Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-10-25
AFTER FORTY YEARS.
An Intricate Law Suit Involving 100000
Settled iu the Chicago Courts-The
Parties in Possession Half
n Century Ousted.

CHICAGO, October 24.-Judge Tyler rem
dered decision to-day in long contested
case involving the ownership of about
500, 900 worth of property. Under the de-
cree which he ordered entered upon the rec
ordsof his court the property involved passes
from a family which has been 40 years in
possession, to the heirs of another family,
the original owners. The case was that
of Henry W. Price and Charles II.
Fox. his nephew, both of Rockford, ILL.,,
against Louise Meddaugh and the heirs of
George W. Noble The history of the case
is an interesting one. In 1S49, William
Price, the father of Henry and one of the
pioneers OF Chicago, was the owner of
planning mill at the corner OF Clinton and
Randolph. 1t was the year of the gold fever
and Price became afflicted with the disease.
He determined to go to California. In Oc-
tober he left for the Golden State, but before
going he put George W. Noble, his brother
in-law, in charge o. his planning mill, turn
ing it over to him to be held in trust for
year, at the end of which time he expected
to return from California.
Noble was to provide for Prices wife and
children out of the profits of the business.
Price sailed from New York for California
and nothing was heard of him for months.
Then the news came that Price had died
while crossing the Isthmus of Panama.
When the report of Prices death came
great change, it is said, came over Noble.
He at once took entire charge of the prop
erty. He circulated story that the gold
seeker had run away to Texas with a woman,
and that he had not started for California at
all. On the trial of the case, however,
Prices death was so we'll established that
the attorneys for the Noble heirs admitted
the fact. Noble also, it is charged, induced
the widow by subterfuge to turn over to
him all the title deeds and all the papers
which Price had lett. These he destroyed,
for at the trial none of them was produced,
although the latter did produce receipt in
full for $3.50 from Noble to Price, dated ten
DAYS before the latter went away. Experts
called by the other side declared it for
gerry.
With everything in his own hands, Noble
ceased to provide for the widow and chill
dren, and they were reduced to poverty. In
1886 Noble died, leaving no will, and no
direct heirs. The property passed into the
hands of his divorced wife, who had become
Mrs. Meddaugh, and his collateral heirs, of
whom there are several. The son and
nephew, the only heirs left of the man who
had disappeared 81 years before, brought
suit to recov;r the property. The decree
allows the Noble heirs 81, ,0OO the salary of
the trustee for the year he was to have been
in charge of the property. 1t compels them
to account for the proceeds of the mill from
the time Price went away until 1885, if the
proceeds can be determined. In 1858 the
mill burned down and was never rebuilt,
but from the time it was destroyed down to
the present, the heirs of Noble are to ac-
count for the rental value with per cent
interest The whole action ordered by the
decree will give the son and nephew about
500. 000