Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1904-08-26
QUEER INDIAN FUSS
The kag-so-Way-Geshis
Estate a Matter of
Great Contention

The probate court of Norman coun-
ty has been called upon to pass the
question of heirship of the estate of
kah-g way gesh1g, Pembina Chip
pewa Indian who died several years
since, leaving valuable allotment of
land. The question involved relates to
an Indian marriage as against a
marriage under the rites Of the
Catholic church.
About % Years since Kan-go- way
gesni3, a tribal Indian, married a Red
Lake Indian woman named O-Bah-
beaum, about shat time All bir-ta-ca-
cake, Pe1nbina Chippewa, created
religious excitment among the Indians
on that reservation. which led to
great many joining the Catholic
church and getting married according
to tae rites of that church. Among
those were married by priest was
Kah~go way geshig and O-bah- beaum
whom be had married previously
under tribal la VS. or custom. A year
or more after Kah-go. way geshig's
church marriage he separated from
his first wife and took as his wife a
woman named Mesha kayak bum
dung, woman who jast been separ-
ated from her husband. This wife
lived with him until his death. Be.
fore his death he made will in her
favor.
These several marriages aad Indian
divorces took place while Kahone un- =
der the laws of Minnesota and main.
tanning tribal relations and the court
will have to decide which is, under
the status Of the Chippewas the legal
wife. The heirs of the first wife, who
is now dead, and her supporters claim
that the latter was tie widow of Kah-
conway gesnig because he married her
under the rights of the Catholic
church. and therefore the marriage
was legal one used the laws Of
Minnesota and that the latter had no
right to marry again without decree
of divorce from the courts of....that
state, while the attorneys of the. last
wife insist that she is the widow;
that Kah- 60 way geshjg being tribal
Indian, the state courts of Minnesota
had no jurisdiction over him and the
several decisions Of the courts that an
Indian has the right, under his tribal
custom or laws to divorce himself
from his wife at pleasure is divorced ,
the same as though it had been made
under the decree of the court, that
after he had received his allotment of
land and thus became citizen of the
! United States and Minnesota, the
continuance Of his marriage relations
with his last wife made her his ccm- .
mon law wife and therefore his legal
wife.
| The case will undoubtedly be stub
bornly contested on botn 81 les and all
the facts concerning the marriage of
the Indian and the motives of the con-
test will be fully brought out at the
trial No matter in whose favor the
probate court at Ada will decide an
appeal from it's decision will un-
doubtedly be taken.
Fergus Falls Journal: The de-
velopments in the suit between the
Shevlin brothers in Minneapolis has
brought out some interesting facts re-
garding the enormous profits that they
are making in manufacturing lumber
at present prices. The record of one
mill for one year showed that the cost
of making lumber, from pole to pile
was 50. 10 per thousand, and to make
it cost that much $50, 900 Of perman-
ent improvements were charged to
/ expense account. It was also--testitied
that the selling price of that lumber
in the.mill yard was from $l3sto $40
a thousand. That rhis mill was not an
exceptionally profitable one among
the many operated by the company Is
indicated by the dividend that it was
testified it declared in one year, viz,
240 per cent.