The Great Squatter Takeover of 1891

Judge Hanford, of the United States circuit court, today handed down a decision in the Carr vs. Smith & Fife land contest case, involving nearly $2,000,000 worth of property. The court decides that 'the plaintiff failed to make a case entitling him to any relief according to the principle of equity and without considering the affirmative defenses pleaded a decree dismissing the suit must be awarded.' Pending the decision of the court, the tract, known as the Smith & Fife addition, located near the residence center of the city, has been taken possession of by about 300 squatters. In one day upwards of a 100 squatters' shacks were built. On behalf of the squatters, claim will be made to the property, and before the decree is issued, leave will be granted for them to intervene. In a nutshell, the points of interest in the case are, that a soldier named Carr took up the quarter section under the homestead act, but left it before holding it long enough to acquire title, had he not been, as he claims, an honorably discharged soldier. Later, one Robert Sprule, a sort of adventurer, contested Carr's claim and secured a title. Still later, Carr's friends attempted to regain possession of the property by setting up the claim that Carr was entitled to same before Sprule appeared upon the scene, he having held the quarter section long enough, together with the time served in the Federal army, to warrant the vesting of title to him.