USA > Pennsylvania > Lehigh County > History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. I > Part 47
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He attended the public schools of the city, and later he took a course in the Allentown Seminary and Allentown Academy.
He taught school for one term in the city, and had entered the office of Hon. Robert E. Wright as a law student, but his ambitions to become a member of the bar were interrupted by his en- listment in the Union Army. He was mustered in on August 13, 1862, as a corporal of Company D, 128th regiment.
A little more than a month later, on September 17th, the regiment received its baptism of fire at Antietam, where Corporal Sowden was wounded in the leg, and left for dead but was dragged from the field by a comrade to a place of safety. Mr. Sowden suffered from the wound up to his death. A legacy from England enabled Mr. Sowden in 1863, to enter the law depart- ment of Harvard College. Graduating in 1865, he returned to Allentown and having on Sep- tember 6, 1864, been admitted to the Lehigh County Bar, he began the practice of his pro- fession, and soon built up an extensive practice. Although for many years a respected member of
the bar, it was in politics that Mr. Sowden made his reputation which became national before he was in middle-life. In his early years, he ac- cepted the faith of the Democratic party, and he had barely reached his majority before his in- fluence became felt. In 1868, he was elected to his first political office, that of solicitor to the county commissioners and by a strange coinci- · dence, his career ended with the same office.
In 1872 he was elected district attorney. He had been elected for two years, the term ending October 1, 1874, but by the change made by the new Constitution he served three months longer than the period for which he had been elected.
Sowden's aggressive style of campaigning had already become widely known and as early as 1864, his services as stump speaker had been sought, he having in that year made many speech- es in Pennsylvania for his old commander, Gen- eral George B. McClellan, who was the Demo- cratic nominee for president against Abraham Lincoln. In 1868 he stumped the state for Ho- ratio Seymour for president, and four years later he did similar service for Horace Greeley ..
In 1874 Sowden became a Democratic candi- date for the nomination of lieutenant governor, an office that was created by the new Constitu- tion. He was defeated by his opponent, John Latta, who several months after was elected.
In 1875 he was a delegate to the Democratic State Convention at Erie, in the days of the green- back craze. It was one of the most memorable conventions ever held in this state. Sowden stood for what was then known as the money of the Constitution and the "dollar of our daddies"- gold and silver-and so determined a fight did he make that he kept the convention together two days and a half, although the business should have been finished in less than half that time.
In 1876 found Sowden for the first time a candidate for congress in the Tenth District, which was then composed of Lehigh, North- ampton and a part of Bucks counties. He was however defeated for the nomination by Samuel A. Bridges by an apparent majority of one vote.
In 1880, being a district delegate to the Na- tional Convention at Cincinnati he helped to nominate General Winfield Scott Hancock as the Democratic candidate for the presidency.
Two years later he led the Lehigh delegation that nominated Robert E. Pattison for governor. In 1883 he made his famous fight for the adop- tion of the Crawford County System, under which the people voted directly for the candidates of their choice instead of delegates. It remained in vogue until 1904, when it was abolished only to be re-adopted the year after the restoration of the delegate system had disrupted the party
243
BENCH AND BAR.
as Mr. Sowden declared it would. In 1884 Sowden again became a congressional candidate, this time under the Crawford County System. He had for his opponents Evan Holben, C. J. Erdman, and Melchior H. Horn.
After a bitter fight he won at the primaries by only fifty majority and in November of that year, he was elected to the Forty-ninth Congress. In the same year he was elected a delegate-at- large to the national convention at Chicago, which nominated Grover Cleveland for the presidency.
In 1886 he was re-nominated for congress and so much pleased were the Republicans with Mr. Sowden's attitude upon the tariff questions that they did not nominate a candidate against him. His second term began March 4th, 1887, but the Fiftieth Congress did not meet until the follow- ing December. Mr. Sowden, although an out and out protectionist, was placed on some of the most desirable committees and his popularity among the leaders of both parties became more and more manifest in many ways. During this session he had a bill passed appropriating money for a public building in Allentown. Because of his voting to defeat the Mills Tariff bill recom- mended by President Cleveland the bill was ve- toed.
On account of his vote on the tariff bill the politicians of the county saw a chance to punish him and read him out of the party. At their county meeting they passed resolutions condemn- ing his actions, and would not allow him to de- fend himself. The following year at their county meeting his course which had been previously denounced was sustained. The year 1890 found him once more a delegate to the state convention at Scranton and he helped again to nominate Robert E. Pattison for governor. In 1892 he stumped the New England states and New York for the National Democratic Committee when Cleveland was elected the second time.
Two years later he ran for the Democratic congressional nomination against C. J. Erdman and M. C. Kline. Mr. Erdman was success- ful. In 1896 he was the Democratic nominee for mayor, but was defeated by Fred E. Lewis by 236 majority. The same year William Jennings Bryan was nominated for president upon the free silver platform and Mr. Sowden was the leading exponent of his cause in this county.
Two years later he became a Democratic can- didate for governor, but when the Lehigh delega- tion arrived at Altoona the leaders had practically nominated George A. Jenks and Mr. Sowden was nominated for lieutenant governor. He stumped the state for two months and although defeated ran far ahead of his ticket. From 1900 to 1902 he was city solicitor and his record here,
as in all the public offices that he held, was clean and honorable.
The Democratic state convention in 1900 elected Mr. Sowden delegate-at-large to the na- tional convention at Kansas City, which nomi- nated Bryan for president the second time. Mr. Sowden was a leader in the convention and made a speech seconding the nomination of Adlai Stev- enson, of Illinois, for vice president.
Mr. Sowden was again a candidate for con- gressional nomination in 1902, and was defeated by a very narrow margin. It was then, because of his protective tariff beliefs, that the Republi- cans turned to him and induced Mr. Sowden to accept the congressional nomination at their hands. Mr. Sowden made a great fight and suc- ceeded in carrying his opponent's own election district, ward, city and county, but the majority in Berks county for his opponent was too great to overcome.
The following year came the judiciary contest and Mr. Sowden and his family arrayed them- selves on the side of Judge Trexler and did yeoman service in his behalf. Mr. Sowden made nearly one hundred speeches in the county for Judge Trexler, but advocated the election of the rest of the Democratic ticket.
In 1904 he again was the candidate for con- gress on the Republican ticket carrying his county by 400 majority and only losing the district by 1,100 votes. It is generally believed that if he had spent a week in Berks county, instead of staying away altogether he would have been elected. In 1906 the county commissioners elected him county solicitor, and he conducted the affairs of the office with signal ability and characteristic integrity, insisting that every dol- lar paid out must be for a just and legal claim, and that all fees must be in accordance with the fee bill.
Himself for many years a public official against whose record not a word of criticism could be justly said and who never accepted a dishonest penny in fees, Mr. Sowden insisted upon the same high standard of integrity in other servants of the public service, and was for many years the relentless enemy of grafters. Mr. Sowden dis- covered that a number of court house officials had for many years been padding their expense accounts so as to "eat up" the surplus fees of their offices, one half of which belonged to the county. Through him several of the officers were forced to disgorge several thousand dollars in a single year.
A born fighter, shrewd and aggressive poli- tician and convincing stump speaker, Mr. Sow- den had the faculty of reaching the people, thou- sands of whom in Lehigh county were his stead-
244
HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
fast adherents for many years and followed him through all the vicissitudes of his long political career. The secret of his strength lay in that he kept his word to his friends, that he never made statements that were not susceptible of proof and that as a stump speaker, he stood alone in his class. He was a forceful orator, made his appeals direct to the people and possessed a fund . of stories and a style that never failed to hold his audiences from start to finish. His Pennsylvania German speeches were inimitable and had much to do with the stronghold that Mr. Sowden al- ways had upon the farming element.
Mr. Sowden, in 1865, was united in marriage to Mary Alice Huntzinger, of Schuylkill Haven, Pa. The union was blessed with two children: Bessie, the wife of Judge James L. Pugh, of Washington, D. C., who have three children: Gladys, Mary Alice and Serena Pugh, and a son, Edward Huntzinger, who died in childhood.
Socially Mr. Sowden was a member of Lehigh Lodge, No. 83, I. O. O. F., and for many years he was its representative to the Grand Lodge ses- sions.
He departed this life March 3, 1907, in the 67th year of his age.
Hon. Constantine J. Erdman, attorney-at-law and member of congress from the Berks-Lehigh district of Pennsylvania, 1892-96, was born Sept. 4, 1846, in Centre valley, Lehigh county. After acquiring his preliminary education, he attended the classical school of Dr. A. R. Horne, at Al- lentown, and the Pennsylvania College at Gettys- burg, from which he was graduated in 1863. After teaching public and private schools for a time he studied law with Robert E. Wright, Esq., and was admitted to practice as an attorney on Oct. 28, 1867. He first associated with John H. Oliver, Esq., at Allentown; afterward with Thomas F. Diefenderfer, Esq., and then with his son, Max S. Erdman, Esq., until his decease, covering a period of thirty-seven years.
Mr. Erdman served as district attorney of the county from 1874 to 1877, and during this time he was adjutant of the Fourth regiment, N. G. P., having participated in the Reading riot of July, 1877. He took great interest in the difficult problems between labor and capital and became the author of the Erdman Arbitration Law. He represented the Berks-Lehigh district of Pennsyl- vania in congress from 1892 to 1896. He was solicitor for the county commissioners for twenty years.
Mr. Erdman was closely identified with the industrial affairs of Allentown for many years. He officiated as president of the Coplay Cement Company, the Allen Mutual Fire Insurance
Company, and the Allentown and Coopersburg Turnpike Company. For a time he served as a trustee of Muhlenberg College, and of the Liv- ingston club. He was affiliated with Barger Lodge No. 333, F. & A. M., Coopersburg Lodge No. 269, I. O. O. F., and the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, and was a member of the Lutheran church.
Mr. Erdman was married to Mary Schall, daughter of John R. Schall, a merchant of Al- lentown, and they had two children, Max S. and M. Constance. He died Jan. 15, 1911.
Marcus C. L. Kline was born March 26, 1855, in Salisbury township. He attended the common schools in the borough of Emaus, and graduated from Muhlenberg College, June 26, 1874; was admitted to practice in the several courts of Le- high county, June 5, 1876, and in the Supreme and Superior Courts of Pennsylvania, and Fed- eral courts. He was elected city solicitor in April, 1877, for the city of Allentown; served as dis- trict attorney for the county of Lehigh from January, 1887, to January, 1890; was chairman of the Democratic county committee of Lehigh during the years 1895, 1896, 1897, 1898, and 1899; served as director in the Second National Bank of Allentown for many years, and January 17, 1901, was elected president of the Lehigh Valley Trust and Safe Deposit Company, and was associated with said institution in that ca- pacity until his death. He was also president of the Allentown Trust Company.
Mr. Kline represented the Lehigh-Berks dis- trict in the Fifty-eighth and Fifty-ninth con- gresses. He died at Allentown, March 10, 1911. He married, Oct. 4, 1881, Clara M. Keller, and had two children, Edwin K. and Althea L.
Hon. Robert E. Wright, Jr., was born in Al- lentown, Feb. 15, 1847. He was educated in the public schools and the Allentown Academy, after -which he engaged in civil engineering for several years. His inclinations turning to the law, he entered his father's office and was admitted to the bar Sept. 8, 1868. The retirement of his father from active practice threw the responsibility of his extensive clientage upon him when but twenty-three years of age. His skill and ability were equal to the various demands made upon him and his brilliant success led him to be re- tained as attorney for a number of railroads and large corporations. In 1886, he became president of the Allentown National Bank, which position he held until January, 1909, when he resigned. He was president of the Lehigh Valley Traction Company from 1901 to 1903, and one of its re- ceivers from May, 1903, to August, 1905. He
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BENCH AND BAR.
was president of the Consolidated Telephone Company from 1902 to 1911 and a trustee of Muhlenberg College and the Allentown College for Women. He attained the distinction of re- ceiving the highest office in the Sovereign Grand Lodge of Odd Fellows in the United States, that of Grand Sire, to which office he was elected at San Francisco in 1903. He was a member and pastmaster of Barger Lodge No. 333, F. & A. M., and of Allen Chapter No. 203, R. A. M., Allen Council No. 23, R. & S. M., and Allen Commandery No. 20, K. T. He was for many years a leader in the Democratic party and was state chairman in 1895 and 1896, delegate to the national conventions of 1888, 1896 and 1904, and in 1894 was the Democratic nominee for auditor general. He was an orator of ability and was a thorough master of the English language. Mr. Wright died April 5, 1912. He was mar- ried (1) to Anna Brobst, who died Nov. 7, 1874, leaving one child, Grace H. Wright, the wife of Edward A. Soleliac; (2) Dec. 24, 1877, Ida Beck, who died Aug. 25, 1882, leaving one son, Robert A. Wright; (3) Nov. 3, 1886, Mary Delacroix, who survives him, with one daughter, Estella D., the wife of Albert H. S. Cantlin.
Following are the names of all the attorneys admitted to practice in Lehigh county:1
Henry Wilson, Dec. 21, 1812 John S. McFarland,* Dec. 3, 1827
Philip S. Markley, Dec. 21, 1812
George Wolf, Dec. 21, 1812
Samuel A Bridges, Feb. 1, 1830 Francis B. Shaw, Dec. 21, 1812 Frederick Smith, Dec. 21, 1812
John Evans, Dec. 21, 1812 John Ewing, Dec. 21, 1812 Frederick J. Haller, Dec. 21, 1812 William Spering, Dec. 21, 1812 Samuel Sitgreaves, Dec. 21, 1812 John M. Scott, May 1, 1815 Robert Traill, May 1, 1815 Henry King, May 5, 1815 Edward Chapman, *
May 5, 1815
Josiah Simpson,* Sept. 5, 1815 James Biddle,* Sept. 6, 1815 Jonathan I. Good,* Sept. 6, 1815 Charles Davis, Feb. 3, 1817 Samuel Runk, May 4, 1819 James S. Reese, .. 1848 J. De Puy Davis, * Sept. 3, 1849 Edmund J. Moore, John D. Roney, May 4, 1819 John S. Gibbons, Feb. 2, 1824 Henry Jarrett, Nov. 29, 1824 John J. Wurtz,* Dec. 4, 1849 Elisha Forrest, Feb. 5, 1850 William S. Marx, Feb. 5, 1850
Aug. 30, 1825 Andrew L. King,* Sept. 5, 1826
Henry W. Bonsall,*
Feb. 2, 1852 Gilbert G. Gibbons. * W. H. Muschlitz,* Sept. 3, 1877 Edwin H. Stine, Sept. 5, 1877 A. G. Dewalt, Sept. 22, 1877 Thomas J. Foley, Oct. 22, 1877 R. A. B. Hausman, Jan. 7, 1878 Henry W. Ross, Jan. 17, 1878 Albert J. Erdman, Jan. 28, 1878 James L. Schaadt, April 10, 1878 A. B. Longaker, July 1, 1878 Charles S. Runk, Sept. 4, 1854 Jas. R. Struthers,* . Nov. 13, 1854 Adam Woolever, April .9, 1855 Uriah Brunner, * Aug. 16, 1855 John H. Oliver, Nov. 3, 1856 William II. Ainey, Jan. 6, 1857 George B. Schall, Jan. 6, 1857 H. H. Schwartz, May 6, 1858 A. B. Schwartz, .. May 16, 1859 R. Clay Hamersly, May 16, 1859 July 9, 1878 Harry G. Stiles, J. L. Marstel Sept. I, 1879 April 14, 1879 Arnold C. Lewis, Aug. 10, 1859 Robert S. Leyburn, * W. A. Lichtenwallner, Sept. 1, 1879 E. R. Lichtenwallner, Jan. 9, 1880 Allen H. Focht, April 12, 1880 Morris J. Hoats, June 7, 1880 John D. Ulrich, June 7, 1880 S. S. Duffey, June 7, 1880 Henry J. German, Nov. 9, 1880 Thomas F. Gross, Jan. 3, 1881 William J. Stein, Jan. 3, 1881 J. M. Wright, Jan. 3, 1881 F. G. W. Runk, June, 6, 1881 Philip McNulty, Sept. 12, 1881 T. F. Diefenderfer, Sept. 12, 1881 Charles R. James, Nov. 30, 1881 F. M. Trexler, April 10, 1882 E. F. Shock, June 5, 1882 Henry J. O'Neil, April 8, 1861 A. W. Leyburn, * .. April 8, 1861 Henry A. Bigler,* . April 7, 1862 Evan Holben, April 7, 1862 Edwin Albright, April 7, 1862 Jacob S. Dillinger, April 7, 1862 Thos. B. Metzger, April 7, 1862 F. A. R. Baldwin, Aug. 7, 1863 Mahlon II. Biery, Nov. 9, 1863 Wmn. H. Sowden, Sept. 6, 1864 John Rupp, Nov. 3, 1865 Edward Harvey, Nov. 8, 1865 Levi Smoyer, July 1, 1867 Wm. H. Deshler, Sept. 9, 1867 Henry S. Floyd,* Oct. 28, 1867 Const. j. Erdman, Oct. 28, 1867 Eli G. Schwartz, Sept. 6, 1882
April 6, 1868 David Roper, April 13, 1868 H. C. Hunsberger,* April 13, 1868 Wm. H. Glace, April 13, 1868 Samuel A. Butz,
.. June 11, 1868
W. D. Luckenbach, Aug. 3, 1868 George H. Rupp, Sept. 8, 1868 R. E. Wright, Jr., Sept. 8, 1868 James S. Biery, Sept. 8, 1868 Joseph Hunter, June 18, 1869 William S. Young, Sept. 8, 1869
J. Winslow Wood, Nov., 1869 M. L. Kauffman,
April 5, 1870
George K. Wilson,*
.. Dec. 12, 1870 James B. Deshler, Nov. 6, 1871 E. A. Muhlenberg,* March 3, 1873
E. C. Lochman, June 3, 1874 Harry F. Kramer, June 3, 1874 William P. Snyder, June 4, 1874 J. M. McClure,* May 4, 1875 Willis J. Forest, Sept. 16, 1875 Nathaniel M. Orr,* Nov. 8, 1875 Oscar E. Holman, April 11, 1876 M. C. L. Kline, June 6, 1876 John M. Kessler, June 6, 1876
M. C. Henninger, Sept.
5, 1876
A. P. Crilly, Sept. 6, 1882 E. H. Reninger, Sept. 6, 1882 H. A. Weller, Sept. 13, 1882 Enos F. Erdman, Nov. 21, 1882 M. E. Schaadt, Nov. 21, 1882 Jonas F. Kline, Jan. 30, 1883 E. J. Lichtenwallner, Jan. 30, 1883 J. Norton Martin, . Nov. 12, 1883 D. R. Horne, Nov. 11, 1885 Jacob Erdman, Dec. 2, 1885 C. A. Groman, Dec. 21, 1885 Austin A. Glick, March 3, 1886 F. T. L. Keiter. April 16, 1886 A. L. Biery, April 16, 1886 Oscar J. Stine, June 7, 1886 Alex. N. Ulrich, June 7, 1886 John G. Diefenderfer, June 7, 1886
W. La Monte Gillette, Sept. 16, 1886 P. M. Gernert, March, 1887 M. L. Horne, April, 1887 Elmer E. Butz, July 25, 1887 Wilson K. Mohr, August, 1887 Fred E. Lewis, Feb. 11, 1888 A. D. Roney,* Sept. 5, 1888 J. Jeremiah Snyder, Sept. 13, 1888 John D. Hoffman, Oct. 1, 1888 A. M. Sieger, March 4, 1889 Frank Jacobs, June 6, 1889 Reuben J. Butz, June 20, 188g
1 Attorneys who were non-residents and who were admitted for the trial of special cases only, are marked with an asterisk (*)
John W. Hornbeck, May 3, 1830 Jesse W. Griffith,* May 7, 1834
Phaon Jarrett, Sept. 4, 1835 Aug. F. Boaz,* Feb. 1, 1836 Peter Wyckoff, Sept. 3, 1838 Robert E. Wright,
Sept. 5, 1838 H. C. Longnecker, Jan. 30, 1844 John D. Stiles, Sept. 2, 1844 William P. Miller,* Sept. 3, 1844 Nathan Miller,* Sept. 6, 1844 Silas E. Buzzard,*
Robert S. Brown,* Feb. 6, 1846 Charles M. Runk, Aug. 31, 1846 Charles W. Cooper, June 24, 1847
May 5, 1845
Silas H. Hickox,* Dec. 1, 1829 John Ross, Dec. 21, 1812 William McIlhenny, Dec. 21, 1812
246
HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
Samuel J. Kistler,
July 1, 1889
George F. P. Young, . Nov. 13, 1889 J. H. Marx, Nov. 25, 1889 W. S. Campbell,* . .. Dec. 2, 1889 Harry C. Cope, Jan. 7, 1890 John L. Schwartz, April 7, 1890 George W. Mackey,* July 7, 1890 A. K. Stauffer,* Oct. 6, 1890 Wm. G. Freyman, . Dec. 1, 1890 George L. Xander, Jan. 8, 1891 E. O. Reyer, April 8, 1891 R. L. Schiffert, Oct. 19, 1891 Quintus F. Ehler, Jan. 14, 1892 Ralph Metzger, Jan. 5, 1892 Calvin E. Arner, Sept. 13, 1893 H. J. Steele, Oct. 23, 1893 Thomas D. Danner, July 23, 1894
Horace W. Schantz, Oct. 6, 1902 Leo Wise, . Sept. 7, 1894 E. F. McAtee, Sept. 7, 1894 Milton P. Schantz, Dec. 22, 1902 Joseph H. Stopp, Clinton O. Mayer,* Dec. 19, 1894 Charles D. Thomas, Jan. 26, 1903 Hugh J. Gallagher, . . Jan. 26, 1903 Robert L. Stuart, Sept. 21, 1903 Allen W. Hagenhuch, Sept. 21, 1903
Charles O. Hunsicker, Sept. 21, 1903 Clarence Beck, Oct. 26, 1903 Wilson A. Wert,
Glenna H. Doust, Jan. 18, 1904
Sept. 12, 1904
Francis J. Gildner,
Sept. 21, 1904 Nimson L. Eckert, Sept. 21, 1904 Robert S. Siegel, March 6, 1905 Fred B. Gernerd, March 10, 1905
Lawrence H. Rupp, Sept. 4, 1905 Edgar C. Nagle, Sept. 4, 1905
Claude T. Reno,
.Sept. 4, 1905 Edwin K. Kline, Sept. 18, 1906 Charles W. Webh, Sept. 18, 1906 Richard W. Iohst, Feb. 5, 1908 Dallas Dillinger, Jr., Feb. 5, 1908 Charles N. Ulrich,
Sept. 14, 1908 Robert H. Norgang, Sept. 15, 1908 Herbert H. Hartzog, Nov. 17, 1908 Chas. H. Riegel,
Feb. 20, 1909
Wm. H. Schneller,
March 15, 1909 Warren K. Miller, Oct. 25, 1909
George J. A. Miller, Oct. 31, 1910 Roy B. Woodring, Oct. 3, 19II Frederic H. Stillwagen, Sept. 4, 1899 Ralph H. Schatz, Oct. 23, 191I C. J. Hepburn,* Oct. 4, 1899
George Kulıl, Oct. 23, 191I
IMPORTANT TRIALS.
The first notable murder case in the county was that in which William Keck was tried for the murder of a man named Seem, in Emaus, in
the spring of 1864. Unusual interest was taken in the case by a large number of people. The trial took place at the November term of 1864. The defense gave enough plausible evidence to convince the jury that the act of shooting had been preceded by such demonstration on the part of Seem as not to allow them to consider it as having been done deliberately, "with malice, pre- tense and aforethought." The verdict was one of guilty of murder in the second degree and Keck was sentenced to imprisonment for six and a half years. After serving a few years he was par- doned.
That the verdict was not one of murder in the first degree, caused great indignation among a multitude. William S. Marx was the chief local counsel for the defendant as well as one of the most noted criminal lawyers in the country, David Paul Brown, of Philadelphia.
Among the noted cases tried in the county court were the foreclosure proceedings of the Old Colony Trust Company against the Allentown and Bethlehem Rapid Transit Company; the pro- ceedings of the committee of minority bondhold- ers against the Lehigh Valley Traction Company ; the rupture in the Evangelical Association; the Keck-Nipsch murder trial; the Bechtel murder case ; the Bloch and Krause murder trials, and the Leopold Erman murder trial.
A law suit involving years of litigation and arousing widespread interest, causing endless ex- pense to two families in Lehigh county, bringing about disagreements that in intensity approached a fued was tried in the Lehigh county courts in February, 1907, when a jury in the ejectment suit of Andrew Camp vs. the Estate of William Zim- merman gave a verdict for the defendant. The land in dispute is located in Lynn township, near Stines' Corner, and forms the boundary along the farms of the parties interested. It is a narrow strip, 23 feet wide at one end and tapering to a point 1,797 feet distant at the other, containing a little more than one-half an acre, and prac- tically worthless, although a lane runs over part of the strip.
The first suit was brought to try the title to the strip almost fifty years ago, and Andrew Camp, one of the parties, at various times had employed nearly every lawyer at the Lehigh county bar. Thousands of dollars were spent in the cases that were tried, which were twice ap- pealed to the Supreme Court.
When the suit in 1907 was tried, William Zimmerman, the original defendant, and his at- torney, John Rupp, had died, as well as a number of the leading witnesses who were surveyors, and who could not agree upon the location of the line, which resulted in what surveyors call a "lap."
Victor E. Tice,
April 11, 1900 E. O. Nothstein, Sept. 14, 1900
H. M. Hagerman, Jan. 29, 1901 Alfred S. Hartzell. May 20, 1901 Wm. J. Jones, May 20, 1901 Howard S. Hess, May 20, 1901
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