Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1912-01-05
CONCERNING LAND CLAIMS
OF MoHEGAN INDIANS
Papers Presented to State Historical
Society-Reference to Late John T.
Wait.

AT the meeting of the Connecticut
Historical society, Tuesday evening
in the Atheneum, several gifts to the
society were announced and Lewis r.
Stanton, Esq. read a paper entitled
The Wit and Eloquence of Lawyers
which interested and entertained his
hearers Said Mr.. Stanton regarding
a former Norwich lawyer:
In courts of justice there is Won
derful place for intuition, for that
amazing quickness which sees a mis-
take or seizes upon a situation in a
moment.
When I practiced in New London
county l used to watch with youth
full delight the skilful management OF
the late John T. Wait Of MOI gich. In
the superior court an action of tres
pass was on trial between parties
whose names are forgotten, but | will
call them Smith and Jones. Mr.
Smith testities thus: Mr.. Jones COM
mitted trespass upon my premises. and
behaved very badly indeed. He came
into my front yard and fired a gun
and frightened my wife dreadfully."
Quick as a flash Mr. Wait put on his
most solemn expression and inquired:
MIR. Smith, how do you know that
Mr.. Jones was not simply firing a
salute as a mark of respect as he ap-
preached your house%' Solvuntur
tabulae risu. The case went off with
joke. When a justice of the peace,
instead of imposing a light fine, bound
over to the higher court a woman for
picking a few flowers in Yantic ceme-
terry, Mr.. Waite addressed the court
with due Formally as follows;
May it please your honor, there
are justices of the peace who would
] ind Hn ~aIX
would save any expense to the town.
Mohegan Indians Land Claim.
Members of the Johnson family OF
/ Stratford presented many valuable
/ and important papers, which belonged
| to William Samuel Johnson, the dis
/ tinguished son of this colony, whose
name was famous both before and
after the revolution. DR.. Johnson
/ who was given the degree of Del,
| by Oxford university, was a member
! of congress from 1884 and 1887 ant
/ had an important part in the framing
/ of the United States constitution. Ht
was afterwards president Of Columbia
I college The papers of DR.. johnson
which came into his possession as spe-
ciaI agent for this colony in the matter
| of the land claims of the Michigan In
! dams which were heard in England
before the revolution, are the one
! which are given to the society.
The history of the Mohegan LAM
| claims is a long one It is not know
that satisfactory settlement was eve
| made. The revolution came and tn
litigation was dropped, never to b
taken up again. The name Of tn
law case as it was entitled in Eng
land was Governor and Company o
| Connecticut, and Mohegan Indians, b.
Their Guardians" William Samue
johnson was appointed special gen
of this colony in Great Britain to pre-
sent the defense of the colony wit
regard to its title.
Had the Indians been successful tn
colony would have been greatly EN-
barrassed. One of the maps, whic
is included in the gift just received
shows the boundaries of the territor
claimed by the Indians. 1t include
the towns of Tolland. Wellington
Mansfield, Coventry, Bolton Hebron
Lebanon, Norwich, Colchester. Pres
ton, Stonington, Groton and part c
East Haddam. The society alread
had four volumes of DR.. Johnson
papers, one of which related to tn
Indian litigation. The munifcent gil
from the Johnson family gives tn
society a complete set of papers con
corning the Mohegan troubles. Their
are several maps of eastern Connect
cut carefully drawn.