Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-08-15
HIS MOTHERS SIN.
A Household skeleton Dragged Out by
a Natural SOn-An lllegitimate
Member OF a
Chicago Family Suing for a Share Of
the Estate-An Unusually In.
terestiBg Suit.

Chicago Herald: One Of the most interest,"
ing cults that has been brought for a long
while wss begon yesterday in the Circuit
Court. Ii involves the right of Inheritance
OF an illegitimate son. 10 the bill 6ied yes
trTday by the attorney il The csEe, Thomas
:. McClelland, aspersions are cast upon the
memory OF the plaintiff mother which few
men would care 20 make. The plaintiffs
name is Edward L Couch, and he saws that
on November IL, 1881, Lucy w. Ballard,
widow Of The late Edward Ballard, departed
this life interstate, asd left as sole heirs at law
the plaintiff, Charles 4. Ballard, Frank L
Ballard and Mary b. Gsge, vile OF Henry II.
Gage. She left property valued at $50 600.
In his petition for letters of administration
Frank E. Ballard stated the property 10 be
worth Only S35, eco, muth below its SEXUAL
value. Frank E Ballard and Henry H.
Gage were appointed administrator of The
estate. The petitioner further represents
that he WAS net mentioned in this matter,
and, TO mend the error committed in this re-
specl, he gives q biz of his biography.
He was born May 20, 1912, his mothers
name then being Lucy ". Plum, and his
fathers name Henry Wilcox, the uoiou of
the two being ene Unauthorized by law or
religion. On October 9, 1S47, the petition
goes on TO stste, Edward Ballard, with full
knowledge OF his illegitimaie birth, mar
Iltu l1uCy W.. luiu dh0 cbSbSco W tiCat
the orator as il he were his own child, and 10
make him an heir 10 his estate. Despite
this promise the orator lived, with the ex
ception CT four years spent win his mother
and her husband, in the house of his ma
ternal aunt. Mary A. Couch, whose name he
| adopted. lIs mother, Lucy W. Ballard,
nevertheless, admitted her maternal relations
to him and a~ntounced repeatedly that he
would participate in the estate at Ter death.
He ADDS that his WAS well understocd by all
the parties Interested, and that prior to her
death his mothe made and executed q will
wherein he was we'll provided for, but that
this document wac suppressed by one OF the
legitimate children for The purpose Of de-
irauding him. The bill goes on to state
that he made overtures 10 his half-brotherc
and sisters, after the death Of his mother, 10
allow him his portion Of the estate, but thai
it was represented TO him that the property
had been mu9h overestim ated, and that hi,
share would not exceed $4,000 II he we're e1.
titled to it, but that, on the advice OF an al
torney, a member OF the Chicago bar, IL haC
been considered that he, ss an il!esiIimsts
child, would not be enuiled 10 any portion
oil the wealth.
Ga toe strength Of tbess statements, il il
further alleged, the petitioner accepted
$1,000 and gave u receipt. f1r it, relinquIsh
ing in il all other claims to the property
But, being now convinced mat this documen
wac obtained from him by false represents
lions, it is desired TO have il snnulied ant
10 have a new partition of the funds lett b.
the late Mrs. Billiard. B sides that. il j
averred that the estate of the late Edward
Ballard was not we'll managed, but that III,
administrators, Henry III. Gage and Cyru
Wilcox, have been running thing. in a wa,
TO please hens lives, and that they have ir
t~ermingled their own moneys with thos,
left in their charge, 80 as 10 make IT nsaElj
impossible to get at a correct accoun
of he matter. The estate OF the lac Edwsrt
Pa'laid is put at Sl60,000, and it is asserte'
hat The administrator meyer rendEred a tru
account of il, and have managed it, not &c
the interest OF Lucy w. Ballard, but rathel
to their own interests. A m-isappropriaiiol
of the moneys received by The administr alor
for ren's on the Ballard estate il likewi.
charged. A full list of The property owne,
3 b. the late Lrcy W. Ballard IS then give1
and the court i requested 10 release the pris
oner from his former atquiescence in tn
: dispossl of the property 10 occasion a ne
division Of the whole estate, 20 that the petl
TONER may receive a full oue-fourth share Q
it, and 10 issue an Injunction res raining tn
present heirs from d:sposiug of any oil th
/ properly interested.
The parties against whom this suit
brought are all we'll known and respected
3 . Frank L. Ballard is a real : IS ate agent at IL
Monroe etreet, Charles K. Billiard is secrt
Z tsry OF the Guthrie Ice Compsny, and Mar
Gage is the W fs of Henry III. G 'gp, who is
: partner in the real ,s.sts business at III
Monroe street.