The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-11-28
The Romantic Story Developed by Suit Over
q Dead Mans Property.

Cincinnati Special to Cleveland Leader.
The decision rendered by Judge Goebel to-day
settling q suit involving the distribution of $685.
900 is the final CHAPTER In one OF the most ro-
mantle cases ever forming a part OF Judicial
records. The decision settles the right of pos
session to the amount named upon William aud
Ellen Cloud, whose father was the principal
character in the romance. j. p. Cloud once
lived in Harrisburg, Pa. He married a girl
there, and soon after settled in Philadelphia,
where he resided for several years, and where
two children, a boy and a girl, William and FL
len, were born. For some reason that has never
been explained Cloud disappeared from the
Quaker City aud for a long time nothing was
learned that he was a resident of Lawrence
burg, Ind, she came West, but found that after
Cloud left Philadelphia he had gone first to Bal
timore. where he married into a good family,
bringing his new wife West with him. When
the two wives met at Lawrenceburg legal pro-
ceejings were somehow averte6 and the Phila-
delphia wife returned TO her Eastern home. A
few weeks later the Baltimore wife died and not
long to follow her was her only child, q half
grown girl. Their deaths were apparently
natural. and though gossip started some queer
tales the disappearance of Cloud stopped all
speculation. The Philadelphia wife learned of
the death of her successor and again same TO
Lawrenceburg. but ere she arrived Cloud had
turned home. For years nothing was
heard of Cloud, and then he was found
at Harrison. O., a town not many miles from
Lawrenceburg. IL seems he went there from
Lawrenceburg, but although he retained his
name he was as completely lost sight Of by his
Lawrencebure acquaintance as though an ocean
separated them. At Harrison Cloud again mar
ried, this time a Mrs. Robinson. She never
know of his former alliances until be mentioned
thorn in his unconscious talk during his fatal
illness. At Harrison he had been successful in
business, amassing q fortune OF $50, 600, So, 900
of which was beQueathed to his third wife, and
the remainder to his children, William and
Ellen. The disclosure of his former marriage
affected Mrs. Robinson-C Clouds mind, and for
several years and until her death she vas con-
fined ir one room of her big house at Harrison.
Her guardian and the administrator Of the estate
made an effort TO find the Cloud children. bat
William had moved to Illinois and Ellen had
married, aud neither saw or heard of the adver-
ministrator failed, and his assignee in endeavor-
ing TO straignten the accounts again advertised
for the Cloud children, now advanced to past
middle life. He. by an accident, discovered
Ellen Cloud. and after q year OF legal proceed
ings they have fully established their right to
the money bequeathed them by their strange
father. The case has all along attracted much
attention because of the romantic phases incl
dent to it, and also because OF the extreme age
of all the witnesses called, and the bringing to
the light Of day o family Bible now nearly q
century old, by which, more than anything else,
the identity Of the Clouds was finally fully es-
tablished. The decision of the case makes
guardian Simonson's bondsmen liable for the
amount due the plaintiffs.