Shenandoah World
Shenandoah, Iowa
Friday, January 5, 1906
(copied from George Waterman's Tuesday Sidney Herald)
(copied and contributed by Pat O'Dell)

Today is the first day of the January term of district court. This is Judge Green's term, but he  will not be here until next week. Judge Thornell will impanel the grand jury and make an assignment of cases.

The petit jury is called to meet January 9. The first case is a contested will case, the matter of the will of Price Thacker, deceased. (see below)

• There are five divorce cases, viz:
• Ida M. Sumpter vs W.R. Sumpter
• Frances Edgerton vs George Edgerton
• Myrtle Riggle vs W.B. Riggle
• Antoine Tenhulzen vs Hannah G. Tenhulzen
• Mrs Todd vs Wesley M. Todd

The case of Ella Bangs vs Fred Bangs is up for rehearing.

J.F. Baldwin brings action against S.C. Rees for damages to the amount of $10,000. This case grows out of the shooting affray last spring when Baldwin was shot by Rees.

The case of Vera Chambers against the Adams Express Co. has been sent back from the supreme court for retrial. The husband of the complainant got drunk at Bartlett on C.O.D. whiskey, and while in that condition was killed by the cars*. In the former trial the plaintiff was awarded a verdict of $2,000. (*cars, meaning railroad cars. Pat O'Dell)

• Among the criminal cases are the:
• State vs Ed Woods, charged with sedution
• State vs Chas. [Snowball] Reynolds for selling whiskey in violation of law
• State vs F.E. Harrel for shooting a man at the Hamburg canning factory
• State vs John Henderson for cutting a dam
• State vs Silas Yates for stabbing John Barhyte at Tabor on Christmas night

 

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Will Was a Forgery
Shenandoah World
Tuesday, January 16, 1906

Sidney, Ia., Jan. 11. - The will case of Price Thackery, sr., in which forgery was charged, was before the district court here today, proving to be one of extraordinary interest and calling together an unusual number of witnesses and interested spectators.

The suit devolved on the authenticity of a document purporting to be the last will and testament of Price Thackery, sr. According to its terms a farm of 120 acres, located near McPaul, Ia., was left to Price Thackery, jr., the other members of the family being cut out entirely from participation in the property of the deceased. The will bore date of 1900. Complications arose over the fact that all the alleged witnesses to the instrument are dead.

The witnesses who had been called to testify in the case were an interesting lot. One woman who identified the signature of her deceased husband, it was elicited upon cross examination, was unable to read or write, and did not know how to correctly spell her own name, and what was even more remarkable, was unable to identify her name when it was placed before her.

Another woman, a witness in the case, related a spook story to the jury. She said the dead man's shade appeared in her presence and after awakening her from sleep explained matters to her in a very businesslike manner. The ghost after explaining that "it" was the dead man, said the will was a forgery, and, continuing, told how he wanted his property distributed. The ghost also advised her as to the best manner in which to proceed in order to break the will and expose the forgery.

The jury, which was highly edified by the various stories, decided the will to be a forgery and not a true testamentary document of the deceased. It is understood the case will be appealed and if the decision of the lower court is affirmed the heirs will share alike in the distribution of the property. - Nonpareil.