The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-03-04
WISCONSIN - 49,. 49,.
HE HAD SEVEN WIVES
The Extraordinary. Case Of Thomas
House, Indian, in q Wiscon-
sin Circuit Court.
Heirs Present Claims to Land, One
Coming All the Way -.
from Canada.
Special to The Journal.
WISCONSIN

Special to The Journal. 49, IS
Appleton, Wis, March A peculiar
case Of mixed martial relations among
the Indians Of the Oneida Indian reserva-
ton in the counties of Brown and Outag-
annie, has been aired in the circuit court
of Brown county, at Green Bay, the past
week, and is adjourned to March IL for
further hearing.
Thomas House, an Oneida Indian owing
a large tract Of land on the reservation.
allotted to him by the government, died
recently, and children Of six Indian wo-
men other than his legal wife, with whom
he had lived at different times, are trying
to establish claims as his legitimate heirs
and to secure a share of his estate.
1t has been established that House was
lawfully married in 1884, on the Oneida
reservation in New York, to Lydia Archi
quette. She lived with him about two
| years and then went to live with .Abram
Skenadore removing with the latter to the
Wisconsin reservation at the same time
as her lawful husband. In the meantime
House lived with six different Indian
women and had children by each Of them.
The rightful Mrs. Houes continued to live
with Abraham Skenadore forty years and
bore him seven children. Upon his death
she returned to her rightful husband,
Thomas House, then temporarily without
a helpnnate, and lived with him two years
before her death. r.
About a year ago Thomas House died,
and the history Of some of the persons
claiming him as father and a share in his
estate, is set forth in the evidence. Mar
garet Mohawk, who came all the way from
| Canada to present her claim, is a daugh-
ter Of Margaret Lottridge, the second wo-
man who lived with Thomas House as his
wife after his desertion by his lawful
wife.
Aaron House attempts to show that
Thomas House, by a paper now lost,
recognized him as his son. Aaron House
! is the son Of Hannah Swamp, the fifth
Of the seven women who called House
; husband, and the only one OF the seven
now surviving.
i Thomas House Ninham is attempting to
establish the fact that he was adopted by
Thomas House according to an ancient
:, custom among the Oneidas, and that his
: mother, who was a daughter Of Kate Me-
token, third on the list Of women who
lived with Thomas House, was recognized
by the latter as his daughter.
i A peculiar phase Of the matter is thai
Henry House, son Of Kate Baird who was
the fourth woman who lived with House
, and who started the whole Investigation
by taking the matter up with the Indiar
Bureau Of the interior department, is moi
represented in the present action before
: the Brown county circuit court, anc
/ makes no claim to heirship. ,&
Ok Other claimants Of the estate are child
z rem Of brothers and sisters Of House, aI1t
e they assert that all the children born a
j the home of Thomas House during the six
ty-six years he lived with six differen
! women in New York and Wisconsin, othe
1 than his original lawful wife, are illegiti
r mate, and the property should go to them
the children of Houses brothers and sis
tiers and his only legal heirs