict
IN favor Of Mccolmau for So 900
Geo G0iap H naha appeared
.or McCQlman, Frank y. Mead aud N
= Moriarty OF the Metropolitan people
The case went to the jury late in the
afternoon aud that body was very much |
divided on the case as was evident
rom the length Of time they took toI
consider it iii.
In the evening . case was tried that
while II was an unimportant one a.
.ar as this calendar was concerned
he outcome Of il meant great deal
. the state. 1t was the one In which
he Mann Bros Lumber companv
Questioned the right of the auditor
general to cancel the sales Of land 70
The state for taxes and re advertise the
descriptions for sale The Mann Bros
had some lands in this county in 1858
and they allowed the taxes 20 90 del.
nquent upon them. The decree a.
gainst the lands was void one and ,
he auditor general held these lands I.
'n his list in the Office until n lazy ,
'as put through the legislature allowing .
i'm to go back an re-adertise All of /,
hese old descri,,tio,.s