The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1912-03-13
Suits are Filed in Superior Court
for Hill Children to Cancel
Patents Recently Issued to
Reynolds Children
TITLE TO 42O ACRES
OF LAND INVOLVED
Courts Have Been Pondering the
Legal Puzzle for Ten Years
Twice Heard by the
Depat. Of interior


Presenting puzzling legal PROPOSE
tions that would make the proverbial
Philadelphia lawyer feel like a ~ 70
at hts !rade. five Indian land suits,
filed in the superior court q Grady
county Tuesday afternoon by Attor-
neys Bond & Melton, involving title
10 t20 acres of land east Of Chicka-
sha, have a history reaching back TO
500. and having ramiicatIons IN the
state and federal courts together
with proceedings extending 70 the
head Of the interior department
The plaintiffs in the Gases IRE tha
children OF Daye Hill and the deiend-
ants are the children OF G. A. Rey.
nolds. and the effect Of the ne.s suits
viii be TO reopen the entire litiFa-
tion which has been IN progress ;oF
over ten years. The petition snd
record In the case, filed IN the super
iof court, cover li7 closely type-writ'
ten pazus In the course q which ihe
history OF the litigation is se' forth
Dave Hill bought the land 10 ques'
ton from Mrs s. T. Minter and the
Campbell heirs on November ?, 1902
At that time W BI<ssiusame was
claiming al interest IN It ana on No
vember f2. 1902. Hin filed suit
against the latter for possession Of
the land. this belng she beginning ot
the litigation. IN March. 1898. c A.
Reynolds bought Blasslngame's claim
and took possession OF 0 part Of ibe
land. and thereafter be vas made q
defendant IA the action.
In August. 1908. Reyonlds made ap.
tIsyaton 70 the chickasaw land Of
flee Tor the ailoi nent OF The land %
hls children and tlill flied a contest
j.. the same office IN behalf .: his
children. This contest was tried IN
April, 1904, and the commission %
the Five Civilized Tribes awarde the
land 10 the Hin children l.eya9l1s
then appealed the case to the com
missioner OF Indian affairs and N
1906 that officer affirmed the decis-
lon o! the commission to the Five
civilized Tribes. whereupon REYNOLDS
carried the case 10 the secretary q
the interior. who. IN February. l9ei
affirmed both Of the previous dteis
ions in favor or Hill and patents te
the land were issued % the iill chill
dren
AS the next step IN the pr edlngs
Reynolds filed motion for a rsviev
o. the entire case by the secretary o
interior and the United States fllc.
suit to cancel the Hlll patents on ihl
grounds that they had been issue'
before the time for filing o motor
for a fehearlng had expired Asate
suit OF the latter suit the Hill pat
ents were cancelled and jurisdiction
IN the case was vested in tha secre
tary Of the interior. who, upon a re
view ol the case. reversed an lorme
decisions and awarded the land L
the Reynolds children. Patents wer
issued to the latter IN February, isi.
and now as q final step. the five suit
are filed IN the superior cours Of lhi
county TO cancel the Reynolds patenti
thus reopening the entire case on II
merits
But this isn't au Of the story b
any means. The reader must ievei
to the original suit brought By HI
in 1902 IN the old federal court TIL
case was not tried It'll statehood whe
Hin got judgment against Reynols
Tor possession of the land and rent
Reynolds took an appeal 20 the sta
supreme court, where the decision
the lower court was affirmed. and q
Hln children were placed IN pnsse
sion Of the land under an execute
issued in March, 1911. Since tn
time the Reynolds patents aage be-
issued and now the Hill children SCI
to have those patents set aside tn
opening litigation that win doubts
c,cupy the attention Of the courts
some years to come
The land IN controversy is lccat
IN the vicinity OF Lucille. stowa
Cruce & Gilbert are associated VI
Bond 4 Melton as attorneys N |
case.