Omaha daily bee., 1912-09-21
Council Bluffs
BREACH OF PROMISE TRIAL
Mrs. Elvie L. Parsons Pushes Claim
Against 0ldfield Estate.
SECOND TIME UP FOR TRIAL
Woman Alleges Promise of Marriage
Few Days Before His Death ny
Anemia---Heirss = Join Executor t.
I'm the. Fight.

Alleging, a promise OF marriage made
on Thanksgiving day by a man suffering
from pernicious, anenia, which caused
his death on December Q ,os. :he same
year. the second trial Of a slo,0oo, breach
Of promise suit was begun in the federal
court here yesterday. 4
The plaintiff IN the case is Mrs. Elvie
L. Parsons and the defendant is William
Trowbridge, executor Of the estate OF
Edward 0ldfield. the man who is alleged
70 have made the promise Of marriage
to Mrs. Parsons the month before he
died. The effort Is TO compel his estate
To liouidate the wontan's claim for dam,
age caused by the dying mans refusal,
failure or neglect to make good the al
legged promise, made in 1910.
oldfield was a wealthy resident r Of
Carroll. Ia, who took, up his home there
when he retired from his farm near Sac
City in 1907 He was widower with
three married daughters as his sole
heirs When he died his property. rated
at s25,Q00 was evenly divided among the
daughters each having life interest,
the property then passing TO their chill
dren. The daughters are Mrs. D. M,
Sawyer Of Carroll, Mrs. q. o. Nichols OF
GIidden and Mrs. Hoge Of Sac City. Mrs,
Parsons, who is now resident of Sioux
Fails, s. D., was d resident OF Carroll
when oldfield came there and became
acquainted with him. At the time Of
his death he was 81 years old.
Makes Claims Known.
After the funeral was over Mrs Par
cons made known her claim and soon
after began suit against the executor OF
the state in the state court at Carroll
and 1t was later transferred to the fed
eral court. II came to trial In the May
term of Judge McPherson's court this
year at Des Moines. 1t was stubborn
fight on both sides and when II was
finally Submitted to the jury the differ.
ance Of opinion was 50 great that yer.
dict could not be reached and the Jury
was discharged.
A previous suit Of nearly the same
nature had been brought against the es.
tate and won by Mrs. Nancy Bowie oi
Carroll. who set up the claim that she
was Oidheid's common law wife. Tn,
evidence showed that she had long beer
his Eougekeeper and the jury gave hel
a verdict sof s4,75o specifying that It wal
for her unpaid services as housekeepcr
The Judgment was accepted and paid b,
the estate Mrs. Bowie Is now the prin
cipal witness for the estate, and SOM
interesting byspIays are discernible In IN,
angry glanees that each woman shoot
at the other when they confront eacl
other.
A brilliant array Of legal talent Is line,
up on each side. Saunders & Stuart o
this city and G, C. Iaslrner OF Carol
rapresent the executor and the estate
and Ben T. and l.. II. Sallinger and Raipl
Mclean Of Carroll are ably pressing tn
claims of Mrs Payaons. The tilfy
composed OF men from various, parts Q
the state and comprises; james Acker
man, Atlantic; D. +, Brown. Denison
Hans Broderson. Harlan r, w. Deraui
creston; Matthew Darrah. jr.. Corning
Oscar Defy. Missouri Valley; Raip
1iawRs. Audubon: James Johnston, o.
ituniwa: Charles''A Smith, Corning; v
sE. Smith. Harlan; c. M. Simpson, Ham
burg, and NJ M. Thornton, sidney.