The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-03-28

shall fail in establishing a iega
principle clear as day, and ap
proved by me! Drink with me
gentlemen! To triumph"
That night began the series Of
sensations that made so memoir
able the war for the use of the
air. In the courts of every fed
eral district and the state courts Of
West Virginia, %r. filley filed his
injunction suits against the own
er of every known arship, and, by
the clause used in labor disputes
bound all persons, whether
named or not, who might, with
the defendants or, independently
design trespass against the
plaintiffs rights.
The bill in New York recited
that the plaintiff was the owner OF
all rights of navigation in the all
in certain described belts or bands
surrounding the City of New York
dividing it into portions, and grid
ironing the continent, that the de-
PENDANTS had in the past habitual-
ly trespassed ON these by flying
over them in airships; that the
passage to or from the City OF
New York over the sea, the river
other route was impossible save
by such trespaSs; and therefore
injunction was asked prohibiting
the defendants, their servants and
all other persons from departing
from or coming to the said City
of New York through the air own
ed by the plaintiff, or from navi-
eating any aerial craft across. over
or through the real property OF
the plaintiff wheresoever situated
Finley Shayne's name led the
list of defendants, followed by that
of the Aerostatic Power Company
and page after page of names of
people owning aerial craft; and
Iairships everywhere were hemmed
n by the real property" of the
plaintiff, like whalers frozen in the
ice. The real property" was that
wonderful spiders net of grants
and the plaintiff was the Universal
Nitrates and Air Products Com
lpany! Craighead's opium dream
was explained. The relation be-
tween the twin companies was dis
closed. Two perfectly well-known
legal principles were here united
in an audacious attempt to mo-
Inopolize the air: the rights at
taching to ownership of land, and
that of injunction to prevent tres.
pass or nuisance.
Public and press were struck
with amazement. The unthinking
laughed at the unheard-of and
lpreposterous claim to private con.
troll of the atmosphere. Craig,
head. himself joke, reduced to 6
joke anything he touched; but
this man Filley had never beer
a jest to his opponents. An un
dercurrent of seriousness. TOWARD
the "airship case" grew more no
ticeable from day to day while
the world waited for the hearing
on the issuance of the temporary
injunction. The Aerostatic Power
Company was known to be fever.
ishly active in the preparation OF
Its case-even while filling the
press with ridicule of "Craighead.
ISM" Some journals in the
lShayne interest advocated laws tc
make it impossible for a crank
like Craighead to annoy people by
absurd lawsuits. 1t was laugh.
able; but it was, for all that, al
Outrage. Laughter. too, was out
of place, when people OF substance
in the community must appear ant
answer the crazy allegations of {
lunatic in that phase of paranoea
producing the delusions of deal
ing with great affairs, owning tn,
earth, being president or Messiah
To all of which Mr.. Craighead re
iplied in a grave discussion as t.
the distinction, If any, between
SANITY in the editorial sense, ant
imbecility. Lawyers began por
ing over over cases dealing will
rights in and over land, will
growing dubiety as to the outcome
lof 1.-THE universal Nitrates AM
|Air Products Company VS.. Shayne
ct al"
When the case came on to b.
heard the laugh had disappeared
the very army of lawyers appear
ing for the defendant rendering
a serious matter. The justice
seemed to ooze gravity from tn,
bench; the attorneys at the table
lust outside the rail rustled thei
briefs, sent messengers hither ant
lyon, and conferred in whispers
Craighead sat with Filley, his hal
rumpled, his crooked nose high
in suit of legal black, DRAWN,
more attention than did Carson
whose face, bleached of the Gull
tan, had assumed the pallor of tn,
scholar, while vast responsibilities
had been imparting to him an at
mosphere of distinction. He sa
scanning the people of the defens,
I-Shayne, Silberberg, and othe
great financial figures. He caugh
ISilberberg's eye, and that gentle
mans neck grew red with rage
but Shayne was suave, debonair
land apparently at ease, CAREFUL.
ignoring Carson. The persona
relations of the three was the on,
Igreat news story that the pres
Representatives missed-but tina
came afterward.
| The young woman in the sailo
hat who handled the case for tn,
sought for the soundiu,