The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-11-25
WOOD WINS At LAST
Is in a MadhouSe With Mil
lions to His Credit.
LONG FIGHT Is ENDED
Biggest Estate Ever in Pro-
bate Court Here.

Judge T. B. Wall Of this city, has at
last won in his big lawsuit in behalf of
William Wood, the insane millionaire,
the state in an asylum at Topeka. Mr..
y. n. Haymaker, judge Of the probate
court of this county, received informa-
ton yesterday afternoon from the author
sties at Denver, Colorado. to the effect
that William Wood, an insane ward in
the probate court here, had won in an
important litigation which had been pend
ing in the Colorado courts for nearly fif-
teen years, and which gives the insane
man large interests in famous Colorado
mining properties and makes him very
wealthy man.
Judge T. 3. Wall has been prosecuting
this suit for the insane man, in conjunc-
ton with Denver attorney, for a great
many years, and justly feels greatly elated
over his triumph in the courts, and
against a set of relatives and wealthy
mine owners, who had striven with the
power Of wealth and influence to defeat
the rights Of the imbecile who was justly
entitled to the property. Judge Wall was
so enthusiastic in this case that he has
personally borne a great deal of the ex-
pense incurred in the litigation and has
made many trips to Colorado In connec-
ton Herewith.
W. P. Throckmorton Of this city is the
guardian of the insane man, and from
the fact that the man was a Sedgwick
county citizen at the time he was adj
judged insane, and his guardian living
here, will doubtless bring into the probate
court of this county one of the richest
estates that has ever been administered
in this court.
It is said that there Is a great posi-
bility Of the insane man being cured. 1t
will be remembered by the old settlers
here that when Wood lived in this city
his sister, Maggie conducted a public
house. One night William, a bright young
man Of 16 years, was struck on the head
with an iron bar. and his skull injured.
He was never right, it is said, after this
accident. An operation on the skull Of
the man. even at this late day, might re-
lieve a pressure there that would at once
cure his insanity. It IS understood that in
all probability Mr.. ThrocEmorton viii
take the man to Europe and have this
operation performed in the hope of curing
him, so that in the latter years of his
existence, which heretofore has been 50
dark, may be ENJOYED on the immense
wealth that has come TO him.
on the termination OF the case in the
federal court Of Denver the other day, the
Denver News rut Ished the following ac-
count of tha -ri'. and the peculiar case:
The triumph Of William Wood insane,
over a CORPS of Colorado's most brilliant
attorneys AID the efforts Of his own rela-
1ives, as Id last week in the wind-up of
ono Of the most famous mining litiga-
tions cf lie west, probably establishes
a precedent It is a big step, from the
poor house 10 the estate OF a millionaire,
but Wood does not seem to be ruffied.
"Another. peculiar feature Of the case is !
the fact that his relatives who battled |
against him FOR ten years or more, are
left without a cent, so far as the estate |
eoes. II.s mother, wealthy and old who /
rolled through Kansas time and again in |
a palace car and only once deigned to see /
her unfortunate son, is made much poorer |
10y the conclusion of the case.
Yesterday Judge Hallett. by a stroke |
OF his pen, settled the matter Of the |
Wood tate forever, so far as the courts
are concerned. and put an end to a case
which has juggled for ten years through /
the legal corridors. from one bench to
another from the lowest to the highest
tribunal in the land. The contest be-
tween the insane man on the one side
Pers Of his rights on the other. came to
an end by the striking Of the titles from
the legal dockets, and Wood was instated
fully in his rights.
"A brief resume of this most famous
case is very interesting. bringing out. as
II does, some facts not before published.
over twenty years ago William Wood.
the father Of the insane millionaire. was
n prospector in Colorado He discovered
the great Emma mine, near Aspen. whose
resources have never been fully deveI-
oDed. with more than $7.00O00o already
yielded. lie turned the mine over TO tho
man who gruhstakcd him. retaining an
interest. The Aspen Mining and SmeIt-
ing company so the plaintiff in the suit
stated. persuaded Mrs. Wood and tba
heirs, after Woods death. that the prom
erty was of little value. and secured II.
together with groups OF digcinEs about
1t, The Emma yielded great quantities
Of low grade ore and was on top Of the
mountain. while the succeeding shafts
were sunk down the steep from it.
The heirs discovered later that the As
pen company was getting rich. and
started to bring suits against it. Mrs.
Wood married man by the name of
Billings and went to live in Ontario. can
ada a daughter. Mrs Maggie Cav
anaush was in Wichita Kan. Four
sons were: William. crazy. and sun
ported by the state Of Kansas: Charles
and Thomas. living al Aspen. and James