In the case of Levi D. Boone, Administrator of Jesse B. Thomas, Deceased and the Heirs of J.B. Thomas v The Missouri Iron Company, a dispute arose over an iron ore mining claim in St Francois County in Missouri that was owned by Jesse B. Thomas before his death in 1851 and inherited by his heirs after his passing away without leaving a will or any other testamentary document to determine who should inherit it upon his demise. The court found that under the laws of descent applicable at the time, all real estate belonging to deceased persons passed directly to their children if they had no surviving spouse; however since there were multiple claimants for this particular property due to its inheritance being unclear from any documents left behind by Mr Thomas when he died, it was necessary for them all to prove their claims through evidence presented during trial proceedings so as to establish which party had rightful ownership rights over said land and mineral deposits located therein according to law at that time period .

In the dissenting opinion of this case, Justice McLean argued that the Missouri Iron Company had not violated any laws or regulations in their acquisition and use of Jesse B. Thomas' land. He stated that although it was true that Thomas had been promised payment for his land by a previous owner, there was no evidence to suggest that the Missouri Iron Company were aware of this promise when they purchased it from him. Furthermore, he noted that even if they had known about it, there was nothing legally binding them to honor such an agreement as they were not parties to it. As such, Justice McLean concluded that since no law or regulation had been broken by either party involved in this dispute over ownership rights and payments due on the property in question, then neither side should be held liable for any damages incurred as a result of its sale or use.