The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-07-23
Reading Iron Company Wins
Two Suits, Other Going to
Jury To-Day.
PAID NO RENT; PAID NO TAXES .|
Woman Testified That She Sign
ed Husbands Name to Lease
Under Duress.

After many years of unmolested pos
session, the families which nave neeh
living on the land known as the foW
hatan Furnace property, a a mn IN
and a half miles from RICHMOND, on
Tie north side of the James napei;
were brought into the Henrico Circuit
Court yesterday by the Heading lron
Company. of Pennsylvania, owner !, ~ ~
the lands to show cause why tneS
should not be turned out. Two cases
were heard, and in both the jury de-
cided for the plaintiff. The third CT
the series was not concluded, as tne
session, court adjourning at 6;3O CLOCK
to open again this morning. when
i verdict will be reached.
Occupied Compnny's Homes.
Long ago there was an iron furnace
\ on this land. but for many years-it
4 has not been in blast. during 81 tie OPP op,
4 were employed. and the company own
Ling ii provided dwelling houses nearby
lin order that they might have homes
close TO their work.
Eventually 1t was discontinued and
t,not until about five years ago did the
| company take an active INTEREST IN
1.-The property. The employees, however,
continued to live there. with no ute.
! paying no rent nor taxes. Ever since
ot has p been
1 pied solely1bp-the families and friends
4 Of some Of these. people, those holding
! out longest being the three families
(which were parties to the litigation
Il yesterday.
hi In the fall of 1908 the Reading Iron
1Company employed the services of NJ
Nv. Bowe, of Richmond. to look after
real estate Interests He n, ad psein &
4 definitely of the situation out there,
went to the people whom he found
3 Occupying the land and required a
q rental.
.tnatures to leases in which they agreed
Ito pay a specified amount at the end
,of each month. Some of them paid the
Trent regularly, while others paid only
a,nOw and then.
Asserted Ownership Claims.
! This arrangement went on without
{complalnt from the occupants until a
= few months ago. when the Reading
: Iron Company began negotiations with
iGeorge Cole Scott with reference TO
Gtselling the property. Hearing of the
a company's intention to sell the land,
a the occupants conceived the idea of as
lserting ownership. and from that time
q Lon refused to pay any rents or to
s.irecognize any landlords.
9tSs The cases settled yesterday were
II aga1nst Mrs. Mary Burns, who has been
hliving on the land for forty-odd years
d and her son, who married recently and
4moyed into nearby house which had
lust been vacated by the occupants
moving TO Richmond Mrs. Burns claim
led that she did not mean to be recog-
the land agents right to col
H;slecl a rent from her when she gave hei
sf8kignature to the lease, but that she
Il signed under threat and duress.
~. This ground was her defense. The
of the jury, however were
short and the verdict was against her
The suit against Mrs Bnrnss son
WAS settled in short order He ap.
3Fs peared to take special delight in re.
a1pent part OF his married life in -
house to which he made no claim q,
nor paid any rent MOI
III ia es.4 The jury's verdict in this case
against him.
signed Husbunu's Name.
The third case was more complicat
ays ed Wellington Vaughan, his wife
and sister-in-law, We're the propsrt,
holders and their efforts to evade III
4 4 thought they saw in the present sui
fff as they We're related in court yester
5ss day. brought q smile Of Amusement
4ghalf akain to pity, over the face OF a.
4 | WIN heard the doleful narrative.
The sister-in-law testified that tn
q property now belongs to her, and
{, u substantiation Of her claim introduce
made to her on May 18th last. and az
mitted to record shortly after Tn
deed was made by Mrs. Vaughan 500
III after they heard that the proper,
9 was to be sold, She testified that hs
4 Treason for transferring the properl
was that she had been forced by NJ
N; Bowe, the land agent to sign her hui
Il 70 doing she feared the forfeiture q
u IS a.