The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1911-12-21
HOLDS NO ONE CAN Be INJURED
Court Insists That H. ]. Hastings be
Named as Administrator of Estate Of
First United States Senator to Find
Property Not Administered.

Kenosha county is going to admin.
lister the mythical millions of the es
tate of Charles Durkee, first senator
from the state who is claimed to have
left vast sums of money which is now
in the keeping of the United States
government, as this morning in the
county court for Kenosha county Judge
George w. Taylor handed down a de-
cision holding that as Charles Durkee
was resident of Kenosha county at
the time of his death any property
which may be found which is properly
a part Of his estate must be administer
ed in this county. In keeping with
this order he named Attorney Henry j.
Hastings as administrator de bonis non
of the estate of Charles Durkee, and
Hastings, who represents certain dis
tant kin of the deceased senator, is now
expected to take upon himself the prob
lem of working out the facts in re-
gard to the famous Durkee claim. In
his decision of the long contested case
Judge Taylor says:
cit is the opinion of the court that
if any property is ever found belong
ing to the estate of Charles Durkee, de-
ceased, it must be administered by the
county court of Kenosha county, Wis
consin. The court fails to see where any
harm can be done by appointing an
administrator de bonis non at this time.
If the administrator de bonis non finds
no property, he will simply be out his
time and expense; on the other hand,
his efforts may result in the discovery
of property as yet unadministered.
The appointment Of Mr.. Hastings
was bitterly opposed by attorneys rep
resenting John H. Kuykendahl, of Salt
Lake City, who had been named in
the court of Utah as an administrator
Of the estate. Before the end of the
contest Attorney James Cavanagh of
this city, who represented the estate of
Caroline Durkee, the widow, appeared
in court and protested against any fur
Their administration without petition
from the heirs to the estate of Mrs.
Durkee.
1t is not known what steps will be
taken to make the investigation into
the property Of the estate and it is pos
sible that the western attorneys will ap-
peal from the decision of the county
court and seek to have the appointment
of Mr. Hastings set aside by the circuit
court. The great problem as to the
value of the estate has caused the at
torneys in the case to take unusual
steps to keep it under the control of
the state of Utah.
The heirs represented by Mr Hast
ings were formerly connected with the
administration started in Utah, but
they made protest in this court on ac-
count of the fact that they held that
their interests would be better protect
ed by administration in this state and
county.
Itkis claimed that steps have already
been taken to open the investigation of
the alleged "Durkee millions" before
the United States court in this and 9th
er states and it is certain that with an
administration started in the same coun-
ty that the will of Senator Durkee was
originally probated in will result in the
exact facts being brought out in re-
gard to the alleged fortune belonging
to the Durkee heirs and now held by
the United States government.