The Glenwood post., 1915-12-25
SUITS FOB COAL LAND SETTLED

Litigation which has for the past
seven or eight years been in progress
in the United States courts, involving
the ownership of over 5000 acres Of
the most valuable anthracite coal lands
in the west has finally been settled, as
disclosed by documents filed for record
this week in the office of the county
clerk of Routt county. The case grew
out of charges by the government THAI
fraud had been used in locating the
original claims, through the use Of
dummy entrymen" by the agents Of
the principals, Arie and Fred w. Keitel.
The basis of the settlement is similar
to that made year ago in the case OF
the Union Land company, involving val
liable bituminous territory in the vicini-
ty of Oak Creek, and by the terms of
the orders finally entered by the Unitel
States district court, the claimants are
allowed to retain 1850 acres of the
ground, but must give up to the gov
ernment all claim upon the remaining
1880 acres, the title of which was at
tackled. The decision was handed down
by Judge Jacob Trieber, district judge
for the eastern district of Arkansas,
who came to Denver to try the case,
after full report upon the matter had
been made by special master prev'-
ously appointed.
The order entered applies to six sep
arate suits brought by the government
which were consolidated for trial. The
defendants in the several cases were
Ben Heck, Matthew T. Durnin, Joseph
P. Hartnet, Kate NJ. Kaplinger, Anna
Dodge, Fred w. Keitel, Arie Keitel,
Gus Haberback, Fred William Mar
genas, Magdalena Haberbabeck, Harry
T. Jones, Benjamin l.. Dorsey, Geo. b.
Dorsey, H. G. Dorsey, E. M. Dorsey,
H. S. Dorsey, T. v. Hyman, "A. F. Orr,
Joseph Rotz, Edwin H. Park, William
A. Trogler, Alfred X. Prince, John Mil
Ter, Signey G. Miller, H. A. Meyer, A.
NJ. Gooding, the Illinois Investment
company, the Commonwealth Trust
company, the Yampa Anthracite conf
pany and the Bankers Trust company
of st. Louis. The board of county
commissioners of Routt county and II.
T. Campbell, sheriff of Routt county at
the time the suits were commenced,
were also made defendants.
The lands involved are all in Towh-
ship North, Range 81 West and are
located to the west of Pilot Knob, north
of the famous Crawford tract. The
claims. which the government takes
back are in Sections ID, l5, "a, 25 and
26, and those in which the title of the
claimants is confirmed are in Sections
10, IL, 13, IA, 10, %, % and "a. The
land is situated about 10 miles north
west of Steamboat Springs, and as it is
estimated to be worth at least $500 an
acre, the entire tract involved is worth
over $l,6OO,OOO.
While all deeds of transfer and all
mortgages affecting the lands upon
which the patents are cancelled are
held to be void, special provision is
made in the case of one mortgage.
where it is ordered that the lands COW
cred shall be sold by special master
and the proceeds applied to the pay
ment of the money loaned by the Dor
seys, and to reimburse them for taxes
paid. Caldwell Martin is named as
this special master, and it is provided
that one-third of the cost of his SER
vices, as we'll as that of the entire
litigation, shall be paid by the defend
ants in the cases, the remaining two
thirds being borne by the government.
-Routt County Sentinel.
F. W. Keitel figured few years ago
in several real estate deals in Garfield
county, having at one time been some
what interested in the Antlers section
prior to the reconstruction days of re
cent years