Atlanta And Its Builders, Vol. 1 - A Comprehensive History Of The Gate City Of The South. Thomas H. Martin

      CHAPTER VI. SOME FURTHER REMINISCENCES

      There is a story concerning some threatened land litigation of the Marthasville period that is worth relating here, however oft-repeated. Originally the land on which Atlanta was built was a part of the great body of wild land of the Georgia frontier which was disposed of to intending settlers upon very liberal conditions, the quarter sections being selected by lottery, as was done in the Cherokee reserve. It seems that in one of these early lotteries a man named Beckman was the fortunate drawer of the land on which the center of the city of Atlanta was built. Beckman lived at the time on Cedar Creek, in Putnam county, and was a carpenter by trade. He boarded with a man named Mitchell, with whom he made a deal to the effect that Mitchell was to own the land drawn by Beckman's number, in case any was drawn. The drawing took place in due time, and the number held in Beckman's name drew the land in question. Shortly thereafter Beckman died. When the State Road's engineer selected this land as the most desirable spot for the terminus, as directed by the railroad bill, the governor of Georgia opened a correspondence with Mitchell, to whom the Beckman lot had been presumably assigned, proposing to purchase a few acres for the site of the necessary terminal buildings and facilities. Mitchell expressed his unwillingness to dispose of any considerable portion of his holding, but generously donated to the state, through the governor, the amount of land required for the purpose specified. Mitchell then went ahead and endeavored to make the most of the speculative possibilities of the situation. He subdivided his claim into town lots, and as has been stated heretofore, had public auctions in order to dispose of the realty. In the course of time he made a number of transfers, and what there was of the town was built on land he had sold.

      Just when Marthasville was beginning to flourish, like lightning out of a clear sky came the intelligence that the land bought from Mitchell was in dispute, the entire tract having been publicly advertised for sale by Allen E. Johnson, administrator of the estate of the deceased Beckman. It appears, from the meagre information on the subject now at hand, that something like a conspiracy was formed by a few local speculators, led by Johnson, to profit by the setting aside of Mitchell's alleged title. They discovered, somehow, that Mitchell did not possess the original deed from Beckman, but held what purported to be a copy of the deed. Learning that Beckman had been dead some years, the Johnson party boldly charged that he had died before the land was drawn in the lottery, and, therefore, could not have given Mitchell a valid deed to the property. It is superfluous to say that excitement ran high among the denizens of the little town when this state of affairs became known.

      Mitchell stood squarely behind those who had purchased lots from him, averring that his title was perfect. He explained the absence of the original deed by saying it was burned by the fire that had destroyed the courthouse at Decatur, with all its legal papers and records. He claimed that when Beckman made the deed he had taken the precaution to have a copy made and properly attested, forwarding the original to the proper county official at Decatur. In this contingency the exact date of Beckman's death was of vital importance, and the desired information could not be obtained by correspondence with the county authorities of Putnam county. The lot-holders who held under the Mitchell deed, therefore, held a meeting and selected I. O. McDaniel and A. W. Mitchell, of their number, as a committee to journey to Putnam county and secure every available fact bearing on Beckman's death and drawing of the Terminus land.

      Messrs. McDaniel and Mitchell went to the Cedar Creek settlement in Putnam county and interviewed all of the former neighbors and acquaintances of Beckman. Nobody could state positively when he died. His grave was unmarked, and there was no mortuary record obtainable to throw light on the disputed matter. When about to return to Marthasville, baffled in their mission, the committeemen came across a man who taught school in the vicinity of a house Beckman was working on as a carpenter. This school master remembered distinctly that a bridge was being built by the county across Cedar Creek at the same time Beckman was working on the new house nearby. He said he passed Beckman at work, and crossed the new bridge, every day, for some time. The county records at Eatonton were carefully inspected, and it was found that the bridge in question was built the year after the lottery drawing participated in by Beckman had been held. Armed with this gratifying information, Messrs. McDaniel and Mitchell returned to Marthasville and made their report to a meeting called to receive it.

      After hearing the report of their committee, the citizens interested determined to oppose, in every way possible, the plan of the Johnson party to sell the Mitchell tract. The Johnson party disclaimed any intention of interfering with the title of the particular lots that had passed from the possession of Mitchell, claiming that it was their object to secure possession of only that portion of the Beckman holding that had not been sold by Mitchell's agent. Mitchell was at the time a resident of Zebulon, Pike county. These protestations did not satisfy the innocent purchasers, and they declared they would fight any procedure whose tendency was indubitably to throw a cloud upon their title. Indeed, there were some hot-heads who swore the sale, if it was attempted, would be broken up by force. The feeling between the two parties at interest was very bitter, and as the day advertised for the sale drew near, it was evident that trouble of a serious nature was brewing. The Johnson party was in the minority, numerically, and it was freely predicted that a riot would be precipitated at the sale as a pretext for giving those of them who were present a severe drubbing.

      The sale was held at the courthouse in Decatur, the sheriff who conducted it and the administrator of the Beckman estate who instigated it, being one and the same man. Practically every man in Marthasville went over to Decatur, and they went prepared for trouble. An immense crowd assembled in front of the courthouse. An attorney was present to represent Mitchell's estate, Mitchell being dead. The opponents of the sale, who were out in force, were well organized. They had selected Tom Crusselle to raise every bid made on the property, and had instructed him to never weary in bidding.

      Sheriff Johnson took his place on the courthouse steps at the appointed hour, and after reading the notice of sale, proceeded to call for bids. A member of his party responded, and Crusselle promptly "raised" him. The bids followed quick and fast. Crusselle seemed to enjoy fulfilling his cue and bore himself like a man of millions. It was soon evident to the sale party that the antis were filibustering, and indignant protests were heard. Sheriff Johnson took the Crusselle bids in seeming good part and the price was run up quickly to extravagant figures. When the representative of the Mitchell party called out $25,000, he turned to his followers and remarked with a twinkle in his eye that he reckoned it would take all of his yellow cotton to raise the amount. As the day wore away, it was evident that the farce