The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1924-08-20
Offers Big Sum
for MCPhal Title
UNKNOWN BIDDER WOULD PUR-
CHASE RIGHTS OF HEIRS IN
COUNTY COURT HOUSE.

Wanted-To buy certain rights and
titles to the Redwood county court
house property. Will pay $4,000 cash.
John Dee.
That would sound like a strange
swami ad" to be sure. Perhaps one
might think that the party was the
same guy that was supposed to have
bought the Masonic temple in Chic.
ago from a smooth and glib stranger.
However just such an offer as that
has been made to the heirs of the
late Sam McPhail who on May 3,
1872, decided the present court house
block to Redwood county for the sum
of 81 with the provision that the
same should be devoted to public pur-
poses. The transfer was in the ma
ture of a gift with the understand
ing that it was to be used solely for
court house purposes.
For nearly fifty years nothing was
thought of the matter. The little
tail that Col. McPhail hitched to the
court house kite meant nothing until
five years ago Wabasso started the
almost forgotten county seat removal
scrap.
Then it was that research workers
for the county seat committee dis
covered the provision in the court
house deed that in the final days of
the election fight was to play such
prominent, part in the court house
battle.
Redwood Falls claimed that if the
court house was removed the county
would automatically lose all rights
and title to the property which could
not be sold or otherwise disposed OF
but would revert back to the McPhail
heirs, the colonel himself being dead.
The Wabasso committee poohhooh-
ed the argument and offered the
opinion of Marshall firm of lawyers
to the effect that it was really new
issue but that in their opinion the
deed wouldn't hold.
Redwood Falls got the opinion of
the State Attorney Generals office,
and also I. M. Olsen, Judge of district
court, to the effect that the deed with
as the wheat" and that if the coun-
ty should vacate the premises or at
tempt to sell them the grounds and
building would revert to the McPhall
heirs.
A Wabasso committee came for
ward with an offer that if the court
house was moved they would give
the county $4,000 for it's court house
property. This, however, could not
protect the county under the recogn-
lied reliable opinions of the Attorney
Generals office and of Judge Olsen,
as they held the county had no right
to dispose of the property.
In case of removal of the court
house this left Redwood county in
the position of losing the court house,
steam plant, vaults and fixtures which
County Auditor Larson inventories at
$75 1000, and which the election COM
mittee claimed as worth 100000.
Wabasso people believed at the time
that it was the queer quirk in the
court house deed that gave Redwood
Falls the election.
The whole thing has seemingly
been forgotten. This month sees the
passing of five years since the removal
question was voted on, and again it
is an eligible question to put before
the voters. However, there is no
movement of that kind brewing.
Nevertheless, lawyer who re-
fused to disclose who his client is,
has approached the heirs of Col Nc
Phail with an offer to buy their pos
sible rights to the Redwood county
court house property.
A son-in-law of the Colonel whose
wife would share equally with the
other heirs in this proposition,
volunteered the information to The
Messenger that he was strictly in
favor of accepting the cash offer OF
$1,000. He believes that $500 or
$500 in hand, is worth more than a
slim chance at several thousand in
years to come. One of the provi-
sions of the offer, of course, is that
the REIMBURSEMENT to the title must
be unanimous, and the heirs disagree,
according to our informant. The
heirs are scattered all over the uni
on and efforts to get them to agree
to the proposition have been unavail-
ing. Some of them were not aware
of any remote interest in the pro-
perty, and now are willing to forget
about it for the present and see if 1t
won't turn out big, others want the
ante raised, so the offer seems to
have f1ivvered out.
Perhaps the most interesting fea-
ture is who is back of the deal? Col.
McPhail's son-in-law, could throw
no light on the matter.
There is a possibility that it may
be Wabasso people, who are taking
advantage of the present dormant
court house removal period, to try te
entrench themselves against what
they felt was the fatal issue five years
ago. Then again it might be some
other ambitious town. A third specu
1ation is that some capitalist believes
that the removal of the court house
in the next few years is enough OF Z
probability to gamble on.-Morgar
Messenger.