The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1890-02-22

ming the estate for theirOwn benefit
the contract specified they were TO SCI
80 per cent OF the plumber Jack said
If my father gets the money / vii
never get cent Of it, and ! think
$1,000 Il good settlement for me. Ian
sick, and need the money at once.
want You TO 60 up and get that settle
ment made, and will pay you what
owe you as soon as | get check fol
the money
Jack owed me 800 for borrowed
money at that time, and had done
other work for him amounting to $4W
or more. which | never expected tC
get. He came into the probate court
room the next day after this interview
and said he had come up to see II he
could get that $1,000. ] told him he
wruld get ii as soon as the lawyers
were consulted. Armstrong came In
and said he would consent to the set
element for 900, Jack saw his law
yers, and they would not allow him TO
settle unless he got $4,000. | told
Jack to return home, which he did.
Wash Armstrong came up and said he
would settle for $1,000. told Jack
Reddick about 1t. Later, both came
into my Office and said they had agreed
upon "A settlement for $1,000. This
was on the 10th of March. 1887, short
~ after the death of T.. b. f. Red
dick. Wash told Jack he would have
to see his attorneys, and the matter
would have to be settled in legal
| manner.
None Of the attorneys for defendant
knew anything about settlement as
far as | am aware. was not present
when the money was paid to Jack
That same evening, however, Jack
came in and paid me $3.50, part Of what
he owed me, saying the lawyers had
not paid for services in settling the
will case. but for an old debt.
| became "A member OF the library
board some time after the will contest
was settled, about March u, 1887. |
was present several times when the
board talked about having John Funk
pay $500 as his share Of the $1,000
paid Jack Reddick | received mes
sage to attend IA meeting Of the library
board at f.. G. Swift's Office. Mr..
Swift was the spokesman Of the com
mittee and asked what had become Of
the $500 paid me by Funk. | told
him it had been received for pro-,
fessional services. They read aflidavits
purporting to he signed by Jas. w.
Duncan, John Funk and Jack Red,
dick. | told them If they believed the
affidavit of Funk that this money was
going to Reddick, surely it did not be-
long to the board and was no interest to
them. acknowledged that both Red
dick and Funk had paid me money.
| was very indignant and thought /
had been treated with discourtesy.
Shortly after the commencement OF
p. OceedingS to set aside the Rcddick
will had "a conversation with Funk
and told him about the agreement
with his sister in my office prior to her
death. | declined to take her case at
first, but finally agreed to advise her
for the sum of $500. OF that sum there
had been paid but 800. Funk told me
to see Wash" Armstrong when |
asked him for the balance due about
the remainder and | took mirror
valued at 800 in payment for that
service, giving a receipt in full. The
controversy about the settlement OF
the will contest was kept IA secret.
Witness then produced letter from
Jack Reddick to that effect.
have no reason to offer why !
cashed the draft for $500 in Streator.
wanted to see Mr.. Lehman and Col.
Plumb on business and while there
think cashed the draft.
had an interview with Jack Red
dick at his house in La Sale few
days after the meeting of the library
board in Swfts office. Jack claimed
some one had told him that the $500
paid me by Funk belonged to him
(Rcddick). narrated the circum-
stances and he expressed himself as
being well satisfied with my eyplana-
tion. | told him If the matter was
settled ! would make isis Reddick
pay me the ~, 500. A few weeks later
TrIrur VI TIE
Ne ISLANDERS which were being publish,
l. concerning improper transactions q
II legged to have been committed by n
r in the Reddick will settlement. I
felt sick and told me to write a lett
lie to him narrating the facts to be mat
II prominent in the article, which was
Is appear in the La Sale Democrat Pres
'e Following is a copy Of the draft
q that letter: SIN regard to your cor
q munication concerning the settlemel