The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-09-13
Pretends She Deposited Money
in Early Eighties.
REAL OWNER INSANE
Deposit Made in 1881 Lies Inac-
tive Sixteen Years.
Brother of Crazy Woman De-
mands Cash Of Bank.

Wichita, Kan. Sept 13.-One of tht
strangest cases ever heard in court
in Sedgwick county will likely be heard
in the federal court here next week It
is a case in which two persons claim
ownership of the same property, which
in this instance is a sum of money de-
posted in a bank at Albany, N. Y, 80
years ago.
Nothing like this has ever come to the
notice of lawyers in Wichita, and the
case will be watched with a great deal
Of interest. The plaintiff in the case is
the National Savings bank, of Albany,
and the defendant is Mrs. Lily L. 9.
Mead, of this city.
The bank alleges that Mrs. Mead OBJ
tanned from it by false representations
the sum of money aggregating So, 900
which had been placed on deposit in
the bank by a woman named Lillia
Cook In order to obtain the money,
according to the allegation of the bank
officials Mrs. Mead represented her
self to be the original depositor, Lillie.
Cook, who at the time was an inmate
of an insane asylum in New York
Deposited in Year 1881.
The story, cleaned from the allega-
tons of the Albany bank officials, is
about as follows:
In 1881. a sum of money was deposited
in the National Savings bank by Lillja
Cook. Subsequent to that time various
sums were deposited and withdrawn
from the bank by the depositor, Lillia
Cook, up to March, 1888, after which
the account remained inactive for a
period Of about sixteen years. In Sep
TENDER, 1904, the defendant, Lily L. G.
Mead, of this city, representing herself
to be the person by whom the deposit
had been made, and to whom the funds
belonged, presented herself at the bank
demanded the amount on deposit, with
interest 1t is alleged by the plaintiff
bank that Mrs Mead made representa-
lions which induced the officials to
transfer to her the account and funds
to the amount of about $4,000
At the time the money was paid to
Mrs Mead she was required by the
bank to give a surety bond to indem-
nifty it from any loss in case it should
at any time appear that any other per
son was entitled to the money. This
was done because Mrs. Mead was not
able to prove to the entire satisfaction
of the bankers that she was the right
full owner of the fund
Defense Is a Secret.
In April 1910, the bank alleges, it
first became convinced that Mrs Mead
was not the rightful owner of the
money. At that time William j. Cook,
brother of Lila. Cook, in whose name
the deposit was made, presented Lila
cooks original pass book given her by
the bank, and demanded the amount of
money to which she was entitled. He
proved to the satisfaction of the bank
ers that Lillia Cook, then in the insane
asylum. was the rightful owner, and
the bank paid him about $500 in set
Then It began a suit against
Mrs Mead. It is said that since that
time Lila Cook, the unfortunate own
er of the money, has died in the New
York hospital for the insane.
Mrs. Mead formerly lived in Wichita
several years. At that time her name
was Mrs. J. T. Haning. After the
death of Mr.. Haning, she went east and
later married Eugene Mead, her pres
ent husband. They came to Wichita
about a year ago.
Doubted Woman's Statement.
The files of the case and dispositions
on file in the federal court do not dis
close the defense that will be made by
Mrs. Mead, but her lawyers have en-
tered a general denial to the allega-
tons made by the bank officials. The
bank is represented by ex-senator
Chester I: Long and Stanley, Vermil-
lion & Evans, and Mrs. Mead is repre-
scented by Judge H. G. Sluss and
Houston & Brooks. The outcome of
the case will be watched with Interest
on account of the fact that it is so I'M