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For Martha Minow
who has made all the difference
JWS
OWNERSHIP IN COMMON
PART FOUR
Table of Cases
Selected Statutes
Index
CONTENTS
Preface to the Sixth Edition
A Guide to the Book
How to Brief a Case and Prepare for Class
Acknowledgments
PART ONE
PROPERTY IN A FREE AND DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY
Chapter 1
Trespass: The Right to Exclude and Rights of Access
§1 Trespass
§1.1 Public Policy Limits on the Right to Exclude
State v. Shack (1971)
Desnick v. American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. (1995)
§1.2 Limits on the Right to Exclude from Property Open to the Public
Uston v. Resorts International Hotel, Inc. (1982)
§1.3 Trespass Remedies
Glavin v. Eckman (2008)
Jacque v. Steenberg Homes, Inc. (1997)
§1.4 Hohfeldian Terminology
§2 Discrimination and Access to “Places of Public Accommodation”
§2.1 The Antidiscrimination Principle
A. Federal Antidiscrimination Law
Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title II
Civil Rights Act of 1866
B. State and Local Law
New York Executive Law, Art. 15
§2.2 Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Title III
§3 Free Speech Rights of Access to Public and Private Property
Lloyd Corporation, Ltd. v. Tanner (1972)
§4 Beach Access and the Public Trust
Matthews v. Bay Head Improvement Association (1984)
§5 The Right to Be Somewhere and the Problem of Homelessness
Chapter 2
Competing Justifications for Property Rights
§1 Property and Sovereignty
§1.1 United States and American Indian Sovereignty
Johnson v. M’Intosh (1823)
§1.2 Competing Justifications for Property Rights
§1.3 Past Wrongs, Present Remedies: Modern Indian Land Claims
§2 Government Grant
§2.1 Homestead Acts and Land Grants
§2.2 Squatters
James Willard Hurst, Law and the Conditions of Freedom in the
Nineteenth-Century United States
§2.3 Freed Slaves
§2.4 Basic Needs Fulfillment
§3 Labor and Investment
§3.1 Creative Labor
International News Service v. Associated Press (1918)
§3.2 Commonly Owned Property: Tragedy or Comedy?
§3.3 Ownership of Labor
§4 Families
§4.1 Child Support
Bayliss v. Bayliss (1989)
§4.2 Gifts and Inheritance
§5 Possession
§5.1 Wild Animals
Pierson v. Post (1805)
§5.2 Baseballs
Popov v. Hayashi (2002)
§5.3 Capture of Natural Resources
Elliff v. Texon Drilling Co. (1948)
§5.4 Possession and the Presumption of Title
Willcox v. Stroup (2006)
§6 Relativity of Title
§6.1 Finders
Armory v. Delamirie (1722)
Charrier v. Bell (1986)
§6.2 Real Property
Christy v. Scott (1854)
§6.3 Transfer of Stolen Property
§7 Property Formation in Everyday Life
Erving Goffman: Asylums: Essays on the Social Situation of Mental
Patients and Other Inmates
PART TWO
WHAT CAN BE OWNED?
Chapter 3
Intellectual and Cultural Property
§1 Introduction
§1.1 Intangible Property
§1.2 Theories of Intellectual Property
§2 Unfair Competition and Misappropriation
§3 Trademark Law
Qualitex Co. v. Jacobson Products Co. (1995)
§4 Copyright Law
§4.1 Original Works of Authorship
A. The Copyright Act
Copyright Act of 1976
B. “Original” Works
Feist Publications, Inc. v. Rural Telephone Service Co. (1991)
§4.2 Fair Use
Suntrust Bank v. Houghton Mifflin Co. (2001)
§4.3 Moral Rights
§5 Patent Law
§5.1 Patentability
Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, Inc. (2013)
Juicy Whip, Inc. v. Orange Bang, Inc. (1999)
§5.2 Patent Remedies
eBay, Inc. v. MercExchange, L.L.C. (2006)
§6 Publicity Rights
Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Social Change v. American
Heritage Products (1982)
§7 Cultural Property
§7.1 The International Market in Cultural Property
United States v. Schultz (2002)
§7.2 Native American Cultural Property
Wana the Bear v. Community Construction, Inc. (1982)
Chapter 4
Human Beings and Human Bodies
§1 Property Rights in Human Beings
§2 Slavery
Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857)
§3 Children
In the Matter of Baby M (1988)
§4 Frozen Embryos
§5 Body Parts
§5.1 Are Body Parts Property?
Moore v. Regents of the University of California (1990)
§5.2 Markets in Body Parts
Flynn v. Holder (2012)
PART THREE
RELATIONS AMONG NEIGHBORS
Chapter 5
Adverse Possession
§1 Title versus Possession
§1.1 Border Disputes
Brown v. Gobble (1996)
§1.2 Color of Title
Romero v. Garcia (1976)
§1.3 Squatters
Nome 2000 v. Fagerstrom (1990)
§2 Justifications for Adverse Possession: “Roots Which We Should Not
Disturb” or “Land Piracy”?
§3 Prescriptive Easements
Community Feed Store, Inc. v. Northeastern Culvert Corp. (1989)
§4 Other Informal Ways to Transfer Title to Real Property
§4.1 The Improving Trespasser
A. Removal of Encroaching Structures: Relative Hardship
B. Enrichment versus Forced Sale
Somerville v. Jacobs (1969)
§4.2 Boundary Settlement
A. Oral Agreement
B. Acquiescence
C. Estoppel
D. Laches
§4.3 Dedication
§4.4 Riparian Owners: Accretion and Avulsion
§5 Adverse Possession of Personal Property
Chapter 6
Nuisance: Resolving Conflicts Between Free Use and Quiet Enjoyment
§1 Land Use Conflicts Among Neighbors
§2 Nuisance
§2.1 Defining Unreasonable Interference
Dobbs v. Wiggins (2010)
Page County Appliance Center, Inc. v. Honeywell, Inc. (1984)
§2.2 Nuisance Remedies
Boomer v. Atlantic Cement Co. (1970)
§2.3 Nuisance or Trespass?
Johnson v. Paynesville Farmers Union Cooperative Oil Co. (2012)
§3 Light and Air
Fontainebleau Hotel Corp. v. Forty-Five Twenty-Five, Inc. (1959)
Prah v. Maretti (1982)
Law and Economics Analysis of Nuisance
§4 Water Rights
§4.1 Diffuse Surface Water: Flooding Problems
Armstrong v. Francis Corp. (1956)
Policy Arguments and Counterarguments
§4.2 Ownership of Water
§5 Support Rights
§5.1 Lateral Support
Noone v. Price (1982)
Massachusetts State Building Code
International Building Code §3307
§5.2 Subjacent Support
Friendswood Development Co. v. Smith-Southwest Industries, Inc.
(1978)
Chapter 7
Land Use and Natural Resources Regulation
§1 Land Use Regulation: Origins, Authority, and Process
§1.1 The Roots and Structure of Zoning
§1.2 Zoning Authority and Validity
Village of Euclid v. Ambler Realty Co. (1926)
§1.3 Other Land Use Regulatory Regimes
§1.4 Modernizing Zoning
§1.5 Patterns in Land Use Litigation
§2 Constraints on Zoning Authority to Protect Preexisting Property Rights
§2.1 Prior Nonconforming Uses
Town of Belleville v. Parrillo’s, Inc. (1980)
§2.2 Vested Rights
Stone v. City of Wilton (1983)
§3 Rezoning and Challenges to Zoning Classifications
Durand v. IDC Bellingham, L.L.C. (2003)
§4 Administrative Flexibility: Zoning Boards
§4.1 Variances
Krummenacher v. Minnetonka (2010)
§4.2 Special Exceptions
§5 The Problem of Exclusionary Zoning
Southern Burlington County NAACP v. Township of Mount Laurel
(1975)
§6 Expression, Speech, and Religion in Land Use
§6.1 Aesthetic Zoning, Expression, and Discretion
Anderson v. City of Issaquah (1993)
§6.2 Restrictions on Free Speech in Land Use Regulation
§6.3 Freedom of Religion and Religious Land Uses
Westchester Day School v. Village of Mamaroneck (2007)
§7 Environmental Regulations and Land Use
§7.1 Owner Liability for Hazardous Wastes
§7.2 Environmental Impact Assessment
§7.3 Climate Change and Land Use Planning: Mitigation and Adaptation
§8 Natural Resources Regulation
§8.1 Regulating Property in Natural Resources
§8.2 Water Law
State Department of Ecology v. Grimes (1993)
Chapter 8
Servitudes: Rules Governing Contractual Restrictions on Land Use
§1 Servitudes
§2 Easements
§2.1 Definition and Background
§2.2 Creation by Express Agreement
A. Writing (Statute of Frauds)
California Statute of Frauds
New York Statute of Frauds
B. Limits on Negative Easements
C. Running with the Land
§2.3 Interpretation of Ambiguous Easements
A. Appurtenant or In Gross
Green v. Lupo (1982)
B. Scope and Apportionment
Cox v. Glenbrook Co. (1962)
Henley v. Continental Cablevision of St. Louis County, Inc. (1985)
§2.4 Creation of Easements by Implication
A. Easements by Estoppel
Lobato v. Taylor (2002)
B. Easements Implied from Prior Use
Granite Properties Limited Partnership v. Manns (1987)
C. Easements by Necessity
Finn v. Williams (1941)
§2.5 Modifying and Terminating Easements
§3 Covenants
§3.1 Definition and Background
§3.2 Creation of Covenants
A. The Traditional Test
Neponsit Property Owners’ Association v. Emigrant Industrial
Savings Bank (1938)
B. The Restatement (Third) and Its Influence
C. Remedies
§4 Covenants in Residential Subdivisions, Condominiums, and Other Multiple
Owner Developments
§4.1 Implied Reciprocal Negative Servitudes in Residential Subdivisions
Evans v. Pollock (1990)
Sanborn v. McLean (1925)
Riley v. Bear Creek Planning Committee (1976)
§4.2 Common Interest Developments and Property Owners Associations
A. Residential Subdivisions and Condominiums
B. Cooperatives
C. Community Land Trusts and Limited Equity Co-ops
D. Competing Perspectives
§4.3 Relationship Between Unit Owners and Developers
Appel v. Presley Cos. (1991)
§5 Substantive Limitations on Creation and Enforcement of Covenants
§5.1 Review for Reasonableness and Public Policy Violations
A. Covenants
Davidson Brothers, Inc. v. D. Katz & Sons, Inc. (1994)
Nahrstedt v. Lakeside Village Condominium Association, Inc. (1994)
B. Rules and Bylaws
O’Buck v. Cottonwood Village Condominium Association, Inc. (1988)
Neuman v. Grandview at Emerald Hills, Inc. (2003)
§5.2 Constitutional Limitations
Shelley v. Kraemer (1948)
§5.3 The Fair Housing Act
§5.4 Restraints on Alienation
Northwest Real Estate Co. v. Serio (1929)
Woodside Village Condominium Association, Inc. v. Jahren (2002)
§5.5 Anticompetitive Covenants
§6 Modifying and Terminating Covenants
§6.1 Changed Conditions
El Di, Inc. v. Town of Bethany Beach (1984)
§6.2 Relative Hardship
§6.3 Other Equitable Defenses
§6.4 Statutes
Blakeley v. Gorin (1974)
PART FOUR
OWNERSHIP IN COMMON
Chapter 9
Concurrent, Family, and Entity Property
§1 Varieties of Common Ownership
§2 Concurrent Tenancies
§2.1 Forms of Concurrent Tenancies
A. Tenancy in Common
B. Joint Tenancy
C. Tenancy by the Entirety
§2.2 Sharing Rights and Responsibilities Between Co-Owners
A. Division of Benefits and Expenses
B. Conflicts over Rent and Possession
Olivas v. Olivas (1989)
C. Conflicts over Unilateral Transfers in Tenancy in Common and
Joint Tenancy
Carr v. Deking (1988)
Tenhet v. Boswell (1976)
D. Conflicts over Transfers in Tenancies by the Entirety
Sawada v. Endo (1977)
§2.3 Partition
Ark Land Co. v. Harper (2004)
§3 Family Property
§3.1 Marital Property: Historical Background
A. Coverture, Dower, and Curtesy
B. Married Women’s Property Acts
§3.2 Community Property and Separate Property
A. Separate Property
B. Community Property
C. Premarital Agreements
D. Homestead Laws
§3.3 Divorce: Equitable Distribution of Property
Montana Equitable Distribution Statute
O’Brien v. O’Brien (1985)
§3.4 Child Support
§3.5 Unmarried Partners
Watts v. Watts (1987)
§3.6 Same-Sex Partners
§4 Entity Property
Berle & Means, The Modern Corporation and Private Property
(1932)
Butler, The Contractual Theory of the Corporation (1989)
Chapter 10
Present Estates and Future Interests
§1 Division of Ownership over Time
§2 Historical Background: Death and Taxes
§3 The Contemporary Estates System
§3.1 Fee Simple Interests
A. Fee Simple Absolute
B. Defeasible Fees
§3.2 Life Estates
A. Reversions and Remainders
B. Contingent and Vested Remainders
C. Destructibility of Contingent Remainders
§4 Interpretation of Ambiguous Conveyances
§4.1 Presumption Against Forfeitures and the Grantor ’s Intent
A. Fee Simple versus Defeasible Fee
Wood v. Board of County Commissioners of Fremont County (1988)
B. Fee Simple versus Life Estate
Edwards v. Bradley (1984)
§4.2 Waste
McIntyre v. Scarbrough (1996)
§4.3 Charitable Trusts and the Cy Pres Doctrine
Evans v. Abney (1970)
§5 Regulatory Estates and Future Interests
§5.1 Rule Against Creation of New Estates (The Numerus Clausus Doctrine)
Johnson v. Whiton (1893)
§5.2 Rule Against Unreasonable Restraints on Alienation
§5.3 Rule Against Perpetuities
A. The Traditional Rule
B. Modern Approaches and the Rise of the Perpetuity
C. Other Statutory Limits on Future Interests
D. Commercial Future Interests: Options to Purchase and
Preemptive Rights
Symphony Space, Inc. v. Pergola Properties, Inc. (1996)
§5.4 Rule Against Unreasonable Restraints on Marriage
Estate of Guidotti (2001)
Chapter 11
Leaseholds
§1 Leasehold Estates
§1.1 Categories of Tenancies
§1.2 Commercial and Residential Tenancies
§1.3 Regulation of Landlord-Tenant Relationships
§1.4 Distinguishing Tenancies from Other Property Relationships
Vásquez v. Glassboro Service Association, Inc. (1980)
§2 Conflicts About Occupancy
§2.1 Initial Occupancy: Landlord’s Duty to Deliver Possession
§2.2 During the Leasehold
A. Landlord’s Right to Inspect and Repair
Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act §3.103
B. Tenant’s Right to Receive Visitors and to Marry
C. Tenant’s Duties Not to Commit Waste or Cause a Nuisance, and
the Problem of Domestic Violence
D. Tenant Use Restrictions and Obligations
§2.3 Transfers of the Landlord’s Leasehold Interest
§2.4 Assigning and Subleasing
Kendall v. Ernest Pestana, Inc. (1985)
Slavin v. Rent Control Board of Brookline (1990)
§2.5 Tenant’s Right to Terminate Early
§2.6 The End of the Tenancy: Landlord’s Right to Recover Possession versus
Tenant’s Right to Remain
§3 Conflicts About Rent
§3.1 Landlord’s Remedies When Tenant Fails to Pay Rent
§3.2 Landlord’s Duty to Mitigate Damages
Sommer v. Kridel (1977)
§3.3 Security Deposits
§3.4 Rent Control
§4 Tenant’s Rights to Quiet Enjoyment and Habitable Premises
§4.1 The Covenant of Quiet Enjoyment and Constructive Eviction
Minjak Co. v. Randolph (1988)
3000 B.C. v. Bowman Properties Ltd. (2008)
§4.2 Warranty of Habitability
Javins v. First National Realty Corp. (1970)
§4.3 Retaliatory Eviction
Hillview Associates v. Bloomquist (1989)
Imperial Colliery Co. v. Fout (1988)
§4.4 Landlord’s Tort Liability to Tenants
§4.5 Minimum Standards Revisited
PART FIVE
THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK OF THE MARKET FOR REAL ESTATE
Chapter 12
Real Estate Transactions
§1 Real Estate Transactions: Structure and Roles
§1.1 Attorneys’ Transactional Roles
§1.2 Phases of the Transaction
A. Pre-Contracting and the Role of Brokers
B. Contracting: The Purchase and Sale Agreement
C. The Executory Period
D. Closing
E. Post-Closing
§2 Purchase and Sale Agreements: Form, Formalities, and Remedies
§2.1 The Terms of the Agreement
Offer to Purchase Real Estate
Standard Form Purchase and Sale Agreement
§2.2 Statute of Frauds versus Part Performance and Estoppel
Burns v. McCormick (1922)
Hickey v. Green (1982)
§2.3 What Constitutes a Breach of the Contract
A. Misrepresentation and Fraudulent Nondisclosure
Johnson v. Davis (1985)
B. Seller ’s Failure to Provide Marketable Title
C. Seller ’s Breach of Warranty of Habitability for New Residential
Real Estate
D. Buyer ’s Failure to Make Good Faith Efforts to Obtain Financing
§2.4 Remedies for Breach of the Purchase and Sale Agreement
A. Buyer ’s Remedies
B. Seller ’s Remedies
§3 Deeds
§3.1 Essential Terms
Sample Deed
§3.2 Delivery
§3.3 Title Covenants
A. Warranties of Title
B. Remedies for Breach of Warranty of Title
§4 Real Estate Finance
§4.1 The Basic Structure of Real Estate Finance
§4.2 Mortgage Regulation and the Subprime Crisis
A. Regulating Mortgage Markets
B. Securitization and the Subprime Crisis
Commonwealth v. Fremont Investment & Loan (2008)
§4.3 Defaults and the Right to Foreclose
U.S. Bank National Association v. Ibanez (2011)
§4.4 Foreclosure Sales
Baskurt v. Beal (2004)
§4.5 Alternative Financing Arrangements
A. Installment Land Contracts
Sebastian v. Floyd (1979)
B. Equitable Mortgages
Koenig v. Van Reken (1979)
§5 The Recording System
§5.1 Recording Acts
A. Recording Act Fundamentals
B. How to Conduct a Title Search
C. Types of Recording Acts
D. Who Qualifies as a Bona Fide Purchaser?
§5.2 Chain of Title Problems
Sabo v. Horvath (1976)
§5.3 Equitable Subrogation
§5.4 Fraud and Forgery
Brock v. Yale Mortgage Corporation (2010)
McCoy v. Love (1980)
§5.5 Marketable Title Acts and Other Ways to Clear Title
§5.6 Title Companies and the Recording System
§5.7 Title Registration
Chapter 13
Fair Housing Law
§1 Introduction to Fair Housing
§1.1 Sources of Fair Housing Law
§1.2 The Fair Housing Act
Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. §§3601-3605, 3607, 3613, 3617, 3631
§1.3 Advertising and the Reach of the Fair Housing Act
Fair Housing Council of San Fernando Valley v. Roommate.com, LLC
(2012)
§2 Intentional Discrimination or Disparate Treatment
§2.1 Discrimination on the Basis of Race
Asbury v. Brougham (1989)
§2.2 Integration and Nondiscrimination
United States v. Starrett City Associates (1988)
§2.3 Sex Discrimination: Sexual Harassment
Quigley v. Winter (2010)
§2.4 Discrimination Based on Familial Status
Human Rights Commission v. LaBrie, Inc. (1995)
§2.5 Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation
State ex rel. Sprague v. City of Madison (1996)
§2.6 Source of Income and Other Economic Discrimination
DiLiddo v. Oxford Street Realty, Inc. (2007)
§3 Disparate Impact or Discriminatory Effects Claims
§3.1 Racially Discriminatory Effects in Land Use Regulation
Huntington Branch, NAACP v. Town of Huntington (1988)
§3.2 HUD’s Discriminatory Effects Rule
§4 Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities
§4.1 Reasonable Accommodations and Modifications
Janush v. Charities Housing Development Corp. (2000)
§4.2 Integration and the Example of Group Homes for Persons with
Disabilities
Familystyle of St. Paul, Inc. v. City of St. Paul (1991)
§5 Fair Lending
M & T Mortgage Corp. v. Foy (2008)
PART SIX
CONSTITUTIONAL PROTECTION FOR PROPERTY
Chapter 14
Equal Protection and Due Process
§1 Property as a Mediator Between Citizens and the State: Defining versus
Defending Property Rights
Miller v. Schoene (1928)
§2 Equal Protection
Village of Willowbrook v. Olech (2000)
§3 Due Process
§3.1 Procedural and Substantive Due Process
Bonner v. City of Brighton (2012)
§3.2 Property Regulations Burdening Fundamental Rights
Village of Belle Terre v. Boraas (1974)
Moore v. City of East Cleveland (1977)
§3.3 Forfeiture
Bennis v. Michigan (1996)
Chapter 15
Takings Law
§1 Eminent Domain
§1.1 The Eminent Domain Power and the Condemnation Process
§1.2 Public Use
Kelo v. City of New London (2005)
§1.3 Just Compensation
§1.4 Expropriation Without “Taking”
Tee-Hit-Ton Indians v. United States (1955)
§2 An Introduction to Regulatory Takings
§2.1 Historical Origins
Pennsylvania Coal Co. v. Mahon (1922)
§2.2 “Categorical” Regulatory Takings and the Ad Hoc Test
§2.3 Regulatory Takings and Due Process
§3 The Ad Hoc Test: Fairness and Justice
§3.1 The Foundation of the Ad Hoc Test
Penn Central Transportation Co. v. New York City (1978)
§3.2 Takings Statutes
§3.3 Justifying Regulatory Takings
§4 “Per Se” Takings
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couple of thousand dollars that I don’t need just now. If you think your
carrier friend could use it, he’s very welcome to it.”
Dallas looked at him in great astonishment. This generous offer quite
took her breath away. Her tone was a little less hostile as she said:
“Why, that’s very kind of you, Mr. Hines; but I don’t think Owen—Mr.
Sheridan is in need of money.”
“I reckon he is,” replied Jake, with a grin. “I know very well that he ain’t
got a dollar to his name. I don’t like the feller—he’s a crook, and I ain’t got
any use for crooks—but at the same time, as I say, I feel sorry for him. And,
besides, he’s a friend of yours, and any friend of yours, little one, can
command Jake Hines’ bank roll. So you tell him the next time you see him
that if he can use a couple of thousand he’s welcome to it.”
With these words he hurried out of the office, satisfied that he had
succeeded in his mission.
“It’s sure to work,” he said to himself as he walked back to the club.
“From the look on that guy’s face, I’m sure that it’s only the lack of funds
which prevents him from beatin’ it. As soon as he learns that there’s a
chance for him to get hold of enough dough to make a safe get-away he’ll
grab at it quick.”
When Dallas saw Owen a little later she repeated to him what Hines had
said, and the young man, greatly mystified, went to report the incident to his
friend and counselor, Judge Lawrence.
“What on earth does it mean, judge?” he inquired. “What is their game in
offering me money?”
The lawyer laughed. “It is very clear what their game is, my boy. They
are in hopes that you are in such terror of the coming trial that you can be
tempted to seek safety in flight. The two thousand dollars is intended to pay
your expenses.”
Owen frowned; then his face suddenly lighted up. “Say, judge, I’ve got
another idea. Couldn’t we make great capital out of this offer? What’s the
matter with my accepting this money from Hines, in the presence of
concealed witnesses, then exposing the whole game? The very fact that they
are trying to induce me to jump my bail ought to be enough to prove that
they are behind this conspiracy.”
Judge Lawrence smiled. “I was thinking of that, but it wouldn’t work.
Those rascals are too smart to lay themselves open to a trap of that sort. That
is why Hines went to Miss Worthington instead of making that offer direct to
you.
“You see,” he went on, “while we can readily guess their motive, they
haven’t said anything that would incriminate them. Hines simply offered to
lend you some money, which might be taken as a philanthropic and
disinterested act on his part. He did not suggest that the money be used to
defray the expenses of your flight. He would claim that he thought you
might be able to use it to defray the expense of your defense.
“And, besides, you can rest assured that if you agreed to accept the
money, Hines wouldn’t be so careless as to make out the check to you. He
would make it out to Miss Worthington. There’s nothing criminal in a man
lending or giving a couple of thousand dollars to a young lady whose
friendship he ardently seeks. That’s the answer which they would make to an
attempt on our part to make capital out of the incident.”
Sheridan realized the logic of this, and Hines’ offer was turned down flat.
Boss Coggswell was greatly disappointed when his lieutenant reported to
him that the letter carrier had refused to avail himself of this opportunity to
seek safety in flight.
“It is too bad,” he sighed. “I would have preferred to let this unfortunate
young man down easy. He has chosen unwisely. A sojourn abroad is much
more pleasant than several years behind bars. But since he refuses to accept
my aid,” he went on, those expressive ears of his wagging rapidly, “I’m
afraid he’ll have to go to jail. Yes, Jake, as much as it pains me to have to
say it, I am quite certain now that he’ll have to go to jail.”
CHAPTER XII.
ON THE STAND.
Boss Coggswell was not present in the courtroom when Owen Sheridan’s
came up for trial. Not that he was not interested, nor was it a feeling of
delicacy which kept him away; but he realized that his presence might excite
comment and lend color to the accused man’s assertion that he was the
victim of a conspiracy.
“You’ll be there, of course, Jake,” he said to his subordinate, “and I’ll rely
on you to bring me the news just as soon as a verdict is reached.”
Hines grinned. “Yes, you can bet your boots, boss, that I won’t lose any
time gettin’ here with the glad tidings. I guess you’re right in decidin’ not to
be present. It’d look pretty raw for you to go to court. No use takin’ any
unnecessary chances.”
“It isn’t that, Jake,” replied Coggswell deprecatingly. “It isn’t that, my
boy. I have no reason to be afraid. When one’s conscience is clear, one
doesn’t have to worry about what people might think. But the fact is, Jake, I
have a tender heart—you ought to know that by this time—and I could not
bear to be present to witness that poor man’s sufferings.”
Hines grinned again, and looked at his chief admiringly. “All right, boss,”
he said. “You wait here, and I’ll bring you the news as soon as the jury
brings in a verdict.”
Hines had not the slightest doubt as to what that verdict was going to be.
He felt confident that the evidence against Sheridan was so crushingly
conclusive that the jury wouldn’t hesitate more than three minutes before
deciding that he was guilty.
If he had any apprehensions on the subject they would have been
dispelled by what he had seen that morning. He had encountered Owen on
the street, walking arm in arm with Judge Lawrence, and if ever two men
looked worried, the accused carrier and his counsel did.
“Poor gink!” said Mr. Hines to himself. “I guess he’s sorry by this time
that he didn’t take that money and beat it while he had the chance. Wonder
how he’ll look in a suit of stripes and with his hair close cropped.”
There was a broad grin upon his face as he entered the courtroom and
seated himself on one of the rear benches. Catching the presiding judge’s eye
leveled sternly upon him, and suddenly realizing that his levity was hardly
decorous, he hurriedly assumed a serious mien.
He found it difficult to refrain from chuckling as the case progressed,
however, for as witness after witness took the stand to testify against
Sheridan, and the strong chain of circumstantial evidence was presented link
by link to the jury, the prisoner’s counsel, eminent lawyer though he was,
seemed to become more and more baffled and depressed.
Ex-Judge Lawrence was famed for his skill as a cross-examiner. This was
the only point on which Coggswell and Hines had been apprehensive. They
feared that there was a possibility of some of the witnesses going to pieces
under the vigorous, searching questioning of counsel for the defense.
But, to Hines’ great relief, the ex-judge, in this case, gave no evidence of
being an expert at the art of cross-examination. He did not succeed in
“rattling” a single witness; in fact, he handled them all so mildly and
apparently with so little spirit that Hines muttered to himself
contemptuously:
“Huh! Him a great lawyer! Guess he’s been very much overrated. Why, I
know a whole lot of ordinary police-court counselors that could give him
cards and spades.”
William Warren, wholesale liquor dealer, was the first witness to take the
stand. He testified that he had sent his good friend Michael Harrington, a
saloon keeper, a gold watch by registered mail. He had placed the watch in
the package in the presence of two witnesses, who had also been with him
when he handed in the package at the registry window of a downtown post
office.
Judge Lawrence asked this witness but four questions in cross-
examination:
“Are you acquainted with Samuel J. Coggswell, Mr. Warren?”
“I never had the pleasure of meeting the gentleman.”
“Are you acquainted with a young man named Jake Hines—a prominent
member of the Samuel J. Coggswell Association? Before answering this
question, Mr. Warren, let me remind you that you are under oath.”
“It ain’t necessary to remind me of no such thing,” retorted the witness
indignantly. “Yes, I know Mr. Hines. I am proud to say that he is a good
friend of mine.” He glanced across at the spectators’ benches, and Jake
smiled at him an acknowledgment of this compliment.
They had expected this question, knowing that it was the accused
carrier’s hope to be able to make the jury believe that he was the victim of a
conspiracy. They had decided that Warren should tell the truth, and admit
that he knew Hines. To have denied the fact would have been dangerous.
There was no telling that the defense did not have witnesses at hand ready to
take the stand and swear that they knew of the friendship.
“Yes, I know Jake Hines,” the witness repeated, almost belligerently; “but
that don’t——”
“Did you meet him, or in any way have communication with him, on the
day you sent the registered package?” interrupted counsel for the defense.
“Yes,” replied the witness unhesitatingly. “Mr. Hines came to my office
that day. He was in the neighborhood, and he dropped in to make a social
call.”
This question, too, had been expected. Warren had made up his mind to
answer it truthfully, for it was quite possible that Hines had been seen
entering his office.
“And at that meeting between Hines and yourself, Mr. Warren,” counsel
for the defense went on, “did either of you say anything about this watch
which you were going to send to Harrington?”
“Not a word,” emphatically replied the witness, who was prepared for
this question also. “Not a single word, sir. We never spoke about the watch at
all. Hines didn’t know that I was going to send it.”
As the conversation which had taken place that day between Hines and
himself had been behind a closed door, with no chance of anybody having
overheard them, Warren felt that he was quite safe in making this denial.
“That’s all,” said the cross-examiner, with an audible sigh, and the
witness, as he stepped down, exchanged a triumphant glance with Jake
Hines.
The next witnesses were the men who had been in Warren’s office when
he placed the watch in the package, and who had accompanied him to the
post office and seen the package handed in at the registry window. Both of
them were reputable business men, and Owen’s lawyer made no attempt to
impeach their testimony. In cross-examination he let each of them off with
but a single question, which was the same in each case:
“On the way to the post office, where did Mr. Warren carry the package
in which you had seen him place the watch?”
“In the left-hand pocket of his coat,” the two witnesses both answered.
Michael Harrington, the saloon keeper, testified that the package
contained no watch when he opened it; which statement was corroborated by
several witnesses who had been present in the saloon when the accused
postman brought in the registered package.
Harrington made a good impression on the stand. He denied that he knew
Jake Hines, except by reputation, and volunteered the information that he
had “no use for Sam Coggswell, or any of his bunch,” being himself of the
opposite political party. Hines could not help grinning at Judge Lawrence’s
evident discomfiture.
The pawnbroker’s clerk, an exceedingly nervous young man, who took
the stand and swore that Owen had pledged the watch for forty dollars, was
cross-examined at greater length than any of the previous witnesses.
Counsel for the defense, however, could not shake his testimony. He
admitted that he was acquainted with Jake Hines, but denied that the latter
had been in the pawnshop that day, or had held any conversation with him
regarding the watch. Another audible sigh came from Judge Lawrence as
this witness left the stand.
The two post-office inspectors testified to having found the pawn ticket in
Owen’s trunk, and a half dozen of the employees of the Branch X Y took the
stand and reluctantly stated that Carrier Sheridan had tried to borrow thirty
dollars from them that day.
Owen’s counsel did not attempt to cross-examine any of these witnesses.
As the last of them left the stand and the prosecutor announced that this
closed the government’s case, Jake Hines leaned back in his seat and smiled
expansively.
“Let ’em beat that if they can,” he muttered confidently. “I can see from
the looks of the jury that they’ve made up their minds already.”
TO BE CONTINUED.
HE WANTED TO KNOW.
It was customary with the French marshal, Bassompierre, when any one
of his soldiers were brought before him for heinous offenses, to say to him:
“By heavens, brother, you or I will certainly be hanged!” which was a
sufficient indication of their fate.
A spy, being discovered in his camp, was addressed in these terms; and
next day, as the provost was carrying the culprit to the gallows, he pressed
earnestly for leave to speak with the marshal, alleging that he had something
of importance to communicate.
The marshal, being made acquainted with his request, exclaimed, in his
customary rough and hasty manner:
“It is the way of these rascals; when ordered for execution, they pretend
some frivolous story, merely to reprieve themselves for a few moments.
However, bring the dog hither.”
When the culprit made his appearance, the marshal asked him what he
had to say.
“Why, my lord,” replied he, “when I first had the honor of your
conversation, you were obliging enough to say that either you or I should be
hanged; now I come to know whether it is your pleasure to be so; because, if
you won’t I must, that’s all!”
Needless to say that the rascal was pardoned.
A Kangaroo Cat.
Mrs. Pussy Cat, who lives at the home of Thomas Evans, in Newport,
Ky., is greatly worried over one of her offspring. No other member of Mrs.
Cat’s numerous family is like the newcomer. This kitten has only two feet
and walks or hops about like a kangaroo. There are only tufts of fur where
the front legs ought to be. In hopping about, the kitten balances itself with its
tail, which it uses as a sort of rudder.
Transcontinental Pedestrians.
In competition with Edward Payson Weston, the veteran walker, and to
win a fifteen-hundred-dollar prize offered by the Panama-Pacific Exposition,
Mr. and Mrs. Tom Jackley are walking across the country, with the
requirement that they “make” the capital of each of the forty-eight States
within three years. They left San Francisco September 12, 1912, and seem
sure of winning, as they are now in the East, and have four months to reach
Augusta, Maine. They are forbidden to ride in any way, and may obtain
money only by selling pictures of themselves.