The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1902-05-13
Furnished A Big Sem
sation.
WIFE SW|PED ESTATE
OF Me- ssilIon Man BY Swearing
in Probate Court That
She Was His Wife,
Defense Opens.

common pleas court Thursday, is full
Of sensations. In an effort to damage
the character of Mrs. Seibert and
break the force of her testimony, in
cross examination Attorney Sterling
asked her many questions relating TO
her life before she had married Sell
bert.
In response to these questions, the
woman admitted that she had been the
housekeeper of one Valentine Pfirman,
of Massillon, for about three years
prior to 1897, and then came the sem
sation.
The records of the probate Office
were produced showing that when
Pfirman died. Mrs. Seibert, or Mrs. Nc
Guire, as her name then was, had APP
peared in the probate court and swore
that she was the wife of Pfrman;
that there were no other heirs, and she
made application for letters of admin
istratior, was appointed administra-
tor, paiu off the debts and retained
the balance.
When the facts were presented to
her. she did not deny the allegation,
but admitted everything.
II had been living with Mr.. Pfir-
man as housekeeper for about three
years" said the woman Just before
he died he told me to take charge of
his affairs, as there was no one else,
and for me to represent myself as his
wife and to sign up the papers. / did
not think l was doing anything
wrong"
''You knew you were not his wife,"
asked the attorney.
"Yes. we were never married" re-
piled the woman.
"Yct you went into the probate Office
and swore that you were his wife,
didn't you?"
"Yes, but didn't know any better"
''Do you mean to say that you were
SO ignorant as all that?"
81 knew ! wasn't his wife. but
thought when he told me to l had a
right to sign the papers"
Didn't you tell the judge you were
his wife,"
"He didn't ask me. just asked him
where to sign"
The records in the probate Office
show that over $500 was accounted for
in the estate. S191 of which was left
when the estate was settled. There
was no distribution, as there were no
other heirs, Mrs. Mcclure keeping the
amount. What other property there
was the records do not show.
The cross examination in the other
points of the case was searching and
the effort of counsel was to show that
Mrs. Seibert aggravated her husband.
A letter was read from Alice Nc
Guire. the daughter, written from Ak
ron, after the date when she said shu
had seen Seibert drag her mother out
of the house by her hair. In it she
showed great friendliness of feeling,
but explained that by stating that she
wrote the letter in order to try to
patch up peace between her stepfather
and mother.
Mrs. Seibert said that after she had
visited a neighbor's by the name of
Rice. when Mrs. Rice was i'll, the hus-
band abused her and accused her of
vile things, so vile indeed that she
whispered to the judge, after hesitat-
ing and saying that the words were
too vulger to repeat.
A number of witnesses were intro
duced by the plaintiff to corroborate
what the wife had testified to- They
were principally neighbors who had
been present when the little spats
were in progress.
The prosecution closed it's testimony
Friday morning and witnesses for the
defense were placed upon the stand.
A number of spectators were in the
court room anxious to hear the hus-
bands story. but he has not yet tes-
titled
The witnesses who were heard are
persons who lived near the Seiberts
or who had visited them. Sieberts
daughter was also placed upon the
stand. She said that she only was
able to live at home a month after the
stepnotbHr came into the home, and
that she was compelled to come to
Canton and live with sister on Har-
risburg street. The principal reason
given by the witness for leaving was
that Mrs Seibert No would not give
her anything to eat and hit her with
dishrag.
A little boy who worked at the farm
a few weeks said that Mrs. Seibert
refused to do the cooking and at one
time threw handful of salt into some
thing the husband was preparing for
dinner. She finally ordered him to
leave and when he was about to go
away. the lad said, she rubbed his
white shirt over the stove and treated
his colored shirts in much worse
manner She finally took a stick of
stove wood and belabored him about
tho shoulders and run him put of the
house. he said.
When the witnesses were not fur
njshing amusement for the spectators
the Tits between Attorneys Sterling
and Collins makes up for the def
cheney.
MASSILLON FIRM SUED.
Flelsher Brothers. wholesalers OF
phtladelphia, have sued Henry A.
RIoomberg and others. OF Massillon
10 collect bill for clothing amounting