The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-05-20
A LITTLE ROMANCE.
A Child in Search of Father and For
LChicpgo Tribune.l

lCllcogO lIDuhe'I
A very small child with very long name
-Gertruoe Frances Wilhelmins Rollar-is
complainant in an equity suit TO establish
her identity and get the property OF G0tilisb
Friedrich William Rollar, whose daughter she
claims to be. As the claimant is not yet two
years OF age, and is described as "the west
baby ever born alive,n she can not be said to
take an active interest in the matter herself,
but one Axel Chytraus represents her as next
friend. The will of Gotslieo was probated ST
ter his death in February, 1888. and the
Court found that he died childless. By the
will ell his property was left 70 his mother,
bis BROTHER and his sister, who are made de-
fer dants to tie present bill. The claim OF
Gertrude to be posthumous child requires
some examination OF the evidence a.
tady taken in the case. from which the
following particulars appear:
In May. 1877, Gottlieb R0llsr, the testatOr,
took one Ida King to be the companion of
his bed and board. There seems 20 have
been no formal marriage ceremony. bat it is
claimed that mutual promises, and cohebi-
tation smOunted TO common Law mar
riage. At all events, IDA King was after
ward known as lea Rollar, and Was By some
Teputed to have lawfol claim to that name.
Gottlisb died February Z, 1885, leaving real
estate valued at S. 600, and personal proper
ty rather more valuable. The complainant
In the bill alleges that she was born about
four months lAIer, bat that her fathers ps-
rents and other relatives, all of whom lived
in Buffalo, formed al insidlOus plot to de-
bar her Of her LEGAL portion. They presented
her fathers will fer prooste, she says, and,
by the payment of round sum, bribsd
Ida Rollar to admit that she wss never
the lawful wife OF the tsstator. This. at
least, is sure, that shs presented cisiR Of
81 eco for her services az houseKeeper, sCd
hereby virtually edmittSd that she had DO
claim to widows portion. Sac swears,
however. that she thought sae WAS getting
the money as widow. She made her atfi-
6avit, to be sure. of the correctness Of the
claim, but then, she says, 'tsey always make
you swear, az a ger eral thing"
The defendants claim taat Gertrude is q
SUI posiilliOus child, and IN support OF their
avtIment hey produce some potent evil
deIcs, rom which Il sDp' q S that Ida R0lar
vent to the house Of Mrs. Stark, or Ever
green avenue, June q, 1855 and said she
wanted baby to sdODt &rs Stark kept
O called Lying in hospital and said she
EOoid procure an infant for Mrs. ROllar.
Having 10 eligible o6ild IL tie house she
resoIted 10 the a6cds of Mrs, Ida Mueller, 653
West Monroe street, who pursued similar
vocation, snd found that new arrival vas
expected in cay or two. The child came
10 light two DAYS later, June 20 1t Is de.
soTiDed IS o diminutive blonde, with blue
eyes, and little vert en- one ear which, as
in many famous dime romsnCes. mss en- Ia
tiuence upon the owners destiny quite in-
comm en- sur9te with Its apparent value. TIE
mother Of little Gertrude Is declared by Mrs.
Mueller 10 have been a music teacher. the
daughter of wealthy parents in Kentucky,
and sbe gave her name as Mary Calvary.
Mrs. Mueller kept record Of the births &C
curing IN her house, however, and in this
the mothers name is eiyen as Jennie Hest
ing, and that of the infant IS Luela Hosting
When the infant wss born, Mira. Stark came
with her young granddaughter and conveyed
it TO the room Of Mrs. Rollar, who had Just
had a still born child. The evidence seems
fatal TO the claim of Gertrude. Mrs. MueI-
Ter appears to have known that in order
to get the benefit of her husbands prop
eTty she must have q living child. Three
witnesses, however-Mrs. Stark aud her
daughter and Mrs. Mueller-identified the
supposititious child by the unfortunate ear
mark. So strong did this evidence appear to
be that The defendants counsel requested
Judge Tuley to sign decree finding that the
compliments claim was gfoundless. He re-
fused, however, to forestsll the usual course
OF litigation, and the matter will come q p 81
q future day.
Several circumstances in this little TO-
nance call to mind the more sensational his
tory of George Peck. whose claims to the es-
tale OF Mrs. Clsrlssa e. Peck were fully sat
forth in the Tribune some months ago. Mrs.
Peck, It may be remembered, left some Sie0. :
GOO for charitable purposes, and the boy
George aftefward turned up, claiming to be
heI grandson and heir. 1t may be proper to
state in this place that the attorneys of this
youth have by no means abandoned the
the threatened legal proceedings to recover
his alleged rights but have deferred the mat
ter from week to week with the momsntary
expectation, as they declare, of setting the
snit On foot. Affidavits have been collected
in formidable numbers, and ii - insisted by
them that they have not the remotest idea
of abandoning the claim