The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-09-10
Claim That Widow Was Drug.
ged and Mind Poisoned.
LEFT A LARGE ESTATE
Was Given to Charities Instead
of the Heirs.
Jonathan Thomas and DIR. Nc
Guire Are Accused.


States courts of this city has just been
recorded by Circuit Clerk George
| Sharrit, in which certain nephews and
| nieces of the late Mrs. Jane c. Stor-
mont made ugly charges attempting to
tear to pieces the will made by Mrs.
| Stormont and accusing Jonathan
Thomas and DIR. A. c. MCGUIRE of this
| city with drugging and placing in an
| intoxicated condition Mrs. Stormont
| before she died.
The suit is filed in behalf of Allen
| K. Mosley, Winston P. Mosley, Walter
S. Mosley, Robert r. Mosley and Mar
garet Helen Sticke1, all nephews and
| nieces of Mrs. Stormont and against
the First Presbyterian church. the To-
peka Library association, the Young
Women's Women's Christian associa-
ton, the Jane c. Stormont Women's
Nurses. Lucy ]. Holding, Catherine
Jane Paxson, Alberta Alexander, Mrs.
Jonathan Thomas. Mrs. G. A. Mcclure,
Charles Knowles and Arthur McCabe
of Topeka.
The plaintiffs claim that the will is
null and void and that they be made
the receivers instead of the above
mentioned parties1in addition to this
cent. Judgment is asked against each
of the defendants.
The real charges against Jonathan
Thomas and DR.. G. A. Mcclure of this
Jane c. Stormont, the wife of DR..
Stormont, died in Topeka August 8.
1907, and left behind her an estate
valued at 100000. She did not have
living and made out her will mostly
to educational, religious and charit-
able institutions in this city. The will
was made out originally by J. D. Nc
10 rIo Tr1Iu az
wards copied by Jonathan Thomas and
submitted for the last time to Mrs.
Stormont.
In the first place the plaintiffs
sound mind and memory and that the
will was not made out in accordance
with the law. 1t goes on to state That
the Will was really made out through
the influence of Jonathan Thomas and
DR.. Mcclure for the purpose of OBJ
tanning control and absolute distribu-
ton of the money and property and
that Mrs. Stormont was in weakened
condition at the time.
The Charges in Detail.
Using the exact phFase6logy of the
papers in the suit they have the fol-
lowing to say:
"At time Of execution of said pre-
tended will said Jane G. Stormont was
ton by the use of deleterous condition
tc the knowledge of said Jonathan
Thomas and c. A. McGuire-and for
a long space of time prior to and at
ton, the said Jane c. Stormont had
been kept in said weakened and in
toxicatsd condition by the said Jona-
than Thomas and c. A. MCGUIRE"
tiffs say further that Mrs. Stormont
vas a habitual user of morphine and
opium. The papers read:
Jane c.. Stormont was and had been
I.o III
ual user of morphine and opium and
other deleterious narcotics and drugs
to such an extent and on account of
said epilepsy and the excessive use of
said opiates and drugs that she was
mentally wholly incapacitated for exc
cutting q valid Will.
But This isn't all-the plaintiffs go
on to say that the two Topeka gentle
men used undue influence over her
make the will. Jonathan Thomas and
DIR. Mcclure are charged with fraud
and with taking advantage of years OF
confidential relationship and apparently
friendliness with Mrs Stormont. That
they made her believe thew were
friends by their manners and actions. |
They claim that she had no power to |
resist or detect the impositions and
undue influences of DR.. MCGUIRE and
Mr.. Thomas.
Then the plaintiffs claim that the
two mentioned gentlemen poisoned the
mind of Mrs. StOrmont against her
relatives, saving that they had no love
for her and that they had no right
to the property. Also. that she had
accumulated her money in Topeka and
she should leave it here instead of
allowing it to travel to Illinois to the
relatives And not until death, accord |
ing to the plaintiffs. did the two will |
Iians" stop their influence. |
Mr.. Thomas Laughs.
When seen by State Journal repor- |
ter today Jonathan Thomas laughed
he artily at the charges against him.
"Well, would like to see DR.. Nc
CURES face when he knows this" he
rsmarked ''As far IS their charges
are concerned. they are utterly foolish. |
can hardly see where they were able
to use such i wide range of magma
ion The will was drawn originally
oy Mr. Mcfarland and was drawn very
carefully After that I copied it end
MANY times Mrs. StGrmonr con-
suited me about the different distribu
Lions.''
s'How about the intoxicated con-
dition % was asked.
Again Mr.. Thomas laughed long /
and loud MRS. Stormont was a
very smart woman and as far as I /
know was always of sound mind" he
said at knew of no narcotics or
drugs taken by her habitually and ex-
cessively These are really serious