Price v. Cherokee Nation

82 S.W. 893, 5 Indian Terr. 518, 1904 Indian Terr. LEXIS 51
CourtCourt Of Appeals Of Indian Territory
DecidedOctober 19, 1904
StatusPublished

This text of 82 S.W. 893 (Price v. Cherokee Nation) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court Of Appeals Of Indian Territory primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Price v. Cherokee Nation, 82 S.W. 893, 5 Indian Terr. 518, 1904 Indian Terr. LEXIS 51 (Conn. 1904).

Opinion

RAYMOND, C. J.

This is an action of ejectment commenced in the United States Court for the Northern District of the Indian Territory July 6, 1899, when a complaint was filed. There was an amended complaint filed January 2, 1901, which is as follows:

“The plaintiff Robert Tittle, for his minor son, Oatis Tittle, and the Cherokee Nation, after leave of court first had and obtained, file this their amended complaint, and for cause of action against the defendants, James Price and Nancy B. Price, state that the plaintiff Robert Tittle is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, and that his minor son, Oatis Tittle, is a citizen! of said nation by blood, and a resident of the Northern District of the Indian Territory; that the defendants are citizens of the United States, and not citizens of the Cherokee Nation or tribe of Indians and reside and are to be found within the said Northern District, and nearest to Vinita, one of the places of holding United States [520]*520Court. The plaintiffs herein, for their cause of action against the defendants, claim title to the lands and improvements hereinafter described as follows:
“That the land upon which said improvements are situated.was patented to the Cherokee Nation by the United States of America on the 31st day of December, 1838. A copy of said patent is to be found on pages 416 to 425, inclusive, of the Compiled Laws of the Cherokee Nation of 1892. That said defendants are what are known as intruders, and were holding and occupying the hereinafter described improvements as such intruders at the time this suit was instituted. That the defendant James Price claims the hereinafter described improvement as its owner, and the defendant Nancy B. Price is his wife. That on or about the 30th day of September, 1895, the National Council of the Cherokee Nation passed an act.providing for the sale of intruder improvements, which act was amended on the 21st day of December, 1895. A copy of said act and amendment is in words and figures as follows, to wit: “ ‘An act providing for the sale of improvements left by intruders.
“ ‘Be it enacted by the National Council: That the district sheriffs, wherein said places are located, are authorized to receive and take possession of on behalf of the Cherokee Nation, all improvements which have been made, or occupied by intruders upon the Cherokee domain, when such improvements shall be voluntarily relinquished, or. when the United States shall expel the intruder therefrom,, in compliance with stipulation of treaty, and the district sheriffs are further authorized and directed to dispose of each of the said improvements for the benefit of the Cherokee Nation, and that fifty (50) per cent, of the monies derived therefrom shall 'be placed to the credit of the general fund, thirty-five (35) per cent, to the credit of the school fund, and fifteen (15) per cent, to the credit of the orphan fund, as soon [521]*521as practicable after taking possession in conformity with the following regulations:
“ 'First. The improvements shall each be sold separately to the highest bidder, after a public notice of the sale for at least thirty days in the Cherokee Advocate and by such other means as the sheriff may find practicable. The notice shall contain a statement in detail of what the improvement consists, its extent, condition and location, and shall precisely specify the day and the time of day, and not earlier than 1 o’clock p. m. the sale will be made, and the particular place in the district.
“ ‘Second. All bona-fide citizens of the Cherokee Nation shall be equally entitled to bid, provided the citizen so entitled shall own no farm in the Cherokee Nation at the time of the sale, of more than one hundred and sixty (160) acres altogether; and no citizen shall be entitled to purchase more than one improvement, and not to include more than one hundred and sixty (160) and should there remain any surplus of improved land in any case, the sheriff will be authorized to sell the right of occupancy of any such surplus as a separate improvement, or to report such surplus for future disposition, at his discretion, as authorized to be sold under the provisions of this act; and all bidders before being allowed to bid shall make satisfactory showing to the sheriff of the district wherein such improvement is located, of his competency to bid as defined by this act.
“ ‘Third. Payments shall be made in cash, national warrants or national certificates, and in six equal installments, the first installment to be paid immediately after the award is made. The sheriff making the sale will.be required to give the purchaser a receipt for the first installment, and thereafter as they fall due and are paid.
“ ‘Fourth. A forfeiture of the improvement to the nation, with all previous payments shall follow the non-payment [522]*522of any installment when due unless the installment be paid within three months after becoming due. A like forfeiture shall follow from any transfer of the improvement by the purchaser, under this act, before the last installment is made, and no commutation of payment is permitted. When any improvement shall become forfeited to the nation, the sheriff shall proceed, without unnecessary delay, to again sell the same under the regulations of this act.
“ ‘Fifth. The sale of improvement under this act shall convey no right or title in the land, and no rights whatever as regards land except the right of occupancy — such only as would be vested in the purchaser had he made the improvement or bought it from another citizen in exercise of rights belonging to all citizens of the Cherokee Nation under the Cherokee Constitution.
“ ‘Sixth. Lawfully appointed guardians of orphans shall be allowed to bid on behalf of the orphans under their charge, provided that the orphan has no farm or farms of their own of one hundred and sixty (160) acres at the time of sale.
“ ‘Seventh. The sheriffs shall sell the improvements in the districts where they are situated respectively, and they are authorized to sell as many improvements on the same day, and to sell at such intervals of days, as in their judgment will best subserve the interests of all concerned. The said sheriffs shall within ten days after such sales in their respective districts make a complete report of such sales in their respective districts, by whom purchased, and amount paid to the Principal Chief, and turn over to the National Treasurer all proceeds of such sales, after deducting five (5) per centum of,all monies collected by him as his fees and all ex¡3enses as contemplated by this act.
“ ‘Eighth. Should any purchaser die before any installment is paid, his heirs or legal representatives shall be vested with [523]*523the same right and be required to assume the same liabilities as the deceased purchaser, as regards the improvements purchased and the installments unpaid.
“ 'Ninth.

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Related

Hargrove v. Cherokee Nation
129 F. 186 (Eighth Circuit, 1904)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
82 S.W. 893, 5 Indian Terr. 518, 1904 Indian Terr. LEXIS 51, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/price-v-cherokee-nation-ctappindterr-1904.