Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-07-15
WIDOW GETS SHARE.
Long-Fought Case Of Beeman We.
Kitzman Closes at Sigourney.
DIVORCE is HELD TO BE ILLEGAL
Court Says Beeman's Residence in
Western State Was for Purpose
Case Watched With Great Interest
by People of keokuk County.

Sigourney, July 14.-(Courier's Spe-
cial Service.) -After years of legal
harangue and the expenditure of thou
sands of dollars, the case of Eugenia
w. Beeman VS.. Samuel Kitzman, ct
al, was brought to close during the
last term of the Keokuk county court
by a decree being found for the plain
tiff, whereby she secures her share
from the estate of her deceased hus.
band, S. P. Beeman. The legality Of
decree of divorce granted to S. P.
Beeman, deceased, from his wife Eu-
| genia peeman, in the courts of North
| Dakota a few years ago, was, accord
| ing to the decree of the district court
in this city, held to be invalid and in
conformity with this decision Mrs.
Beeman was entitled to one-third of the
estate of her deceased husband
| During the years in which this case
has been pending there has been I'M
limited interest manifested by the peo-
| pie of this locality and the outcome
of the controversy has been received
by the people of Keokuk county with
considerable satisfaction. The story
of the departure of Mr.. Beeman for
South Dakota, the securing of di-
vorce in the courts of that state, fol-
lowed by the sale of the farm to Mr..
Kitzman under the guise of being a
single man, and later, after theEdeath
/ of Mr.. Beeman, the Institution. of a
suit for the widows one-thirdsby Mrs
Beeman, and its slow and varied pro
gress in the courts until, its final set
Element a short time ago. furnishes a
story of considerable interest and ro
nance.
Left the Hawkeye state.
From the chain of events, brought
out in the trial the following fstory is
woven: Several years ago S.P. Bee.
man, now deceased, who owned$a farm
in one of the best sections of keokuk
county, decided to take trip TO the
state of North Dakota. After aErang
ing his affairs and storing some Of his
goods in one of the rooms of his house
and deposting the key with one Of the
neighbors for safe keeping, he depart
ed for the northwest, stating that hi
would return within short time. This
n idea it seems, left him entirely aftel
i spending a short time in that country
\ Judging from his actions and he filet
\ petition in the courts of that state
asking for decree Of divorce from hi.
wife.
Passes as Single Man.
II Upon receiving favorable. decision
from the courts, Mr.. Beeman left tina
Estate and made his home in the fa
west Some time after leaving NORTH
4 Dakota Mr.. Beeman sold his farm il
Keokuk county to Samuel Kitzman fol
a consideration of $4,000, upon giving
assurance that he Mr. Beeman, was {
single man, this assertion being shown
in the deed to the land that was fur
. nished to Mr.. Kitzman
! Litigation Begins.
Soon after the death of Mr.. Beeman
which occurred several years ago il
Idaho, Mrs. Beeman, who was then re
siding in New York, began actor
against Samuel Kitzman, in the dis
! trict court of Keokuk county, for tn,
purpose Of securing the widows one.
third interest in the estate Through
out the trial the purpose of the prose.
cutting attorneys was to show that Thu
divorce secured by S. P Beemane il
North Dakota was illegal and in til,
decision rendered recently it was hell
this decree was not valid inasmuch al
: it was shown that the residence Q
!, Beeman in the state of North Dakoti
was not in good faith, but that hi
purpose in going to that state was t,
: secure the divorce. In accordance
with this decision Mrs. Beeman wa
granted the one-third of the estate
Mr.. Kitzman was also allowed 81 so
for improvements. Throughout tn
years in which the case has beel
pending, in the court the interests o
the plaintiff have been in charge o
Attorneys r. G. BEEN and ]. P. Talley
while the defendant has been repre-
sented by G. D.. Woodin, D. 7. Stock
man. T. 9. Lego and G. B. Hunn.a