Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-05-19
FRANCES POWERS
LEFT ONLY $1,000
SOME STRANGE REVELATIONS
SHOW UP IN WILL CONTEST
CASE AT MT. PLEASANT.
REAL MOTHER THERE
Chicagoan Arrives at Trial In Answer
to Advertisements in Paper and
Gives Testimony in Henry
Co. Court.

Mt. Pleasant, May 1S.-The real eli
max in the John K. Bicksler will con
test case, being tried in district court
here before Judge Smyth, came when
a woman who purports to be the real
mother of Frances Bicksler Powers
ere of the plaintiffs in the case,
4 appeared on the scene.
The woman gave her name as Mrs.
Mary Miles, her residence as AIS East
ThirtyThird street, Chicago, and stat
ed that she was the mother of Frances
Bicksler Powers, aged 26 years. and
that Frances was legally adopted by
Mr.. and Mrs. John F. Bicksler on April
26, 1898. Mrs. Mills produced letters
and photographs to prove the truth
of her assertions and said that on Sun
day, May 8, 1914, an advertisement APP
peared in the Chicago Record Herald
signed Box 457, Salem, a., which asked
for her whereabouts. 1t was through
this medium that she got into touch
with Mrs. Bicksler. The story of Mrs.
Miles, the purported mother of Fran
ces, is substantially as follows:
/ Tells Life Story.
Mary Miles was born Of English
Irish parentage in Cincinnati, Ohio, in
/, July, 1858. At an early age she formed
an unhappy alliance with Frederick
c. Miles, who was at that time study
ing for the ministry, but an inherited
craving for alcohol was his ultimate
downfall Mrs. Miles in the mother Of
| seven children, six OF whom are still
living After her marriage the family
moved to Chicago, where the husband
held minor clerkship under the gov
eminent. A later move took them to
! New York, where Frances was born.
After stay of one year in New York,
jMr. Miles, his wife and two children
returned to Chicago. Shortly after
Mrs. Miles was taken to a hospital
where her third child was born. After
being discharged she returned home
to find that her husband had deserted
her, leaving her penniless and in debit
Refused shelter she spent the night in
the police station.
| Through the kindly Offices of the po-
lice she secured work and shelter at
the Home of the Friendless. 1t was
here that Mr. Bicksler, accompanied
by woman by the name of Mona
Coppick, came and taking a fancy 20
Frances, wished to adopt her. After
!! consulting the official of the institu-
| ton, she consented, and the mother
J has with her the aged and yellow
papers of adoption. Until today the
mother has not seen her child for
twenty-one years, during the worlds
fair in 1893, when Mrs. Bicksler who
was visitor, brought the child on two
occasions out to see her. Since 1898
Mrs. Miles by taking in washings,
scrubbing the Hobbies of large build
ings. has kept the rest of her family
together, besides carrying for her in
valid husband who returned to her,
when taken i'll and educating her chill
dren. Aside from her own story she
offered as corroborative evidence near
ly fifty exhibits. including many letters
from Mrs. Biclsler. Monta Coppick,
and many little scraps of paper bear
ing in childish and scrawling charac-
ter messages of love and kisses from
Frances.
Will Cuts Daughter.
When the will of the late John f.
Bicksler who lived at Salem, was pro-
bated this spring it was discovered that
he had left an estate Of practically
s125,OOO the major portion of which
went to his widow, Belle Bicksler. His
son, w. S. Bicksler of Los Angeles, Cal.
was left life interest in certain por-
ton of the estate, and his adopted
daughter Frances Bicksler Powers,
who had recently married, and OF
whom the deceased was always sup
posed to have the highest regard,
$1,000. AS result Frances Bicksler
Powers and w. Scott Bicksler Joined
forces in an effort to break the will on
the grounds that at the time it was
written the deceased was mentally un-
balanced and that he was unduly in
fluenced by his wife.
When Mrs. Powers took the stand in
her own behalf, she stated that she had
never known any other parents. home
or relatives save those associated with
her at Salem, and that she had always |
understood that she was an adopted
child of Mr. and Mrs. John Bicksler.
Her birth place, according to fam
ily bible was New York, and her age
she Judged to be about 26 years. On
numerous occasions when appealed to
the witness stated, Mrs. Belle Bicksler
would attempt to tell her of her par
ents but the stories were so contra
dictory and of so hazy nature, that
she could learn little and scarcely