Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-06-23
SUIT TO BE HEARD IN HARRISON
COUNTY INVOLVES TITLE TO
MANY ACRES.
LONG IN CONTROVERSY;
SUPERVISORS FAVOR RAILROAD
Quinlan Homesteaded Land,
Got Government Title, Railroad Laid
Claim to Property, Tract is Ordered
Resod. and Conveyance is Made
Without Price to Railroad.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times-RepubIican.
Logan, June 23.-The celebrated Will
liam QuinIan case, involving the title
TO 120 acres of land falling within the
government survey and perhaps so.
acres Of accretion near the Blail
bridge in the southwestern part OF
Harrison county, will come up fol
hearing III the district court OF haTri-
son county. August term.
In 1905 Quinlan examined the records
at the county seat and discovered that
the title TO lots and arr the north
east quarter of section IS was still in
the hands Of the government. Upon
inquiry he was notified by the United
States land office at Des Moines that
the land in question was still govern
mert land and subject to homestead
entry: carrying the investigation TO the
land office at Washington. Mr. Quln-
Ian was again instructed that the land
in question was government land ana
subject 70 homestead entry: relying
upon the instruction Of the land Of
fee at Des Moines and at Washington.
Enters Upon Land.
Mr. QuinIan fled upon the land and
received his entry papers. made I'M
provements and entered upon the 1aho
in good faith as a honlesteader. TAen
tbs. Chicago & Northwestern Railway
Company and the Blair Bridge Com
panv raised their objections, alleging
first that the land in controversy was
accretion and therefore belonged to
them: second that the bridge and rail-
way company had crossed the iaho hS
main and spur tracks and thus held II
by adverse possession: third that the
supervisors of Harrison county hao
sold the land 20 an official Of the com
parv and that ne IN turn had conveyed
II 70 the bridge and Chicago & North
weste-n Railway Company companies
:, reply 20 all Of the allegations.
Held to Be Swamp Lane.
The land office afterwards held Tor
OrinIan. Then the case was appeaLe0
and after going thru the different de-
Da--nents Of the interior department
presided over by Richard Raninger ana
the accrer:on theory. the adverse pos
session theory, also the claim OF right
Of title upon the conveyance OF lana
bv the supervisors as advocated by
the respective com panies were turned
down by the department decisions;
also the right of MI Qu!nlan 70 nave
and TO hold the land as homo
steader. However the departments
decided that the land was swamp land
and directed Il 10 be certified to the state
~ Iowa, and the state certifying It TO
Harrison county When this was done
the present board Of supervisors d.
-ectcd that the land be sold to the
highest bidder MI. Quinlan alleges.
without having the land appraised and
advertised. and made a CONVEYANCE Of
the land TO The two companies without
q dollar consideration other than spe-
Gifted in the alleged conveyance where
IN 81 % was paid per acre for the orig
inaI tract OF land Of which the Quin-
Ian claim is now q part.
Mr. Ouinlan asks that the court set
aside the recent conveyance made ~
the SUPERVISORS - the railroad ana
PIa:r Bridge Company and nave the
land appraised and sold 70 the highest
bidder as other swamp lands Of Har-
r:son County jest why the present
board Of supervisors made this con-
veysnce 70 the railroad and Blair
Bridge Company without any consic-
Grafton IS e. puzzle to the plain people
of Harrison county.