The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-10-03

nate a portion of Eleventh Street to
A .he government.
Following the argument OF Mr., Pat
3 terson, Richard Mann, United States
district attorney. took the floor and
n declared that the court had no right
TO assess the property owners dam
aves because the City Council gave
4 the strip OF land on Eleventh street
4 He stated that II was a matter which
NJ the United States had nothing to DO
wifn. and that he should seek dam
ages elsewhere.
u Attorney Hill Carter. representing
sthe Nirginian Building Corporation
owners OF the property at Eleventh
and Main Streets. expressed an opin-
NJ ION that the petition submitted by
N ATTORNEY Patterson should be ad-
mitted az a part of the proceedings
4 and city Attorney Pollard agreed
II with him Mr.. Carter then asked the
rourt to construe the law regarding
the act of the City Council He said
y that IL that could not be accepted
s the condemnation proceedings would
end at once. inasmuch as the govern
/ ment had set forth that II the fifteen
4 feet could not he acquired that II
would not build on the Eleventh
Etreet site
WhGinPI or not Judge W dfiIl'i "''I
hand down a decision in the matter
I today is not definitely known. In the
event he does and holds that the city
\ had no right to award the fifteen
Z feet. 1t Will probably bring the pro-
4 eeedings to an end,
Should the case proceed today, one
Of the most brilliant legal battles IN
/ The history OF Richmond is antici-
& pated. IL will be noted that father
II and son are opposing each other In
\ fhis legal battle. Harry NJ, Smith. Jr.
\ representing the property owners, and
mis- son. Hiram Smith. looking after
4 the governments interests
Owners Of the property a Eleventh
and Main Streets are placing q much
I higher valuation on their property
n than the s450,00o appropriation made
[ hy the United States government
h They claim that the property desired
81 by the government was purchased by
II khem for the sum OF s505,o00, and
q that stock in the corporation, with the
n properly as a basis. was sold on thai
4 Scale. This amount, the owners point
-TSME does not include other expendi'
#fNroo on the property since 1t was
sanouuired by them. Interest on the
money invested more than a year agc
\ Q1u amount to $4,000.
II 10 said that there Is a stront
II 19ObAbility Of the jury placing tn
u n1uation OF the property much highej
n khnn the appropriation made by th'
Should this happen TIT
could not be acquired unles
#nn additional appropriation is mad
%6w Congress. It has been pointed gu
sf1bAt while the properly owners ar
81 aound by the verdict of the jury TIN
does not have TO accep
k4ha rroperty unless II see At to do so
"a h0alld the government decline TO &C
@s0nnt the property al the price set h,
49, Jury the case will revert back Il
Mffn former status and the government
#xv1lI look elsewhere for a location 10
I'D fhA postoffice. This would again hrin,
100 the matter OF selecting a site 70
&lSa Federal building.
A Whether or not the case will pro
"a today is purely a matter OF con
hire Should II do so there Is
Instability OF the proceedings iastini
I'll next Saturday. Judge Waddil
ct aside all Of this week for III
0xing of the case and II is though
II will consume at least tn
Sn4ar portion of the six days allotte'
this purpose
IN grand Jury OF the United State
11ict Court was to have met yester
70 pass on several cases, bu
100 Waddill moved the meeting u
Mook. The grand Jurors will be sum
rnnod this week and they will NEE
1T Monday morning. Many cases o
CSAi interest will come UP at thi
80 Of court