Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-15
SENSATIONAL
SUIT SETTLED
CASE OF LYDIA ALBRIGHT VS..
GEORGE sTEvER is DISMISS
ED IN FAIRFIELD
SUIT is FOR $4,000

DULL 10 1Vh p0U,UUU
Defendant Is Charged With Breach Of
Promise in the Petition-Amount In
volved In the Settlement Is Not
Made Public by the Parties.
Fairfield, Dec, 14.-(Special.)- AFTER
waiting for twenty-five years for
George r. Stever of Fairfield, to mar
ry her. Miss Lydia Albright has ac-
cepted money consolation for her
blighted affections. The settlement OF
the breach of promise case. in which
Miss Albright sued Stever for $4,000,
and also asked a judgment of $4,000
against John B. Stever, claiming that
she was promised that amount when
she dismissed former suit against
George Stever, marks the close of what
was probobly one Of the most sensa.
tional cases Jefferson county has ever
known.
The case was dismissed yesterday
afternoon. While the record on the
dockets of the district court show
that Miss Albright was to pay the
costs, it is understood that very diff
ferent settlement than this was made.
1t Is said on good authority that at the
time the case was dismissed the attor-
neys for the Stevers had the money in
the court room In cash to pay a settle-
ment that had been agreed on with
| the plaintiff and was also to pay her
the money with, which to pay the
costs. The amount of money paid to
Miss Albright in settlement OF her
claim cannot be ascertained The at
torneys on both sides when seen this
morning positively refused to discuss
the case.
Receives Several Thousand Dollars.
However, 1t is understood on good
/ lauthority that several thousand dollars
were paid the woman to settle the
case without trial. The allegations
contained in the petition, which Lydia
Albright filed more than year ago.
are Of the most sensational nature.
4 Among other things she claimed that
Stever Is the father OF her daughter,
known as Violet Stever, who was seven
i years Of age at the time Of the filing
!. of the petition.
The Story of the Case.
The story Of the case as gathered
from the papers covers a period Of
( about twenty-four years. The plain
tiff in 1881 left her fathers home in
Brighton and became domestic in
the home Of Stevers parents at Fair
, field. George F. Stever, who has never
married, was living with his parents
at the time. He was then about twenty
five years old Miss Albright alleges
that he made proposal of marriage
to her. She claims that the date was
! postponed several times but that each
!. time Stever refused to marry her.
The first promise, said the petition,
7 was made on or about February J.,
3 1881 She further alleges that on
+ August II, 1881, a written agreement
: was signed in which stever promised to
9 pay her $50 a month until such time
! as they should be married. The agree
: ment also stipulated, it, is said, that
If Miss Albright shoud survive Stever,
one half of his estate should go to
her. The plaintiff states that this
y agreement was lived up to faithfully
l. for about twenty-four years, but that
y since January, 1905 Steyer had failed
i to make the monthly payments.
8 Goes to California to Live.
9 Some twelve years ago, it is said
l. Miss Albright left the Stever home
e and has lived nearly all of the inter
) vening time in California, making fra
Q quent visits to Fairfield and Des
r Moines. Stever, the petition stated
r made several trips to the western
Q state during Miss Albright's residence
4 there. On one such trip to San Fran
It cisco, Miss Albright states, he secured
e the agreement above mentioned, from
her. This occurred on May 10, 1902.
On September 15, 1904, after Stew
i er had again failed to marry her, Miss
g Albright filed suit asking for judg
u ment for a breach of promise. 1t II
e alleged that John b. Stever agreed
~ to pay Miss Albright $4,000 for dis
u missing this suit. She dismissed ths
suit, 1t is claimed, but never received
u the promised $25,000.
q The Stever family is one Of the old
% est and most influential in Jefferson
county and the prominence Of the par
ties has added greatly to the sensa
ton that the litigation has caused.
{. An Injunction was issued yester
= day when this case was dis
:. missed which restrains Miss Albrigh
:, from filing another suit based on an,
nc of the grounds contained In the &C
ar ton dismissed, or from annoying o
,s interfering with Stever by claims
at based on any of the alleged circum
N stances or happenings occurring up t.
In the present time.
q. Chester w. Whitmore and McNet
& McNett of Ottumwa and /. B. Jone
were the attorneys for Miss Albrigh,
and Leggett & McKemey for the de
fendant.
81.
as Missouri Bank Robbed.