Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-04-23
CLOSES ODD ESTATE.
Judge F. w. EicheIberger Makes Final
Report as Executor.

Judge Frank W. Eichelberger yester-
day filed in the Office of the clerk of the
Wapello county district court his final
report as one of the executors and
since the death of Col Robert Inger-
soil about two years ago the only ex-
ecutor OF the estate of p B. S. Coombs,
who will be remembered by many OF
tumWa as the manager for the contes.
tants OF the famous A. j. Davis will,
which was in the Montana courts for
several years. The report combines
legal history and wit and is interesting
reading for those who were connected
with the Davis will case or were cog
infant of it's many phases.
P. B. S. Coombs. as stated in the re-
port made yesterday by Judge Eichel-
berger, who came to Ottumwa for the
purpose of flint the report, was resi-
dent of Montana and in 1885 he was
sent to Ottumwa to look up evidence
in the case and to manage the contest
ants interests from this end of the
line. 1t was alleged that the purport--
ed will of A. j. Davis was written by
him at his old home in Iowaville, Van
Buren, county. The case involved much
money and Mr. Coombs, who was said
to be Boston capitalist lived high in
Ottumwa while he did live.
However, his end finally came in
1896, and when his will was opened it
was found that Judge Eichelberger,
who had been associated with him with
regard to the case, and Col. Robert In
gersoll, the noted infidel, were named
as executors of the Coombs estate,
without bond. The two executors quail
flied as such on April /, 1896, and be-
gan work on an estate which proved to
be in sad disrepair.
1t had been reported, and Mr..
Coombs, it is said, fostered the report,
that he himself was worth large
amount of money and was one of
syndicate of Boston capitalists who
were fighting the Davis will in the
Montana courts. Judge Eichelberger
in his report says, however, that when
he came to investigate the matter after
Coombs' death he learned that the man
had been drawing a salary of $500 per
month for his work in connection with
the case and had nothing besides this
money. He learned further, he re-
ports, that the money was expended
as fast as it was received, or faster,
and that Coombs was deeply in debt
when he died. The debts filed against
the estate amounted to $4,519.43, and
the estate. so called, consisted Of three
large trunks containing papers regard
ing the Davis case and some clothing,
together with desk and a second
hand typewriter.
| The Coombs will was voluminous
document and divided the alleged
mr. Mt fIrH Mi OF he 10 no icfr h
uted among several nieces and neph-
ews of the deceased The property
| however, as Judge Eichelberger's re-
port states. consisted entirely of sew
eral French Spoliation claims, which
have been pending since the beginning
of the century and probably will be
| unsettled long after | have gone to
| join my co-executor below"
The judge has been the sole execu-
| tor of the estate since the death of
Col. Ingersoll. and has not been over
| burdened. He stored the trunks, pa
pers, clothing, typewriter and desk I'M
| til short time ago when the sold the
| typewriter for $50, gave the clothing
away sorted the papers and packed
them in one of the trunks, which is
stored in the court house at Bloom
field He asks that his report be ac-
cepted as final, and that the property
be left as it is. himself to be discharg.
ed as executor after payment of the
court costs in the case and to receive
as payment for his services extending
over several years the two remaining
trunks and the desk. which he states
are badly in need of repair and would
bring but little at auction. This re-
quest bears out the poet in his state
ment that man wants but little here
below"