The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-04-06
Claimed She Obtained Large
Sums From DIR. j. G. Kalb.
ASK FOR SUM OF $4,000
Present Husband Of Mrs. Wells
Also Defendant.
She Says Her Dealings With
Kalb We're. All Honest.

In a suit filed in the district court
today against Julia A. Wells of To- Il
peka, it is claimed that the woman
frauduIently secured almost $4,000 II
from the late DR.. ]. c. Kalb of Nc
Pherson. George N. Wells. Grant
Robinson, Helen Robinson and w. H.
Keeker, all relatives of Mrs. Wells,
are made parties to the suit.
The story of the method whereby
the woman is said to have looted the
valuable KaIb estate is one of the most
daring transactions recited in Shaw
nee county courts in several years
Under a promise of marriage, the
woman is said to have taken advan-
tage of Kalb's feeble minded and
childish condition and induced him to
transfer to her the greater part of the |
Kalb estate. The action Is brought |
through Waters & Waters. as attorneys
for Thomas c. Sawyer, as executor,
and Edna Gould and Clint Kalb, legal
heirs to the estate.
1t was early in 1909 that the Wells |
woman, then Mrs. Julia A. Melvin, be-
came acquainted with DR.. Ka1b,
wealthy and retired Mcpherson physl-
cian With her children, the woman
went to Mcpherson, where she was
employed as a domestic in the Mer-
chants hotel. DR.. Kalb boarded at
the hotel and the woman became IN
timately acquainted with the phys1-
clan. 1t was while there, the PLAIN
tiffs claim. that the woman promised
to marry Kalb, then 80 years old, and
induced him to transfer to her large
amount of his property. In 1act at the
time Kalb died, it is claimed, the estate
was so thoroughly looted that it was
necessary to dispose of much of Kalb S
real estate in order to pay Off the IN
| debtedness of the estate
| The defendant is said to have
aroused the doctors sympathy by
pleas for money to educate the Gnu
dren. Then, according to the petition,
the woman gradually gained control
of a large per cent of the estate.
! Early in the fall of 1909, the Wells
woman is said to have lured DR.. kaIp
! to Topeka, where he was away from
his friends and relatives and almost at
the mercy of the defendants. One OF
KaIb's first acts after coming to To-
| peka was to purchase lots 6O4 ana QUO
on Topeka avenue in Orchard Place
addition. These lots which sold for
$4,000, were later decided to MRS.
Wells, who almost imm ediately nego-
tiated a loan of $1,000 on the property
/ for current EXPENSE The mortgage
is still unpaid. - rasre-
few weeks later Kalb made a sec
ond beouest This time the defend
ant, it is charged, obtained possession
of an assignment of a $4,000 mortgage
on 80 acres of rich soil IN FInney
county, which was followed almost I'M
mediately by a deal which benehted
the defendants $500 on cash deal.
Then Kalb's generosity overhoWed.
He handed w. H. Keeker a deed 10 d
quarter section of good soil in F1nney
| county valued at $4,000. This was fol-
lowed by a further raise on the part
, of Keeker of $1,304. At this stage OF
| the game Grant Robinson stepped IN
for a modest $1,296 remembrance
while Kalb was still in a philan-
thropic frame of mind, the Wells
woman secured from the doctor three
! notes of $1,000 each, due in one, two
and three years, it is asserted.
The Robinson Deal.
For a pretended return of land and
, cash. so the petition recites. Robin
. son and wife slipped the Mcpherson
! man another package that Jared the
Kalb bank account. They CALAMITY
turned over to the doctor Tour Sc, see
as which on paper looked gilt edge
: But there happened to be a vendor
. lien notes or mortgages outStandlne
: which aggregated $4,1OO. NOT 70 OF
: outdone in his generosity, the doctor
! is said to have assumed these obhga'
= lions. This deal reduced Kalb's cred1
to the amount of IS an acre Tor the
land. Now the plaintiffs claim ina
| the soil is WOTIn HOI " C1ASSSN 49,
an acre. The deed in the transfer re
7 cited a consideration of but S1,OOO.
:. AS a final conclusion of the a1all
:, the notes of Robinson are said to have
been turned over to Mrs. Wells. wh(
in turn assigned them back to Robin
!. con without consideration. In tact ]
u is intimated the Wells-Robinson
Z, Kealxer combination formed fence
II for the wells woman and that the en-
l. +ira receints from the Kalb estate Wen
II 70 bar nrivate account. Now the heir
n v.ant the transfers set aside and Judg
y went against the defendants for som
I. s9A 700 the amount of property in
volved. .r xx7a1Is i
e living at 1924 Topeka avenue. he
q husband. George NJ. Wells, Is a wal
d nonor dealer. When called over tn
ta1enbone this afternoon regarding TN
case, she said: -
or 'aT,his is all surprise 70 me-
=. knew nothing about any sucn actIol
m To be sure I handled a great oeai
l. business for DR.. Kalb, but our oeal
inps were all straight and hones
There is nothing in the matter TO eA
he cite comment, in fact 1 nave recelpl
~ from Or. KaIb for every dollar thf
n passed between us:
he Asled concerning the oWnerSnl
it of the Topeka avenue lots, MIS-. WEI
er said she owned them hersen al
bonoht them She would not oeI
that DIR. Kalb had furnished the funt
OK With which to make the purchase
he