Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1897-05-08
SATURDAY, MAY 8.
THE ODD FELLOWS HOME.

decided to them by Ernest Valet0n
de Boissere near Ottawa, Kansas.
Following is something about the
matter which we publish by re-
quest:
ITO the Topeka State Journals:
II am not in the habit of trying
my lawsuits in the newspapers, but
the article published in your paper
of April Is under the head of Sch
sntional Charges" demands some
attention on behalf of myself sud
my associates. to whom Ernest Val.
eton de Boissere on May IL. 1872.
conveyed by warranty deed certain
lands in Franklin county in trust
for the founding of AN Orphans
Home and Industrial School.
"Messrs. Trouiman and Stone
have been trying for more than six
months TO get into the district court
Of Franklin county in a suit they
have brought, in the firsi instance,
to get possession of the real estate
conveyed by deed for the pretended
benefit of the heirs of MIR Boissere.
But these gentlemen are now pros
ec;iting said suit in their Own be.
halt. upon III, claim that they are
now the owners of whatever inter
est the heirs may have had. The
motion referred 10 in your article
simply allows these gentlemen ~
days in which to file an amended
petition. after which il will still be
necessary to ascertain whether OF
not they are in court.
"Within three weeks of the con.
vey ance of this property 10y Nr.
Boisscre. DR.. NJ. b. Ward OF Topeka.
vino was then grand master oi the
|. .. .. i. OF Kansas. sent q connIu-
nicaiion to each lodge in The state,
giving Information oil all the facts.
including The fact that the trustees,
of whom l.. {. Slime is president,
had assumed the settlement nj II
claim that had been presented 10
Mr.. Boissere by Charles I. Sears,
luot ". II. Sears) the executor OF the
estate of Charles Sears deceased.
This communication was acconpa-
MED by u communication from the
trustees, more specifically stating
all the facts. and mat This claim
made on behalf of Che Sears estate
would he settled upon the most rea-
sonabie terms possible. These com.
municaiious were also accompa-
MED by printed copies Of the deed
executed by MIR. Boisscre to the
trustees. The claim on behalf al
the Sears estate was duly settled by
the trustees, AT much less sum
than would have been given by amy
Jury that could have been eunpaii
eled in any court in the state of
Kansas in case the claim had been
resisted. The fullest possible re-
port of these matters was made Ivy
the trustees TO ;l'e GRAND lodge and
scattered broadcast all over the
state. These reports having been
investigated by the proper com.
mittees and approved by the grand
lodge ~ it's various annual sessions |
were published in the Grand Lodge
Journal, so that the subject matter
has been public property from the
beginning.
The parties who are now con-
this suit are misleading
the people by asserting that the
property is only held under will.
The title is today just where Mr..
Boissere placed il. No change
whatever has been made in the title
since the day he conveyed il to the
The deed was dictated by
and the grand lodge oil Odd
Fellows was not mentioned in il.
The Odd Fellows did not refuse to
accept the gift, az stated in your ar
ticle, but at two annual sessions of
the grand lodge, after the fullest
of these reports, fully
the benefits intended to be
by Mr.. Boissere in max.
ing THE provision for Odd Fellows
orphans of the state, and pledged
cooperation with the trustees In
establishing this home. The claim
that the trustees, or any of them,
fraud upon Mr.. Bois-
sere bears the stamp of falsehood
upon it's face, and will not be be-
lieved by a single individual after
second thought. If we had been 80
as to try TO get this prop
erty for our personal benefit. and
had such influence over Mr.. Bois-
sere as to secure IL, there is not a
nan living who will for a moment
believe that under such circum
stances we would have procured
The title to the land in such a way
ls to set 10000 Odd Fellows watch
ing US. Mr.. Boissere lived twenty
after executing and deliver
ng the deed. Up to the time of his
Heath the trustees had received the
cordial support of the order, and
neither the circumstance of his
ieath nor the subsequent action of
he grand lodge had any effect
whatever upon the validity of the
laed executed NV him