| Show rilE WlCaiTA FOKGBRY CASES Dismissed at the Instance of the Prosecuting Attorney The cases against Osborne and Friend the two young men from Wichita Kcnsas have been dismissed dis-missed In the Third District Court at the instance of Mr Peters who stated that the witnesses refused to come and as they were not within the jurisdiction of the court it would be useless to attempt to force them These will be remembered as the cases tried last year in both of which the jury disagreed dis-agreed standinp it is understood 8 to 4 The theory of the prosecution was to the effect that in 1873 or 1874 the Reverend John Murphy owned a couple of lots in Wichita Kansas which he had taken as payment for his services from one of his parishioners they were comparatively valueless at the titue so much BO in fact that the reverend gentleman paid little or no attention to them Soon after coming into possession posses-sion of this property Murphy left Wichita and was absent several years he disappeared so completely T at no trace could be had and as time passed the lots were sold for taxes and became be-came the property or the State When the boom reached Wichita real estate went up at a furious rate and soon these los which could have been bought at the time Murphy obtained possession of tbjem for a song became very valuable and as the tax law had been repealed they reverted back to the reverend Then st was that inquiries began to be made of his whereabouts and he was diligently searched for by dealers who were anxious to get his property At that time it was alleged Friend and Os borne were partners in the real estate ousmess botn left Wichita for the west their destination being Portland Oregon and on their way stopped at Salt Like They afterwards returned to Wichita where they produced a deed to the lots above named signed with the name of the Reverend John Mur hy and obtained possession of the and in question The theory of the defense was that they obtained the deed from the Reverend Rev-erend Murphy at Pleasant Vallev Junction while on their way to Salt Like The cases occupied several days being tried in November last and elicited a great deal of interest and comment at the time One of the principal witnesses for the prosecution was Judge Ruggles who will be remembered re-membered as a portly aldermanic individual in-dividual weighing something over 200 pounds and who has since that time eloped with a young girl of about 18 and who was emyloyed by him as a typewriter and stenographer |
