The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-08-28
Question Af'feaGting i 4 Their q ell
Title Before the u. S.
Supreme Court.
CONFLICT or GRANTS.
L LEADS TO, TIL HE SUITS.
Henry G. King Takes the Mat Mat
v ter to the Higher Iribunal.
Interesting Review Of the
Long Fight Over Vast ;fs'., a
Tracts Of Virginia
Lands.
! ,Fron, ourS Regular correspondent,)

(From Our Regular Correspond dent,)
q WAsH1NGToN .. \. G. August g ~ ~
I The case which is nov pending in the
Virginia courts, involving the title to
thousands Of acres OF yalusa BILE mineral
i ana timber lands In which Mrs. May
brick Is alleged to be interested. Is not
really a new one. Three years agos8at
rase. entitled S. I. .. Hat field "a Sys. & Henry
G. King. camc up from " est N Virginla
y 10 the Supreme Court Of the United d
States on appeal. which involved title 81 TO
the land now the subject. OF tho suit in
which the name 9o OF Mrs. Maybrick.
4 figures. l5 L undertand from one OF the
4 &Iitigants Interested In the old cases that
4 1T has never been really decided. The
h suit was for the purpose of settling the
title to about 600. 900. 0es Of land In Nc
!: Dowell county. ii, Vest Virginia. and
large tracts In Kentucky and Virginia
The &constitutionalityo OF the land z laws;
OF West yirginia was also involved Il
was further charged that two attorneys
4 had acted Improperly in connection with
the case and dFansefr rort was made to have
( them disbarred. The case went & back to
\ the '1Jnftcd States Dis tricts Court
The Morris and Clinton Tracts
q Ono tract OF this land. known as tho
Morris survey. and lying in the three;
States mentioned, was granted to Robert
$ Morris, Of Philadelph hia by the Common
< wealth of Virgins !, by pal tent June 2s.;
17o5 The OF Their tract, embra cling III "a 0ocl
h acres. was granted to De " lit Clinton al
Il sn3signee @of n William Duval. february
4 rs. II 1876. The Y latter tract les entirely
within the State Of " W'estf " irglnia and, !.
\ It Is said. soverlaps he Norris grant. In;
1894 tho State Of West Virginia. Under
a State law providing for the forfeiture
OF lands not entered In the land registry
or upon which taxes had not been paid
B for period OF five years, brought suit
Tor the forfeiture OF that portion OF the
Norris tract In n West Virginia, n which
lies In tho counties OF Mcdowell. yVyo-l
E ming Mingo and Logan. There was a.
verdict rendered for the State and repre-
sentat tives OF the State courts proceeded
# to- sell property In the possession OF some
400 individuals and IL corpora lions. Suits
#of ejectment we're filed against the lat
\ ter BY Henry g. King, of New York. who
8 claimed to have d the ownership OF the
g entire tract under rsconveyances from Ro-s
i bert Morris. The ttigati0n over the land;
n has not ceased from that day. Cases ln-5
volying title to9it have been In the Su-s
prenle Court on at least three occasions.
In the meantime. King and hi9 1:1or%
neys have found life in the mountains OF
South West Virginia as strenuous
4 as the most enthusiastic believer In the
gospel Of strenuousity could wish. Many
i a one OF them. while riding along quiet
mountain roads. and possibly speculating
on the time when the litigation should be
nt an end and they would be enjoying
y the quiet possession Of the land on which
the hardy mountntneers had reared their
I hardy sons and daug ghters, has suddenly
heard the spiteful zip OF the rifle bullet
and probably more than one has met
! his death In such fashion,. with none to
carry home the news OF the manner OF.
{ death. nor the identity OF his slayer.
Henry King, and his representatives bc.
4 healthy in the entire country. s #
King has always claimed that there,
= was no forfeiture Of the lands He al
legged that n patent granted In 1883 had
been obtained n by his pred deccssors,3 but.
i II this were deemed invalid lle offered
Il to pay the taxes due on the property
/ This suit was brought In the Chancory5
I Court Of the State. but before 1t was
decided King brought suits in tho Fed-s
Of the land. He lost his sui t In the lower
court, and from the decision took an.
appeal TO the Supreme Court, Pending
tho appeal 1t was agreed among the 2at.l
torneys on both sidesf that nothing should!
+ bc done In the ohancery suits, or In the
proceedings before the commission II o (.
school lands In Wyoming county, Not
withstandlng this, It is alleged that King
obtained a report from tho commissioner.
and. without notice to the parties con.!
cerned, secured a decree from the Circuit.
Court Of Wyoming county for the re-
dempHon Of that portion & OF tho three
!, hundred acre tract lying in West Virginia,
1 The decree fixed the boundaries as clalnl-,