Iowa
Old Press
Sioux City Journal
Sioux City, Woodbury co., Iowa
January 25, 1896
SUIT OVER BIG ESTATE
Maquoketa,Jan 24- In what promises to be the most important and
interesting legal contest ever had in Jackson county has been
made. Leslie C. Watson, one of the administrators of the estate
of Mott Watson, deceased, filed in the district court a petition
for an order to sell the real estate. This makes George D. Niles
who claims to be the illegitimate son of the dead man, thus
compelling him to show his claims in open court. Mott Watson
whose estate is to be the subject of this litigation, was wealthy
and eccentric old bachelor who died here last August a the age of
66 leaving an estate valued fully at $300,000. This estate,
excepting $30,000. worth of real estate, consisted entirely of
cash and mortgages. Watson had lived here for forty years, during
which time his sole occupation had been that of loaning money;
when he died he had outstanding about 500 mortgages. As he had no
confidence in the stability of banks, he kept whatever money he
had in a large safe in his office constantly having there from
$3,000 to $15,000 in cash. Strange to say, he was never robbed,
although he lived in continual fear of it.
HEIRS TO THE ESTATE
No will was left, and a few days after his death an application
of some of the heirs, Leslie C. Watson, a nephew and William M.
Stephens, a local banker, were appointed as administrators of the
estate under bonds in the sum of $300,000. The list of heirs
filed in the estate is as follows: Julia Richardson, sister,
Johnson's Creek, N.Y.; Jesse B. Watson, Sioux City, S.D.; Orla
Watson and Lucia Beard, Nashua, IO., children of half brother;
George Watson, only child of a brother; Julia L. Childs, niece,
McWalls, N.Y.; and Austin and George R. Watson, Archer, IO., Day
O. Watson, Sanborn, IO., Ida A. Hudson, Shaller, IO., and Cora M.
Rodgers, LeMars, IO. only children of a brother. The sister,
Julia Richardson contested the appointment of the administrators,
claiming that she, as next of kin, had the prior right to the
position, but Judge W.F. Brannan permitted the appointment to
stand.
HISTORY OF CLAIMANT
The history of claimant, George D. Niles, as told by those who
claim to have knowledge is romantic to that of the highest
degree. In 1868 and 1869 there worked at the hotel where Watson
boarded, a comely young woman of good repute, but it became
apparent she was in delicate condition and discharged. She was
without means, homeless and friendless and finally took refuge in
the county poor farm, where on December 26, 1869 she gave birth
to a son. The woman could not obtain employment so long as she
had the child and destitute and driven to desperation, she
wondered to the river where she was about to drown the babe. A
woman came along and being told of her intention, offered to take
the child and find a home for it. She did so and the infant was
adopted by Mr. and Mrs. George Niles, then running the very hotel
where the child's mother had been turned away a few months
before. At that time, it was rumored that Mott Watson was the
real father of the boy but it was not positively known. Four
years later the Niles removed to Plum Creek Neb. As time went on,
the boy was given a good education and when he was 18 years old
his foster mother died, after telling him his history of
parentage and giving him what papers she had in proof of him.
ENLISTED IN THE ARMY
A year later, young Niles enlisted in the regular Army, being in
the Seventh United States Calvary for five years which time he
mad a sergeant. At the expiration of his time he re-enlisted and
was a private in the Eighteenth United States Infantry stationed
in San Antonio, Tex. During his service he saw considerable
frontier life participating in the quelling of the Sioux uprising
in South Dakota. About a year after his re-enlistment he heard of
the death of Mott Watson, and procuring a leave of absence and
afterward a discharge, came here last October to make a claim to
what he believes justly belongs to him. Niles or Watson, is now a
fine looking man, 26 years old, fully six feet in height and a
pleasant address and appearance. Under the law of Iowa, it will
have to be shown that Mott recognized him in some way as his son;
that being established, George D. Niles will become the sole heir
to the whole estate of some $300,000. His mother is said to be
still living. Her whereabouts is not generally known, but she
will most likely be a witness in the case. In addition to the
local attorneys employed by both sides, young Niles has secured
the services of Walter I. Hayes of Clinton, ex-congressman from
the second district, and other parties have retained Lyman A.
Ellis, also of Clinton, at present state senator from Clinton
county.
[transcribed by M.J.M., April 2009]
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Sioux City Journal
Sioux City, Woodbury co., Iowa
Sunday, January 26, 1896
THOUGHT HE’D BEEN ROBBED
Floyd Tappan’s Lost Pocketbook Was Returned by a Thoughtful
Chambermaid.
Floyd Tappan, a traveling agent for the Tolerton & Stetson
company, thought he had been robbed of $98 in cash and a number
of checks Friday night. Mr. Tappan is staying at the Hotel
Oxford, and Friday afternoon at about 2 o’clock he took a
bath. After taking the bath he changed his clothes, but neglected
to take his wallet out of the suit which he took off, and left it
with his clothes in his room. In the evening after supper he was
in the lobby of the hotel when A. J. Pritchard, of Smithland,
wanted some change and found that he had nothing smaller than a
$20 bill. He knew that Mr. Tappan had plenty of change and asked
him for it.
“Of course I can change it,” Tappan replied to his
inquiry, and put his hand in his inside coat pocket for his
wallet. But it wasn’t there. “I must have left my
wallet in my room,” he said, and hurried up the stairs to
get it. After some time he came slowly down, and when his friends
saw him it was evident to them that he did not have the change.
His face was as white as a sheet. Apparently some heavy calamity
had fallen upon him.
“I have been robbed,” he exclaimed in broken accents.
“Someone has broken into my room and robbed me of my wallet.
It is gone and I can’t find it. There were in it fifteen $5
bills, one $20 bill and several checks.”
His face grew haggard as he thought of the loss, and his friends
say he actually appeared as if a severe illness had suddenly
fallen upon him. He reported the matter to the police and the
sheriff’s office, and they commenced work on the case.
Yesterday, however, the heavy weight of his loss was lifted off
Mr. Tappan’s mind. The chambermaid handed him his wallet.
“Here is you pocketbook, Mr. Tappan,” she said. “I
saw it in your room yesterday afternoon and I thought perhaps
someone might steal it, so I took it and hid it. I forgot to tell
you about it yesterday, but here it is.”
Mr. Tappan was so pleased that he handed the honest chambermaid a
crisp $5 bill as a reward for her thoughtfulness.
[transcribed by L.D., January 2015]