Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-05-27
SETS A PRECEDENT.
Case in sisourney District Court Is a
Pioneer.

TtSuCSIs
Sigourney, May 22.-(Special.) ~
Pending for several months and eager.
ly watched for its legal aspects from
all parts of the country, the test case
OF Rev. Thos. Purcell VS.. Frank Pines,
guardian, was decided on Tuesday In
favor of the defendant. Some time
ago Judge Brady of Rathdrum, Idaho,
was assassinated, and dying left his
children, a boy of years, and girl of
Z, in the care of his brother-in-law,
Frank Pines Of Keswick, (Ia.) Brady,
whose wife's death preceded his, was a
Catholic in religion, and Rev. Thos.
Purcell sought to gain control of his
children in order to educate them in
the faith of that church, Judge
Brady's life was insured for consid-
cradle amount. and Rev. Purcell first
tried to contest his will in the courts
of Idaho in order to set aside the
guardianship of Mr.. Pines. Failing in
this Rev. Purcell attempted to prevent
Mr.. Pines removing the children from
Idaho, but Mr.. Pines persisted and was
successful in being appointed legal
guardian in Iowa. This Rev. Father
Purcell again contested by petition
to set aside the guardianship of Mr..
Pines on various grounds. The case
came up for hearing before Judge
Clements at this term of court and was
on Tuesday decided against the plain
tiff. 1t involves an interesting point
in law, and in its decision sets pre-
cedent of great interest to the legal
fraternity.
The case of the enthusiastically of
Mr.. Albers of this place, in an estate
is being contested by interested par.
ties who charge Partially.
Fritz Wickenkamp, the 10-year-old
son of Chris Wickenkamp, was acct
dentally shot and wounded in the
thigh by Harrison Shafer with revol-
yer on Tuesday evening. The bullet
passed through the muscles in the re-
gion of the groin and lodged near
the surface of the leg whence 1t was
extracted and the wound dressed by
DR.. Shriener.
The high school entertainment at
the opera house on Tuesday evening
was attended by a large and thor.
oughly appreciative audience. The
program was excellent and reflected
credit upon the patient and painstak-
ing efforts of Superintendent Riggs,
and his efficient corps of high school
assistants.
Editor Elva Sherlock, of the Hedrick
Herald, has been visiting his parents
in Sigourney, and his friends are pleas
ed to welcome his genial presence.
Irwin Hutchinson and Mr.. Adlinger,
two substantial citizens of What
Cheers vicinity, are witnesses in the
Albers case.
H. S. McVicker, of the Grinnell Her
aid, arrives in town today to see Maud
McVicker graduate and will ,partici.
pate in the high school alumni recep.
ton tomorrow night.
County comment is very favorable
to the carrying of the court house pro-
position this fall. The majority of
voters are probably sensible enough
not to let the matter be dragged into
mere shabby politics, and the repre-
sentative and substantial men of both
parties eoncede the necessity of new
structure. The people are pretty vel
,sonto tricks" and next to slick deals
4 Sigourney's schools close tomorrow
Tonight occurs the graduating exercis
les of the high school, and tomorrow
the correspondent will have a pithy re
port about the exercises and mono
graph Of the class Of 1902.