The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-10-25
TAX SUITS APPEALED.
Invalid titles to 1000 Acres Of Kiowa
County Land.

Echoes of the 1890 boom continue
to rumble around in the supreme
court. Several were heard today when
a grist of land lawsuits from Kiowa
county were filed.
One of the most important of these
suits is filed by Abraham S. Williams,
a resident of Chester county, Pennsyl-
vania, and one of the men who APP
parentIy loaded up on short grass
land and then cursed the day he did
it. 1t is all changed now. however,
and Mr.. Williams is fighting hard to
retain possession of the land which he
bought fifteen years ago, and which
has again become valuable
The gentleman from Pennsylvania
apparently became disguised with his
western Kansas investment about the
year 1895. In that year about forty
four tracts of KioWa county land were
offered for sale for taxes Nobody
wanted to buy them so they were bid
i'm by the county treasurer and car
ried along in the hope that some day
they might be sold for enough to pull
the county out of the hole.
A few months ago. when the value
of Kfowa county land was again dem
onstrated. and demand for the land
was brisk, the county commissioners
asked the district court to determine
the amount of taxes. interest and pen
alties outstanding on the forty-four
tracts OF tclilus ana cause the idLlu 10
be sold to satisfy the liens and costs.
The court determined that there was
due the county on the various tracts
about $500. Some of the resident
owners. as soon as they had the Op-
pOrtunity stepped in and redeemed
their land but by far the biggest por-
ton of the land was in the hands OF
eastern parties who were served with
notice OF the proceedings by publica-
ton, one Of the grim jokes of the law
Il
was going on simply because a notice
was published in little short grass
weekly.
So the county went ahead and sold
off the land to the highest bidders to
satisfy the claim for taxes. One August
B0sacker purchased the land which
had been owned by Abraham Will
liams.
After a while. it happened that Mr..
Williams discovered what had hap
pened. Somebody also posted him on
the real value of the land he had
once despised. So Mr.. Williams,
through his attorney, came before the
district court and asked to be allowed
he did not know anything about the
proceedings and had never been given
an opportunity to present a defense.
He also raised certain legal objections
tax" and current university tax
which constituted part of the lien
against his land under which it had
been sold. He asked that he be given
an opportunity to pay off the back
taxes, minus the items to which he OBJ
jected, and that the deed given to Au-
gust ROsacker be cancelled.
This is the issue which is now raised
in the Supreme court. OF course II
Mr.. Williams wins his case. it will af-
feet the deeds given by the county to
the other forty-fOur tracts. involving
in all about 1000 acres of land.
Another Kiowa land suit. very similar
in some respects to the Williams suit, IS
that filed by W. w Robbins against r.
A. Frazier. This fight is also about
Kiowa county land, and was filed in
/ the supreme court yesterday. Robbins
claims a title to a quarter section of
1 land under an old patent from the gov
eminent; Frazier claims title to the
| same section under a tax title issued
4 by Kiowa county dated September q,
1893. The defendant Frazier is in pos
session Of the land, and has been for a
/ number of years. Nevertheless Mr.. Rob-
bins wants Frazier to pay him $500 rem
/ tai for the time he has been there The
/ lower court decided in favor of Fra
| ziers tax title. and now Robbins brings
\ the case up to the supreme court to
/ find out whether or not his patent is
/ not a prior claim and the tax title
only a lien which can be cancelled by
| the payment of the back taxes.