Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1908-07-30
Fortune of Catherine Stevens Is Absorbed hv
Her Son and His Lawyer.
A Well Known Pioneer Lady Was Left Comfort
able Fortune Five Years Ago, and Is Now
Compelled to Seek Admission to
the County Poor Farm. A
Shameful Court
Record.

At the end of five years in the
probate court of Chehalis county
Mrs. Cathrine Stevens, an early pio-
neer of the county, finds herself de-
spoiled of her fortune and seeks ad-
mission to the county poor house.
Aside from showing the incompet-
ence of Judge Irwin as a protector of
the widow and orphan, the tale of
Mrs. Stevens experience reads
more like a wild-eyed romance than
a plain recital of Chehalis county
court record.
Among the early settlers of this
county were Mr.. and Mrs. Thomas
Stevens, who settled on the Chehalis
river near Porter, in the early 70s.
Thirty years of unremitting toll and
the utmost frugality was rewarded
by valuable farm, wei stocked
and equipped, dwelling in Aber-
deem, and considerable sum OF
money, when Mrs Stevens, worn out
by the hard work on a farm and
raising a family of children, was
stricken with paralysis. A year lat
er, June 20, 1903, Mr. Stevens died,
leaving an estate that was appraised
at $4,000. Leaving no will, one
half of this estate went to Mrs.
Stevens, and the other half to her
children. Besides the half interest
in the estate, Mrs. Stevens was given
the homestead in Aberdeen.
BY the laxity of Judge Twins
methods in administering the pro-
bate law, this woman is now in des-
titute circumstances. Judge Irwin
appointed a guardian for this un-
fortunate woman. This guardian,
under the direction and with the ap-
prOval by the court. disposed OF her
estate at childish values, and dis
sapated whaever money was re-
ceived Those sales were approved
by the court. The entire estate left
by her husband is gone. But five
years ago she was left with plenty.
She is now destitute. Only last
week application was made to have
her admitted to the county poor
farm
Out of an estate appraised at $S,-
900, the record shows Attorney w. II.
Abel to have, by some means or
other, secured $4,000. A mortgage
on the farm for $4,000, and note
for $500 with interest The care
less methods of the court permitted
an unnatural son to imprisOn his
incompetent mother, and to wiring
from her deed to her half of the
estate, sale that was confirmed by
the court To clinch this sale, the
son Immediately encumbers the
farm with $4,000 mortgage to Abel,
who, the record shows. was acting
as attorney for the mother as well
as for the degenerate son while the
helpless woman was being robbed
of her property. That Mrs. Stevens
in the meantime had lost her men
tality, had been kept in solitary con-
finement by her son, and her daught-
ers prohibited from seeing or caring
for her, but aggravates the case.
Although Mrs. Stevens had been
declared incompetent by two ply
scians, an attempt to have her so
declared by the court. and a guar
dian appointed was resisted by At
torney Abel, as counsel for the son,
nor was guardian appointed until
after the woman's deed to her inter-
est in the farm was secured, Abel's
mortgage executed, and the Aber-
deem home sold at a very low figure,
Suit was brought last fall, by At
torney j. A. Hutcheson, for Mrs.
Stevens, through her guardian, to
nave the deed to her interest in the
farm, and the Abel mortgage set
aside, but it was unsuccessful. In
this case, Attorney Hutcheson, filed
a brief. to which Attorney w. H.
Abel answered, and Hutcheson made
a reply to the answer. The briefs of
Hutcheson are in the record but that
of Abel is not to be found. The