Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-01-15
CLAIMS VAS1PROP[R1Y
LIE Grande Byington Will Begin
Suit ON Tax Deeds OH 400
Pieces of Land
MAY CLOUD MANY TITLES
Property Involved in the Suit Believed
to Be Worth in the Neighborhood OF
Million DoIlars-Petitioner Has Had
a Strange Career-One Candidate for
Presidency.
MAY CLOUD MANY TITLES

Special to Times Republican.
Iowa City. Jan. 15.--A man without
country, Who before his eXpatriatlon
had been twice a candidate for the
presidency of the United States on
platform of his own devislng, Lee
grande Byington, the oldest pioneer
resident of johnson county, will short
ly begin action to recover on four nun
dred tax deeds, purchased by him IN
1850 to 1858 These deeds were issued
against as many pieces of lands. many
of which are now the most valuaple
properties in the entire county. During
the fifty intervening years in when
Mr.. Byington has been actively engag-
ed in the political and business life ot
the city and the county, these deeds
have remained locked in the drawers
of his desk. They are the last of lot OF
1900 purchased by him during thal
period.
Few men have lived the life OF TINS
eccentric man, who came to TINS coul-
ty when it was first being settled, Win
considerable property and was lof
many years counted as one OF It's most
brilliant lawyers. The condltlohs eA-
listing at that time were particularly aa-
vantageous for the prosecution OF ms
business, which largely consisted IN the
buying of all Of the delinquent taxes OF
fered for sale. Iowa City was then the
capital of the state, and hundreas y!
SPECTATORS purchased large BLOCKS Oh
property which they eventually allowed
to be sold for taxes when the capltai
was finally moved to Des MONIES.
In the confusion which existed, BY
ington usually purchased everything
that was offered, and during the htteeh
years preceding the civil war, ne be-
came the owner Of eight or ten thous-
and acres of Iowa land which Woulu
now be worth in the neighborhood OF
three quarters of a million dollars. lie
took an interest in the political life OF
the new state and was one OF the most
prominent leaders OF the democratic
party in county which has remained
democratic until this day. When the
civil war came he was a violent op-
ponent Of the policy of the national
government, believing that the war was
unrighteous and unjust. Therefore he
determined to hinder it in the only way
he could, which he decided was by re-
fusing to pay his taxes. The assessment
of all of his vast property was MADE
and the taxes eventually advertised for
sale.
But at first the more cold-blooded
capitalists were afraid to buy the pro-
perty. Byington had been known as a
yindictive fighter and the fact that ne
conducted all of his own cases without
the expense of counsel, kept his pro-
perty intact for several years. Finally
all of it was sold to different parties
and Byington was left with nothing to
show for his large holdings but his
equity, which he was about to lose.
Through the efforts of his wife and
children, part Of his property was
eventually redeemed, though the bulk
Of his fortune had been lost on account
of his action.
His recent declaration that he would
attempt to make the old tax deeds held
by him stick, has caused considerable
CONSERVATION among the property
holders of the county. The deeds were
granted under the code of 1850, which
declares that such deeds are a perpet-
ual lien upon the property. The pres
ent code states that they are only
"lien," the word perpetual having been
struck out.