Autobiography of Charles Clinton Nourse: Prepared for use of Members of the FamilyNourse, Charles Clinton
History
Autobiography of Charles Clinton Nourse: Prepared for use of Members of the Family
Nourse, Charles Clinton
Iowa -- Politics and government; Lawyers -- Iowa -- Biography; Nourse, Charles Clinton, 1829-
liberal amount, far in excess of their real value or cost. Mr. Burrows
paid the money into court and Crilley received the same, but after he
received pay for his improvements he still refused to vacate the land.
A writ was issued to dispossess him, and upon the service of the writ
by the United States marshal, Mr. Crilley presented a loaded revolver
to the deputy marshal and threatened his life. The marshal thereupon
returned to Des Moines and secured authority to arrest Mr. Crilley,
which he did, and Mr. Crilley was actually detained in prison for
several weeks and until he agreed peaceably to surrender possession of
the land. This is the whole story of the inhumanity out of which Mr.
Gue's history of Iowa makes a case of such extreme cruelty and
hardship.
That this controversy over the title of the Des Moines river grant was
a most unfortunate one, both for those who purchased the lands from the
state and those who attempted to purchase them from the general
government after the state had sold them, there can be no question. It
was also very detrimental to the settlement of that part of the state.
The squatters or settlers made very indifferent improvements and very
indifferent cultivation of the land, and seldom if ever paid any taxes.
After the title of the Des Moines Navigation Company and its
stockholders and grantees had become fully settled, the counties where
these lands were located levied taxes upon the same, and suits were
brought against the Des Moines Navigation Company and its grantees. The
supreme court of Iowa held that from the date of the joint resolution
of 1861 the title to these lands inured to and became perfect in those
who had purchased and taken their deeds from the Des Moines Navigation
Company, and held them liable for the taxes that had been assessed from
the date of that joint resolution of 1861.
I continued to act as attorney for the Des Moines & Fort Dodge Railroad
Company for about ten years. I was not, however, employed upon a
salary, but only after my general retainer charged that company from
time to time for services actually rendered, and charged them as I did
any other client.
CHAPTER XII
A. O. U. W. CONTROVERSY
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