Wichita eagle., 1889-04-13
RhnIX MIXED

KANSAS CITY, Mo-, April II. Tomorrow
morning, at Lyons, Kan. Judge Isaac j.
J ketchum, of this city, will argue before
the probate court of Rice county the ques-
ton whether or not letters of administra-
ton shall be granted to the wife of the
| late Judge A. j. Struble
One evening" just at dark, about three
months ago, Judge Struble drove up to his
! home list on the outskirts of Lyons, Kan.
| His handsome wife and little daughter ran
ont to meet him. The judge sat upright,
but senseless. He was taken to his room,
! physicians called, but he never recovered
consciousness, and died the next day.
Stories of foul play were circulated, but
nothing on which TO base them was ever
discovered. On the right cheek was a
bruise as though made by heavy blow,
| and part Of the heels from each shoe were
gone. The attending physicians pro-
nounced the cause of death appoplexy,
their theory being that the judge was
stricken while driving. fell forward on the
dashboard, which caused the bruise, and
upon partially recovering regained his
seat, the horse going home without guild
ance. Judge Struble left nowill. He had
an elegant home at Lyons and owned
about 5000 acres of land in the county,
valued with personal property at about
100000. Mrs. Struble applied for
letters of administration which, under the
laws of Kansas, entities her to one-half of
her husbands Kansas property and places
her in charge of the personal effects in
other states The judge had property and
personal effects in Menard county, Ill. 1t
is there his children by former wife live,
and they oppose the widows administra'
ton of the estate. The opposition to Mrs.
Struble by the judges children antedates
the widows marriage to the judge. Short
ly after the judges first wife died in Hi
nois, Mrs. Sarah Johnson, a progressing
and accomplished woman, moved into the
neighborhood where the judge lived. She
and the Judge soon became engaged to be
married. The judges childred opposed it,
investigated Mrs, JohnSon's past
life and discovered that she
was a married woman. She admitted it,
but said her husband had deserted her
many years before Judge Struble did
not abandon Mrs. Johnson, but employed
an attorney to procure divorce for her
from her husband. The judges children
employed an attorney to fight the case.
The main ground for the opposition was
in the allegation that Mrs. johnson had
not been the wife of Johnson, but that she
had been married to Albert Thurber, and
that he was alive when she married john
son; that they had not been separated by
process of law, and that consequently her
Mrs johnson admitted that when
a girl IA years old she married
Albert Thurber, but in a short time
he had deserted her and she had every
reason to believe that he was dead. Thur
Der was not produced. On the ground
that Mrs. Thurber had married Johnson
in good faith the court granted Mrs. John
son divorce. The case was appealed to
the appellate court, which confirmed the
decree of divorce. Another appeal was
taken to the supreme court of the state,
resulting in another confirmation. Judge
Struble and Mrs. johnson were
then married. One daughter was
born of this union. When
Mrs Struble applied for letters to admin
lister upon her husbands estate she was
faced by her old opponents, the judges
first children. They based their opposition
on the old ground of her marriage with
but they had in the meantime
found Thurber and had his evidence in
their behalf Thurber lives in northern
county in Missouri. He has five or six
children by woman who was understood
to be his wife. She died some time since,
and Thurber now declares that she was
not his wife. Thurber will probably ap-
pear in court tomorrow.