Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1904-02-04
"was Il a bona flde saleg"

"What do you mean by that?"
"He owed me something for lega
services, which was credited on the
amount?"
"What is all this property worth
now?"
at has increased very largely In
value IN 20 years, as matter OF
course"
"What figure do you PIT upon it?'
81 should say that it was worth
between 100000 and $3OO,OO0."
"Of course that does not include the
Colorado tract?"
swell, no; 1 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 it contains no precious met
ais l should not think it was worth
a song"
lis it worth s1O,OOO,OOO?" asked the
lawyer, quietly.
"Why, sir, 1 could not place any
valuation on n 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 n clear
title to that mining tract could you
| NJ
cash?''
Franklin looked at lis questioner
kcenly for moment, but the latter
was casually examining the contents
of letter us 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 sIo,OOo,O0O
for that property"
81 suppose could"
There was a tremendous sensation
in court when Franklin, with evident
reluctance, made this admission.
"You have recently. 1 believe, been
in correspondence with capitalists re-
garding the Colorado trac?"
"Yes."
81 believe that is all 7 want to know
on that branch of the subject, but
there is another point on which l wish
to question YOU"
Franklin was evidently aware of
what this point was. and he put on
staggering air of victory.
"When all the Wright estate was
turned over to you 90 years ago, was
not secret agreement drawn up be-
tween you and John 7. 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
DaXter?"
mo"
Sand did not this paper state that |
you pledged your honor to take steps |
to re-vest the property in Wright
whenever he desired it?"
NO"
"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"
"No," 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 ago."
"Yes," reluctantly.
II received you in my Hbrary?"
EYES"
'Did you not at the point of a re-
volver compel me to sell you copy
of this very agreement, which had
been in the possession of Wright, for
the sum of $1O,OO0?"
"The idea is prcposterous. You are
evidently losing your wits, sir. Such
q betrayal of trust on your part could
not be to your credit. 1 deny it in
toto"
"You also deny in toto that there
was any such agreement"
"AIost emphatically."
Lawyer Everett now took from his
pocket yellow paper which he light
" shook at the witness as he pro-
pounded the next question:
"When you came to my house that
evening, Colonel, I 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 it's age. When you were an
I threw the original in the
back of one of my bookcases, and the
copy placed in my safe. At the point
IF your pistol, / was more thanwilling
10 sell you the copy for $4,000. Now
vou can refresh YOUR memory Suf-