The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-11-14
PRIEST ACCUSED Of FRAUD.
FATHER VAN HOLDERRENE OF sNo-
HOMIsH DEFENDANT IN A SUIT.
Mrs. Mary J. Riley Says He Got Her
Property Away From Her While
She Was Suffering From Anguish
Over the Death Of Her Relatives.

A sensational suit. which involves The
good name OF the Rev Peter van Holder
eeks, Catholic priest ar Srohc7lish was
lied In the superior court OF King county
YESTERDAY The plaintiff Is Mrs Mary +.
Riley. an elderly woman who formerly was
one Of Father Holderbeke's commune
eants- She claims that he has defrauded
hsr out of her properly.
The suit is brought against the corpora
fion or the Catholic bishop OF Nisqlally.
as well as tRs priest. All OF the alleged
transactions complained Of were done
prior 20 the death of the tate Bishop Jun
ger. and the present Bishop Z. j. O'Dea
Rad nothing 10 do with them
Mrs Riley. IL her complaint fled by her
attorneys. Arthur & Wheeler. alleges that
she was an attendant at the church OF
Father van Holderbeke o.. July 10, 1853.
her husband. James Riley. died On
March L. 1884. her brother William OFar-
rel. canon of the Roman Catholic
church III whom she had always placed
the greatest reliance. trust and confidence,
also died On March is 1894. her only
son. Joseph w. 2. Ryan. was killed. On
September Is. 1894. Mrs. Joseph W. p.
Ryan. her daugh;er-in-law. with whom
she then lived. died. These were her sole
relatives and with their death ''she was
left wholly without any relation TO care
for. protect or advise her."
she suffered inAnse grief and great
whereby her mind became greatly affect
ed and weakened. and her mental facul-
ties became and were so impaired that She
lost her normal condition of mind
Mrs. Riley goes on to tell that she was
wholly inexperienced in business affairs
and that Van Hoderbeke knew of her be-
reavements. her sufferings and her ilnor-
ance of business affairs. She went 10 him
for counsel and advice both spiritual and
business. and he obtained complete control
over her shattered mind. The complaint
says:
That she was constantly lamenting the
loss of her said son and expressing a de-
sire TO go 10 him in the next world; that
in reference to her said desire. defendant
Van Holderbeke told her that there was
no use crying and that there was Just
one thing for her 10 do in order to SO TO
her son. which was 10 give over 10 him
Nan Holderbeke) all her property. and
that then she would have no earthly at
tachments. and she would go TO her said
son in the next world. That she wholly
and completely relied upon his sincerity.
knowledge and wisdom as her spiritual
guide, and upon his advice and direction
In all her other affairs"
Mrs. Riley says she cannot remember ex-
actly what property she had. but among
the items were the following:
One house and lot in the city OF Snohom-
ish. valued at $500.
Two lots i'm Everett. value $500.
Four lots in Colorado Springs. Colo.
value $4,000.
One lot In Albuquerque. n. NJ. value
$500.
One house at Wallace. n. NJ. value 81 900.
Eiscsy acres of orchard land near Black
shear Pierce county. Georgia, value 5000,
the annual rents of which were 81 900.
A tract of railroad land. the location of
which she does not know.
Personal property. silverware. diamonds.
rings. jewelry. etc. value 5000.
Mrs. Riley charges that Van Holderbeke
he nj De
Schram, then private secretary of the
defendant corporation, entered into
confederation and plan to defraud her OF
her property by cheating her and convert
Ing her property to their, own use and
benefit.
Then, at Van Holderbeke's request, she
abandoned her place of residence and
went to his house to reside. She alleges
that she borrowed $1,000, giving a mort
gage on her Colorado Springs property
and turned over 1856 OF this amount to the
priest and that later she mortgaged her
Snohomish and Everett property for $500
and gave that money TO Van Holderbeke.
In January, 1885, she gave him her power
of attorney.
She further alleges that the priest re-
fuses to give her any information in re-
gard to her property or to tell her what
she had: that he ordered her to leave his
house, and forcibly drove her out and in
structed her friends and neighbors not
TO converse with her; that ste is now en-
tirely without means and dependent upon
charity for support.
She wants an accounting, and desires
that the defendant be restrained from dis
posing of the property.