The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1885-07-11
The Reddick VIII Case.


A bill was filed in the Circuit Court at Otta-
wa on Thursday by Duncan Il O'Conor and
B. +. Lincoln as solicitors for David Reddick
w. S. Rcddick, Margaret Reddick, Mary Brit
well, Susie Hysell, Elizabeth Smith and Mrs.
s. B. White, complainants, to set aside the
dants in the suit are The City of Ottawa, the
Comfy of La Sale, 7 he Library Board, Eliza
beth Burrier Funk fdick, G.. W. Armstrong
NJ. y, Armstrong, ara all the legatces named
in the will except Dayid Reddck and the chill
dren of the late William Reddick, dcceased's,
brothers and sisters. NJ. y. Armstrong will
represent the interests Of the estate.
The action thus taken was oreshadowed by
the FREE TRADER in its issue following the
death of Mr. Rcddick and occasoncd as little
surprise then as now, as it had all along been
understood that such proceedings would be
instituted, 1t promises to he one of the long
est and most stubbornly contested cases ever
brought into our courts rs there are hundreds
of thousands of dollars at stake and one side at
least will have no alternative but to fight to
wv pitNtl Nld' III htltlloN VIII NC lN IlN0Nh-
ted by City Attorney Trcnary for the city and
probably by f. f. Bull and Mayo II Widmcr
for other parties.
The plan of attack may be gathered from
the following extracts from the bill now on file
in the office of the Circuit Clerk:
1t is stated "that the said William Rcddick,
at the time of executing the said instrument
of writing purporting to be his last will and
testament was not of sound mind and memo
ry, but on the contrary was in his dotage and
was so reduced in physique and his mind and
memory were SO impaired as to render him
wholly incapable of making any just and pro
per distribution Of his estate"
II is further stated "that the defendant Eli
Zabeth Funk Rcddick one Of the principal le-
gatccs in said pretended will, in cooperation
and in confcdcracy with other persons whose
names these orators and Oratriccs are now I'M
able to state, but expect to establish by fun
and complete proofs upon the trial hereof,
used and exercised many undue acts and
fraudulent practices and rcsortcd to falschood
and MISREPRESENTATION to induce the said
W imam lN'hNI'N " 'N'N h'' '"N il'7Nl 'il'NiN
Of writing, and the said William Reddick, in
executing the same, was in fact under lmpro-
per restraint and undue influence from the
said acts and fraudulent practices Of the said
Elizabeth Funk Reddck and said other per-
sons And your orators and Oratriccs further
represent, that for a long time preceding the
date Of said instrument purporting to be the
last will and testament down to the time Of
his death and including the said date Of said
instrument, The said William Reddick was
continuously and without intermission kept
under the influence Of opiatcs, stimulants and
narcotics to such an extent and in such condi-
ton as to absolutely destroy his mind and
that during all said time said William Red.
dick was wholly without mind and memory,
and thereby rendered wholly incapable OF ma
king any just and proper disposition OF his
estate"
II il further charged that after said sup.
posed will Of said VIM. Rcddick was executed
by him as aforesaid and taken possession OF
by one T.. c. Allen, said VIM ReddCk de-
manded and received the same from said Al
Itu WIN AhS Ih' p'7N anu ihhN'tlNb Va NNo'i'J
ing it, and said VIM Reddck thcreupOn did
attempt TO destroy it, and supposed he had
taken the necessary measures for it, destruc-
ton aud that it was IN fact destroyed, but the
said Elizabeth Funk Rcddck, artfully con
irving to thwart the will and intention Of the
said VIM. Reddick, contrived ia rescue and
did rescue, without the knowledge or consent
Of said VIM. Rcddick the said supposed will
from the place and means Of destruction
thereof, and having 50 artfully rescued the
said supposed WILL took possession Of the
same and without the knowledge and consent
Of said Vim. Rcddick wrongfUlly rc-dcliyercd
the said supposed will TO the said Allen, who
held and retained the same until after the
death Of the said VIM. Rcddick, when the said
supposed will was produced, offered aud ad-
mittcd to probate a. aforesaid, the said Red.
dick all the time believing the said will to be
destroyed and revoked from the time he had
so attempted to destroy the same TO the date
Of his death; and SO your orators and oratrces
say tina, the said supposed will j. not the last
will and testament Of said WIN. Reddck, but
that in truth and in fact the said VIM Red
dick departed this life intestate and leaving
his estate subject TO the laws Of descent of
the state