Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-10-18
COURT GIVES CEDAR RAPIDS
WOMAN TITLE TO GRUNDY
COUNTY FARM.
MOTHER LOSES CONTEST
OVER VALUABLE ESTATE
Mrs. Arends Alleges Kin Deceived Her
as to Value Of Estate Left by Father,
Who Died When She Was Babe
Now stepfather Must Pay For Use
Of Land.

Cedar Rapids. Oct. 1s.-Mrs. Comic
Arends. of this city, the widow OF
Henry Arends the policeman who was
killed by an electric shock year ago
| in April, received word Saturday OF
| the filing of a decree in the district
! court of Grundy county, iowa, which
! establishes her title as the owner OF
| a o00-acre farm in that county.
(, Mrs. Arends' father died when Mrs.
Arends was but a year and half old
leaving as his sole survivors a widow
, and Mrs. Arends. the only child. The
widow had her own father appointed
as administrator of the estate of the
deceased husband and conspired with
! the administrator to permit the farm
/; of $50 acres left by her deceased hus-
I band to be sold in the foreclosure of
a mechanics lien for about s400. when
| In reality the farm was then worth
| 81 900 or $4,000. Just before the year
for redemption from this sheriff's sale
expired. the widow arranged with an
uncle to make an assignment of the
certificate of sale and hold it for her
| benefit When the year for redemption
! had expired the sheriff's deed was
taken by the uncle and he Immediate
Z, ly transferred the entire farm to the
widow.
| The widow remarked within d few
years and continued to live upon the
farm From the proceeds of this farm
and the investments made from the in :
come therefrom. the widow and her
second husband have lived in ease and
luxury while Mrs. Arends, the right
full owner Of the greater share of the
farm. has lived in poverty. being
Obliged TO work at hard labor and
keep boarders in order to provide for
the support of herself and family Of
small children
Say. She Was Deceived.
When Mrs Arends became Of age
her mother is alleged to have deceived
her as to the property left by the
father ana relying on her mothers
statements no investigation was made.
About a year ago. Mrs. Arends heard
the -umor that her mothers second
husband had testified in another litiga
ton in which he was interested that
the means with which he had made
certain investments had been derived
from the income from his wife'S farm
This was the first intimation that Mrs.
Arends had that her mother had a
farm. She thereupon employed the firm
of Deacon, Good. Sargent & Spangler
of this city to make an investigation.
This investigation resulted in the dis
covery of the means used by the widow
to acquire the farm, and the attorneys
promptly filed suit in equity to quiet
the title to two-thirds thereof in Mrs.
Arends and for an accounting of the
rents and profits.
The case was one that aroused much
interest in Grundy county. where the
defendant and her husband are we'll
known and prominent residents. The
preparation of the case for trial in
VOWED a vast amount of work because
the transactions involved occurred 81
many years ago. The facts had to be
dug out from the old records and from
books of account of men long since
pa ssed from active life. The evidence
in the case was taken at the February
term of court in Grundy county before
Hon. George w. Durham, Of Man
chester. one of the judges of that dis
trict. He ordered that the case be sub
rnitted on written argument. While
those arguments were in preparation
the defendant asked leave to introduce
further testimony, which was granted.
AS result. the case was not finally
submitted to the court until July 16
The court has had 1t under Amusement
since that time. The decree OF the
court finds for the plaintiff on ali of the
allegations 81 her petition and quiet