, 1875-02-11
Tho Whito Mans Law Rights the
White Mans squaw.
A Decision thai Takes a Million DOL
lars from Kansas City.


and good deal Of Hterh reality. Thu dacslon
sweeps out Of tho corporatio,l-posaesnionR OF
this city oyor sl00. 900 In cash. and u valuable
piece Of real cBtate OF, Eftl, and Walnut streets.
Il aniinlH the Rraades. charitable be1uoBt ever
recorded III the history Of tic city; but, at tile
shmo time, It establishes the rights OF tho
descendants Of al 1uAlan maiden. Rold for
fow trinkots to GRITTY tho passions Of q
palo- faced trader III this latter yiew tho ae~
ciaot Ia ono Of great Importance boyond tho sIs,-
gto case 1t aottles. All along the border, nul
upon the reservations, thore are thousands OF
haIl-breeds. the offspring Of traders, hunters,
and garrA0n-o!ticnrB, Of one and two gcnerations
back Thoy are the rcsuta Of tloso temporary
aud illogltimatn alltauccs, quickly fotmed aud
quickly brokoli, for gain or for ploaaurc, with
1ntlian girls, There ara hundsods Of proud FAM
icH III Missouri tho ancestors Of which sued
thoir early and rowing caroors with tllcso in
triguos, mud. aftor the love was off, Or tho busi-
noss-onda attained. discarded tlieso
WILD atlsrnr:ssEa.
md forgot That tho relation over exiatod The
fact Of any Eoetority through these little affairs
gare no trouble whatever to tlies1 pioneers OF
easy condolences on tito narriage-raiation and,
when tfloy wero gathered to tLeir fathers, they
loft hohind them wills which contained no men,
ton of these half-brrcd descendants. and, as tho
law says, died intcstato " 10 fur AZ these were
concerned. Tho decision just rendered is
broad one. Virtually It throws opon tho door
for these half-breels to stop into court, prove
their paternity, aud insist Oil " Blaro And shnte
alike with tho 1ncmbe1s pf nearly ail tho first
fanilics Of Missouri who refer with pride to their
descent from tue pioneers.
Wlon Ao died, III July 1869, William Gil1iss
wnH ono Of the solid mcn OF KansnB City, and
possessed property valued at from 5000 600 to
81, ,00O 600. Evidences OF his thrift aud e1ltor-
priao, in tho shape Of handsome buBiDesa-btookH,
arc still to be seen. Travellers will remember
well the "Qiliss House." which has stood for
yoars facing tile river. In its day 1t WAS the
hotol of tho metropolis Of the Missouri Valley,
and In still we'll preserved and well patronizod.
This Gilllss was an American by birth, aud laid
the foundation OF his princoly fortune as m In
dian trader, Ills early life was spont In Kaakas-
kia, I'll. In 1890 Qilss had a trading post at
James Fork on White Kiyor. 1lo traslcd exton-
sively among the Dolawaros md, by way of
bonoitIng Ills buainoss-relAtions and relieving
bin loneliness, llo had
EsrousED, APrER THE INFORMAL CrsToM OF THoHE
T1atEB,
two Delaware rnaiflens, uy oach OF whom he had
had child. At tho time spoken Of, 1880, Gilss
had tired at tAe4e tWo sfisos or, moro correctly
speaking, conoubines aud lad let them go back
to their tribe. Morooycr, ha was turning his
trade to the PinonkeBhawB,~ tribo since OK
tinct or swallowed up by more powerful neigh
borH, but that then occupied q territory bortor-
ing on Cowskin Crock, iu tho Indian country.
I.aharsh waa the Chief of tho Puonkcs!lawa,
and he had daughter as romantcally named nj
my Of Longfellow's lteroines. Sho WAS called
Kah-ko-to-qua. 0illiss mulo proposition
to marry Khh-ko-to-qua, and aont Daptiate
Peoria down tu Cowskin Creek to conduct the
negotiations. Dapt:inste waH successfnl, and
shortly afterwards lilliss himself went down,
aud hr0uRlt back the ohioftaina daughter TO Ills
traQng-poAt It is Haia that lle Eaye tho paronta
Of tile Indian maiden "a raft of Mackinaw
blRukqts," and also bestowed upon ler mother
lot OF trtnkets.
For Botis reason, which time ilaa ohlitorated,
Gillisn tired also OF this aboriginal spouae and
after LIVING with her home monthB sent hor back
to her fathcr'a tribe; md soon nftor, throwing
" hs ea'n1;s q hs Fa1 1ena went Ess ~ bt to
tribe, having giyen birth to a fomaio
child, whom she named Nunoy GilliHs.
Nancy grew TIP, aud, In the course OF time was
married to JoaBph boyer, by whom she had q
Frnucis Boyer. lier husband dying, Nancy mar
rlod again, her choice that time belng Jatnea
Charley, by whom Blio iad another soI'. whom
sle named, after his father, Janes Charley, Jr.
In 1904 Nancy d!ilis dlod, aud III 1903 hor mother
Khll-kG-to-Qlla, also died.
After souding Ills d,1sky mistress home to her
father, Gillia HeclnA to have allowed his dnpnoc~
tion with llet to pass entirely OUT OF mind, and
mover to lavo soon o. thought Of Ills dsngAt0r
Nancy. il, Indeed, ha knew OF hor existence.
hut with tAiA he ondol his rather
EAnATln AND INFORMAL MATRIMONIAL VENTURES.
He lived In Kaskaakia sonle years, and accu-
tnuated somo pEonerty., Afterwards he moved
increased lis wealth. On tho 10Th Of July, 1860,
Gl!liaa dlad, leaving will. In this instrument,
ho boquanthcd to ncce Mary A. Troost. hta
whole estate, With two t1if!inP exceptions These
exceptions were two bequcsts OF $i0 each to
Sophia and Mary Gliss, the two children by the
two Delaware mistresass. 10 far as they wero
co,lceruod therefore, tho old trador uiad testate
and his will, by The laws OF Missouri Was good.
Tho document. however, contained not tho
slightest reference to Kah.ke-to-qua or her of
spsng. Elther hs had forgotten entirely this
brlaf Intimacy or was hbo1ing under the i'm
PRESTON that no isHun had ros4ltol.
Shortly after Miss Irooat oatae into possession,
tl,o young halt-breeas. FFsncis Boyer and Jial
Chlr!ny, Ir., under the caro- of tholr friend,
Mobion Md1os, came up from tho Indian cpnn-
try md ret In their claims as heirs to tho eatate
-ass.lting that Gilss had died l4ses.ate 90 far
a. they were eoncossaad, and. therefore, under
the lava Of Missouri, sloy wsgo tho legal heira
l,cforo the case had fairly reachcd tho courta
in this county, h1ts Troost died, and left snost
rpsuarkaho will. She vet apart a valuable rieco
tho most eligible s!tss in this city. she ba-
questhed$ rs 0du for tue erection Of magnificent
opera-houae upon this Hite, the net receipts Of
which, Or tho greater part OF them, were to Used
for tic establishment and .nainteaancs n rcrpe,
did m,lnifccnt basis. Outside OF fow COM
rarasiyoly small bequosts to relatives the rest
Of the eut9te was to 70 to tho establishment Of .
hospital antl female seminary, and tor the
honuiit Of thu Medical Cqllpga anu other iuatltu,
.ons et this place. M Naturally, Kansas CITY
there was no lsok Of talont called in 10 Ga[eud
The estate against tho elaims at the two halt-
braeds,
1,eFpaFd Donne!iy and Francis II. BLACK ware
made tho trustees nnd exectuora at this will OF
Niss Troast, while Mlclsaat Dinlsy was appointed
adn,ipistratnr DO bons nou OF tue will al t}illis
ARaiuat tleas tie ARlf-breads brought the;r suit
Tf,er caso wss talion in laan1 by Col. George H.
yoss, que at t4e pElneipal candidates IN Tue ss-
tho iutiuonco agn},,Bt the claimants would bo