Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-10-21
IOWA WOMAN DISCOVERED IN
BIG FRAUD TO GAIN
- ESTATE.
CONFRONTED WITH EVIDENCE,
SHE DIsM,ssEs CLAIMS
Plot Engineered to Gain Possession Of
,Huntemann Fortune of 100000 at
Kansas city-conviet Exposed the
PIot-Woman Offers Explanation
That She Was Merely Mistaken.

Burlington, Oct 21.-Just when she
appeared on the verge of establishing
her claim as an heir to $2O4,5O0 of the
100000 estate of Adolph Huntemann
who died at Kansas City March s, 1907,
Mrs Minnie A. Shepherd, of Burling-
ton, has admitted to attorneys in this
city. that she is not related to Hunte-
mann. She has signed dismissals to
the suit now pending here against the
administrator of the, estate.
Mrs. Shepherd had asserted that she
was a daughter of an illegitimate
daughter of Huntemann. The plan was
revealed by Mrs. Shepherds brother
in-law, who recently was sent to the
Illinois state penitentiary.
Mrs. Shepherd, when asked by her
attorneys regarding the case, refused to
admit that she had taken part in a de-
liberate plot to obtain big part of the
Huntemann estate by fraud. However,
she acknowledged she had misled them
in the matter.
Played For Big Stake.
Mrs. Shepherd is the wife of j. w.
Shepherd. With her husband and child
the couple live on a small farm about
eight miles north of the city on the
Wapello road. They have resided
there several years. They came into
prominence about a year ago when
Mrs. Shepherd consulted a local firm
of attorneys and stated that she felt
assured she was heir to the 100000
estate of August Huntemann, of Kan
sas City. bachelor recluse, who died
without leaving will. She produced
such convincing proofs to substantiate
her claims that her attorneys at once
commenced proceedings to secure for
the woman her rights. She alleged
that her mother was an illegitimate
child of Huntemann and told a roman
tic. story to bear out the assertion. The
estate in question consists of about
$4,000 in cash and over 100000 in
real estate
Convict Exposed Pl6t.
The alleged plot to gain possession
Of the Huntemann fortune was ex-
posed by Edward Shepherd, now a con-
vict in the Joliet penitentiary, and ii
is said a brother of J.. w. Shepherd
of this county. Shepherd was arrest
tering and sentenced to an indetermi-
nate sentente in the Joliet peniten-
tiary His wife resides in Chicago
and it is claimed she appealed to the
local Shepherds to put up money tc
| secure his release on bond. They re-
fused and he, for spite, told his attor.
neys of the entire plot, who in turr
communicated with the Kansas City
authorities. The result was that the
administrator of the estate from Kan.
sas City arrived in town recently an6
communicated his information to Mrs
Shepherds attorneys, who were amazed
at the deception that had been prac-
ticed upon them.
Woman Signs DisnnissaIs.
Mr.. and Mrs. Shepherd We're in1me.
diately summoned to the city and con.
fronted with the disclosures that haG
I been made by the convict and his wife
She denied at first that she knew any.
thing about the people and steadfastly
adhered to her claim that she was
Huntemann's heir After a long siege
she admitted that there might be some
mistake in her claim and consented te
sign the disnaissals that release the es.
state from the tangle of litigation thar
has tied it up for a. year. 1t is MOI
thought any criminal litigation will be
taken against Mrs. Shepherd. She re.
fuses to make any confession of com.
plicity in the plot but persists in hel
statement that it must be mistake.