The Greeley tribune., 1904-02-25
pOZENE MEEKER LEAVES
WITH DEEDS, ETC.
Serious Charges Against Daugh-
ter of Founder of Greeley
Inhuman Treatment OF
Mother Is Alleged.

practically all OF the Meeke' property
in Greeley, and other valuaoles. so
states a complaint filed in the dis
trict court Tuesday by Mrs. AIvilla
d. Meeker, her mother, and Ralph
Neeker, her brother, through theiI
attorney, Joseph c. Ewing. The
complaint and atiidavits that this Is
backed up with make some rather
serious charges against the daughter
Of the founder Of Greeley. Some OF
these are to the effect that for the
past ten years she has been following
q systematic treatment OF cruelty TO-
ward n,r mother, who has been liv-
ing alone in the house with her for
period Of % years, during which
time, it is alleged, the daughter has
tried every means to induce MIS-.
Meeker to sign over all her property
to defendant. Threats and actual
bodily violence, it is alleged, have
often been resorted to. These 1T Is
Also claimed resulted op January IA
of this year, while Mrs. Meeker was
believed to be lying at deaths door,
in her signing papers, the contents
Of which she was ignorant and which
conveyed all the Meeker property to
Rozene. The property is worth per-
hsps s:5, 600 and includes the old
Neeker homestead, the north half OF
the entire block just south OF the
homestead. Two other houses and
lots in the city and about a half
dozen vacant lots. The south OF
the block mentioned was decided to
Ralph Meeker, which was all tnat
Was left him. one lot In the city
that has belonged to Ralph Meeker
tor twenty years was also included in
the transfers to Rozene.
The trouble that was brewing in
the Meeker family was rumored for
few days before it took the form OF
legal action against Rozene Meeker
to have the deeds set aside which 1t
was claimed she procured from her
mother fradulentIy, but nevertheless
great surprise was expressed when de-
tails of the trouble became known.
The complaint states that although
the family had fairly good income
from Mrs. Meeker's pension and prop
erty ana that kind friends had dur.
ing the past three years presented
Mrs. Meeker with $1,000 in money
aud over $500 worth OF clothing, the
old lady was almost starved by the
daughter and was not permitted to
have Sufficient clothing even to keep
comfortable, and in her atfidavit Mrs,
Meeker AYERS that she had ptactic-
ally been starved for years. being
permitted only such morscis and
scraps of food as she might pick up
about the Kitchen and pantry, and
that she lived in mortal fear Of her
daughter at all times.
The climax to the cruel treatment
by the daughter, it is said. came
during the recent severe illness OF
Mrs. Meekei when Rozene engaged
an attorney II draw up deeds con-
veylng all the Meeker property TO
her. The attotnev, it Is said, was
Informed that it was the wish Of
Mrs. Meckei that this disposition
he mad, OF the property before hei
death. which might be momentarily
expected MIS-. Meeker was COM
pelied 20 sign the deeds, although
she was SO weak that the nurse pres
ent was obliged to support her while
she wrote. She is also said to have
protested against doing anything
about the property until she was
better and more able to judge OF
what she was doing, but that Rozene
con- manded her to sign, saying You
will sign those papers: l am boss
hele." At another time when she
was having dispute with the at
te ding physician over her mother s
case, because, it is said. she insisted
on administering lot Of quack pat
ent medicines, she informed the doc
tor that she was doctor, nurse and
boss OF the place. Mrs. Meeker states
that she remembers nothing OF the
signing of the papers. but the trans
fers are duly recorded in the county
clerks office. At the time Rozene
wrote a letter to Mr.. Adams request.
ing the transfers be not allowed to
become public property.
According to the complaint and
from conditions in the home II
would appear that Rozene had a
mania for collecting clothing and
other things and storing these away.
Among other things she had stored
in Ter room were several large boxes
sf clothing, 300 spools of silk thread,
200 spools Of cotton thread, 80 rolls OF
assorted cotton tape, several boxes OF
table linen, one dozen boxes OF hair
,Ss - To-,