The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-10-14
IheHousenan
Inheritance
By HENRY HOLMES

Wlnkle lived. Why Houseman settled
IN such a place where so little is to be
got out Of the ground is not apparent.
Houseman brought means with him
from the fatherland and put it all into
home directly back Of the present
town of Catskill. There is nothing
now left of his house except few
stones that formed the basement. So
no one can say what it was like. but
tradition has it that he fashioned it
after Rhine castle near whose ruins
he was born and reared. AT any rate,
the description that has come down to
us indicates that it was much finer
place than was usual in America at the
time it was built
HouSeman'S wife died soon after he
came to this country. and soon after
ner death he married widow with
children. This made two sets of chill
dren, Houseman's and those of his sec
ond wife. living together. No sooner
was he married to the widow than she
began to poster him to leave his prop
erty, which was all in his Catskill
home. to her children, cutting off his
own offspring. By this time some Of
his children were old enough to look
out for their rights. and the conse-
quence was that the poor old man was
besieged first by one family. then by
the other, until-so it is said-he was
well nigh driven crazy.
From all accounts that have come
down to us, it seems likely that these
two parties pulling upon him in oppo-
site directions did affect his sanity.
At any rate, when the old man had
been driven into his grave by the i'm
portunities Of these different claimants
and his will was opened great sur
prise was In store for his survivors.
1t read:
I give and bequeath my estate to the
| devil.
OF course this brought about law
suit as to the disposition of the prop
erty, for such a will was not legal.
| Housemans children claimed the prop
erty, his widow claimed 1t, and her chill
dren claimed it. The case came up be-
fore old Vanderdicken. Dutch judge
who could speak no English. The law
yers could speak nothing but English,
and the claimants only spoke German.
The consequence was that the court
broke up In fearful row, the judge
in his wrath stating that the property
rightfully belonged to Satan and he
hoped Satan would get it.
The two families remained under the
same roof. for neither would surrender
the occupation Of the property. They
were quarreling one day, their voices
extending nearly to the river, some
ten or fifteen miles away. when man
was seen standing at the gate quietly
surveying the premises. The dispu
tants ceased to wrangle. and Mrs
Houseman asked the stranger what he
wanted.
II have come over from Germany
he replied, ito claim an inheritance
Is this the property Of Caspar House
man, deceasedT
1T Is"
well, | am Louis Brackenthaler Of
Bingen. Caspar Houseman sent me
shortly before he died will leaving
his property to me-"
He drew will from his pocket writ
ten in Housemans handwriting ant
bearing his signature. All looked at i
aghast. for they knew well the tesla
tors writing. and it was his.
This new complication was too mucl
for the wranglers. and they all left thu
premises without struggle. AS the!
passed out Herr Brackenthaler stoot
bowling and smiling at them. with hi
hat in his hand. and so sardonic was
his demeanor that they were all gla(
when they got away.
One would expect to find the will oil
file in the surrogate's office. | got thu
story from q German barber at Cats
kill while he was shaving me, and al
soon as he had finished | went to thu
courthouse and made inquiry there TO
II. | was informed that about once ;
| wear SOIllc UIlt dpout "a iiouSN
man will but there was no record o
any such document
But to finish my story. During TN
night following the surrender of thu
Houseman people to Herr Bracken
thaler there came up thunderstorm
that caused the mountains to reverbe
rate, if anything. worse than whel
Hendrick Hudson's men had played
bowls there For time it seemed Z
those who lived on the banks OF thu
river that the whole Catskill mountains
were ablaze. To this very day their
are citizens of towns that were settle
ments in those days who remembe
their grandparents or great-grandpar
ents giving descriptions of that storm
the spot below where now stands tn
Mountain House shooting up fire like
volcano. This is the place where TIT
meaper ruins of the Houseman castle
stand.
The next morning persons went Z
this spot and found the HousemaI
house burned to the ground, the onl!
remains being a small part of the base
-..t-z ~ E