Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-15
RIVERSIDE
Corner Eighth and Main sts.
Phones Main 2S7, Home 144I.
COURT ASKED TO UNRAVEL
PERRIS RANCHER TANGLE
Michigan Woman Demands Share of
Property Left to Another wife"
Now Dead

RIVERSIDE, oct. 14.-Complaint was
filed today in one of the most peculiar
matrimonial tangles that has ever been
before a Southern California court. BY
aline Newton, as administrators OF the
estate of Lyman Newton, deceased, is
plaintiff and o. II. Lent, as adminis-
traitor of the estate of Nellie r. New
ton, deceased, appears as defendant. In
brief, the complaint prays that the
court may decree that plaintiff is the
bona flde wife of the deceased Newton
and that the estate of Nellie r. New
ton, who during her lifetime claimed to
be a wife of Newton has no right to
the estate of the somewhat oVermarried
Newton.
The records in the Newton case at
the court house show that Lyman New
ton, who was a resident of the Perris
valley, died January 8, 1909. His estate
consisted of five shares of stock in the
Bloomington Land company, valued at
$780, and real property in the Perris val
ley consisting of eighty acres, valued at
$4,000. on March 6, 1909, Evaline New
ton petitioned for letters of administra-
tion in Newtons estate.
Contest Is Filed
May 25 a contest was filed by Nellie
+. Newton, who also claimed to be
Newton's widow, and with this excep-
ton the heirs were the same as in the
first petition. T. T. Porteous appeared
as attorney for the second petitioner.
June 21 Evaline Newton was appoint
ed administrative.
Nellie r. Newton, the second petit
toner, died June 26, and her brother
O. H. Lent, petitiOned to be appointed
administrator of her estate. The petit
tion sets forth that the property owned
by deceased consisted Of a lot in Los
ut f1,.frr Of
land in Riverside county, valued at
$4,000, and $3.50 cash. Mrs. Nellie r.
Newton's contest never was tried, as
she died before the matter came to trial
In the complaint filed today Mrs. Ev-
aline Newton sets forth that she and
Lyman Newton were married in Polk
ton, Mich, March 13, 1870, and have
been husband and wife ever since.
Signed Marriage Contract
She charges that on October 81, 1908,
Newton and Nellie Cunningham en-
tered into a pretended marriage con-
tract, and that thereafter, up to the
time of Newton's death, the pair lived
together as husband and wife, and that
the woman "held herself out to the
world and was known as the wife of
said Lyman Newton; that during all
the said time Lyman Newton and Mel
lie r. Cunningham were living together
and holding themselves out to the
world as husband and wife, the said
Evaline Newton was living in the east
and was continually corresponding with
her said husband" She alleges further
that she was not aware of the pretend
ed marriage until the death of her
husband.
Newton is charged by the plaintiff
with conspiring with Nellie Cunning
ham to defraud his rightful estate out
of his property by conveying the same
to the alleged wife.
The plaintiff therefore asks the court
to declare her the bona fide wife and
asks that the deed conveying to Nellie
r. Cunningham Cor Newton) the ranch
at Perris owned by Newton be declared
null and void. DEMO &. Hart are attor-
neys in the case.