Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-07-14
SHUNT
CASE ON TRIAL
Prominent Attorneys and Wit
nesSes Interested in Its
Outcome.
10000 ACRES OF TIMBER.
LAND VALUED AT $4,000
Are Involved--Original Docu.
mentS LOSt=-Hunt Claims to
Have Two Copies.


Perhaps the large majority of our
citizens do not know the story of the
case OF the Peshtigo Lumber company
VS.. r. O. Hunt which is pow being
heard by Judge Webb in the circuit
court.
The case began some months ago in
Marinette county before Judge O'Neill
but after two days of the trial had
passed affidavits of prejudice were
filed against the judge. Judge Hast
ings, the regular Judge of that circuit,
would not hear the case, because he
knew the parties concerned too we'll.
The case was therefore brought to
this city last month. After four
weeks adjou urnment it was again
resumed July I.
In the sixties. SO the story runs,
Walter G. Wilson, entered 10000 acres
of timber land from the United States
in Marinette county. Later Wilson
decided all the land to a relative,
Truman III. Judd. The lands are
valued at $4,000.
This is the deed that is now uniier
dispute.
The PeShtigo Lumber company
claims that the deed conveyed an
undivided half of the interest to Judd.
Hunt, on the other hand, claims that
the deed conveyed the full interest.
1t seems that Judd later decided
back to Wilson an undivided half of
the same land. 1t will thus be seen
that the ownership was the same as
in the first place, according to the
claim of the plaintiffs.
The next claim that is made is,
that Wilson decided his entire interest
to the Peshtigo Lumber company.
But Hunt looked upon the matter
differently. He set up the claim that
he had deed from the joint heirs of
the other half interest.
The first deed made by Wilson to
Judd is missing from the records of
Oconto county. The pages upon
which it was written was carefully
cut out of the record hook by some
unknown party. Hunt was charged
with this crime and tried last winter
but the state could not prove it's case
and he was discharged.
The Peshtigo Lumber company
alleges that other records relating to
this case have been tampered with,
and they are trying to establish this
through expert witnesses.
Hunt has produced two certified
copies of the missing deeds, one of
which purports to have been made in
1893 and the other is certified to by
Ex-regiSter of Deeds BaSSe tt, of
Oconto county. Both of these certi-
fed copies give Hunt full interest in
the lands in question.
The whole case hangs on the point
whether Hunt can establish his claim.
Albert Osborn. an expert on type
writing, has testified that the
certified copies were not written
till after 1894. He bases this upon
his knowledge of the typewriters
that have been made during the past
ten years. He believes that there
were no typewriters in existence in
1898 that could have done the work as
shown by the exhibited certified
copies Of the missing deeds.
More than that. The plaintiffs
have, as they claim, the typewriter
upon these documents were written,
on exhibit at the court house. It has
been testified that this typewriter
was rented from a Milwaukee house
last April by Miss Nellie Hunt, sister
of r. o. Hunt, the defendant.
John F. Tyrrell. of Milwaukee, the
famous handwriting expert, was on
the stand Saturday and yesterday.
The aim of the plaintiffs is to show
through this witness that the records
which are still in their possession have
been tampered within the interest of
Mr.. Hunt.
Among the other witnesses who
have already testified are, Isaac Steven
son, Perley Love, H. A. ]. Upham, of
the Peshtigo Lumber company,
Attorneys N. J. Feeney and Martin
eau, OF Marinette, Geo. F. Stillman,
of Syracuse. N. " ,and J. S. Davis, Of
Milwaukee, typewriter experts, f. X.
Morrow, of Oconto, identifying seals.
The attorneys for the plaintiffs are,
w. e. Black, Of Milwaukee, Fl. o.
Fairchild, of Green Bay. for the de.
fence. w. III. Timlin, of Milwaukee,
Judges Quinlin, of Marinette, and
Clauson, of Oconto.