Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-06-10

HE owed me something for legal
amount?"
what is all this property worth
now?"
at has increased very largely in
value in 20 years, as a matter of
COURSE"
"What figure do you put upon it?"
81 should shy that it was worth
between 100000 and 100000"
"Of course that does not include the
Colorado tract?"
swell, no; I was not thinking of
that"
''What is that worth?"
"That is impossible to say"
"You have some idea?"
IF it should prove to contain gold
it would be very valuable piece of
land. If 1t contains no precious met
ais should not think it was worth
a song"
as it worth $4,000, ooo?" asked the
lawyer, quietly.
"Why, sir, could not place any
valuation on piece of land l have
never seen and that has never been
mined"
"Well, I'll put the question in an
other way. If you could show clear
title to that mining tract could you
not sell 1t at once for $5,00O,OO0
cash?"
Franklin looked at his questioner
keenly for moment, but the latter
was casually examining the contents
of letter as if he were preparing
to PROFOUND another query from
something he found therein. The wit
ness answered somewhat savagely:
"Yes.'
Couldn't you easily get s1O,OOO,OoO
for that properts?"
81 suppose l could"
There was tremendous sensation
j in court when Franklin, with evident
reluctance, made this admission.
"Yon have recently, l believe, been
in correspondence with capitalists re-
garding the Colorado tract?"
Eyes"
81 believe that is all want to know
on that branch Of the subject, but
there is another point on which wish
to question you"
Franklin was evidently aware of
what this point was, and he put on
a staggering air of victory.
when all the Wright estate was
turned over to you 90 years ago, was
not u secret agreement drawn up be-
tween you and John I. Wright speci-
flying that no consideration was ever
paid by you, and that the transfer
was made in order to protect Wright
from damage suits that might be
brought by the family of Jeremiah
Baxter?"
mo"
"And did not this paper state that
you pledged your honor to take steps
to re-vest the property in Wright
whenever he desired it?"
mo"
"And did not this agreement spec
ify the Wright homestead, several
pieces of city property, plantations
in Louisiana, Arkansas and Missis-
sippi, and tracts in Colorado and
Texas?"
mo" said Franklin, with increas-
ing vehemence, "There was no agree
ment of the kind between us. 1t was
n bona fide SALE"
"You were at my residence few
weeks ngo?"
"Yes," reluctantly.
II received you in my library?"
"Yes."
"Did you not at the point of re-
volver compel me to sell you copy
OF this very agreement, which had
been in the possession of Wright, for
the sum of S1O,OOO?"
"The idea is preposterous. You are
evidently losing your wits, sir. Sach
betrayal of trust on your part could
not be to your credit. I deny it in
toto"
"You also deny in toto that there
was any such agreement"
"Most emphntically."
Lawyer Everett now took from his
pocket a yellow paper which he light
ly shook at the witness as he pro-
pounded the next question:
when you came to my house that
evening, Colonel, had just had the
agreement, whose existence you de-
ny, copied on an old piece of paper and
dried thoroughly before the fire to
conceal its age. When you were an
nounced threw the original in the
back of one of my bookcases, and the
copy I placed in my safe. AT the point
of your pistol, I was more thanwilling
to sell you the copy for $4,000. Now
you can refresh your memory suf-
ficiently to tell whether this is your
signature appended to this paper,
and to reconsider your denial of it's
existence"
Franklin clutched the paper which
the lawyer politely extended to him,
and then pitiable appearance of de-
feat seemed to shrivel him up.
He glanced at the lawyer and pre-
served logged silence.
you have not answered my ques-
tion," said the lawyer, blandly.
at is not my writing" said
Franklin, savagely. 1.-THE whole thing
il clever, manufactured lie"
II desire to introduce this paper
in the case and have it read to the
jury" said Mr.. Everett. "Subse-
quently shall prove how it came
into my possession, and the jury can
judge of its genuineness."
This was done, and Mr.. Everett re-
sumed: II presume, Col. Franklin,
that you remember that about u year
ago the safe of John T. Wright was
entered by one of his clerks named
Morris and some of its contents nb-
stracted?"
Eyes"
"And that Morris is now in China2"
ayes"
"By the way, do you know that he
Is in China?"
1T was not thinking. I meant that
he had left this part of the country"