The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-05-11
MORE KENNEDY LAWSUITS.
Third Widow of Senate Kennedy
Again Sues His Children.

Special to the indianapolis Journal.
RUSHVILLE. Ind, May 10.-Mrs. Sarah
Kennedy, widow OF the late ex-State Sena-
tor A. NJ. Kennedy, filed a damage suit for
5000, last evening, against the sons and
daughters and grandsons of her dead hus-
band. in which she makes allegations of
mistreatment of rather sensational char
acter. Senator Kennedy died in June, 1897,
and soon after his death the complaint
AYERS that the defendants met in the Ken
nedy residence and agreed to allow Mrs.
Kennedy to live in the house as long as she
cared 10. On the strength of this agreement
she continued to make the house her home
until Aug. 10, 1897, when the defendants,
during her absence, entered her home and,
on her return, refused to admit her and
barred the doors and windows against her.
She implored them to allow her to spend
the night there, as she was unable to walk
any distance to seek another house. They
laughed at her entreaties, the complaint
says, and Mrs. Kennedy and a sister. who
was with her, were forced to spend the
night on the veranda. She says she con-
tracted a heavy cold. chills and pneumonia
in the damp night air and was sick for a
considerable period and paid out over $50
TO doctors. While in possession of the house
the defendants appropriated Mrs. Kennedy's
private property, she says, and would not
return ii until finally compelled to in a law
suit. When they did give up her property
they piled her best clothing into an old box
with a lot of hog cholera bottles, old shoes,
old straw and rubbish of various kinds, in
Guiding some partially filled bottles of medi-
cine from which Senator Kennedy was doc
tored in his last sickness. The plaintiff
says she and her dead husband occupied a
high social position in Rush county. and
that she was greatly Inundated and sorely
distressed In mind and body. The defend
ants are o b. Kennedy. of Indianapolis;
William NJ. and Martha j. Stops, of Con-
nersville; Emmett l.. Kennedy, Mrs. Emily
f. Coleman, Thomas A. Coleman. william
Coleman, Martha A. Kennedy and Sarah j.
Kennedy, of Rushville.
Mrs. Kennedy and Senator Kennedy's
heirs have been mixed up in lawsuits ever
since the will of A. NJ. Kennedy was filed.
a few days after his death. The presen. suit
is the most interesting of all and airs in
tween Mrs. Kennedy and her stepchildren.
A. M. Kennedy and Mrs. Kennedy. who
1889. She was his third wife and the sena-
tors children, who were all married and
with families of their own. opposed his
again getting married. Mrs. Kennedy en-
tered into a marriage contract that If she
outlived Senator Kennedy she was to re-
ceive 500 a year while she lived, provided
she remained single, but that she should
acquire no interest in her husbands estate,
aside from an interest in certain personal
property. Soon after Senator Kennedy's
will was probated. in which the marriage
contract was ratified as ample provision for
Mrs. Kennedy. she filed a suit claiming a
half interest in the Kennedy farm of 2O
acres on a certain construction of the mar
riage contract. This case was carried TO the
Supreme Court and Mrs. Kennedy lost and
the marriage contract was held to mean ex-
actly what IL said. Several minor suits have
since been Irrigated. one being a suit for
500 by the administrators. Emmett l. Ken
nedy. on a bond in an injunction suit, IN
which Mrs. Kennedy lost. This case was
decided yesterday and Judgment for $50
given the administrator The Kennedy home
farm has been sold and the affairs of the
estate are now about settled. The heirs
have given bond for the payment OF Mrs.
Kennedy's annuity.
Charles +: Kennedy, or indianapolis, Sec
rotary of the State Board of Agriculture,
and "A son of A. NJ. Kennedy, has held aloof
from the difficulties between Mrs. Kennedy
and her stepchildren. although he was a de-
PENDANT in one of the first suits filed by
Mrs. Kennedy.