The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1916-04-13
TheEIousernan
Inheritance
BY HENRY HOLMES


wife and children with him. and set
tied at the base OF the catskill noun
tains 10 the very region where Rip Var
Wrinkle lived Why Houseman settled
Ia such a place where so little is TO b
got out Of the ground is not apparent.
Houseman brought means with hin
from the fatherland and put Il all into
a home directly back OF the present
town Of cafslxiIL There Is nothing
now left Of his house except a few
stones that formed the basement So
no one can say what II was Ike. but
tradition has Il that he fashioned II
after a Rhine castle near whose ruins
be was born and reared At any rate,
the description that has come down TO
as indicates that Il was a much finer
place than was usual In America at the
time it was built
HOuseman's wife died soon after be
came TO this country. and soon after
her death be married a widow with
children. This made two sets OF chill
dren. Houseman's and those OF bis sec
ond wife. living together. No sooner
was he married 20 the widow than she
began % poster him 10 leave his prop
erfy. which was all In his CafskilI
home. 70 her children. cutting on bis
own offspring. By this time some OF
his children were old enough 10 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 "a Is said-he was
well nigh driven crazy.
From all accounts that have come
down 70 as. II seems likely that these
two parties pulling upon him IN oppo-
site directions did affect bis sanity.
AT any rate. when the old man had
been driven into HIS grave By the Inn
poriunlfies Of these different claimants
and his win was opened q great sur
prise was In store for his survivors.
IL read:
J give and beaueath my estate 70 the
devil.
or course this brought about q law
suit rs 20 the disposition OF the prop
erty. FOR such a win was not legal.
Houseman's children claimed the prop
cry. his widow claimed IL. and her chill
dren claimed t. 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 la a fearful row. the Judge
IN his wrath stating that the property
rightfnIly belonged TO Satan and be
hoped Satan would get H.
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 ifteen miles away. when a man
was seen standing az the gate quietly
surveying the premises The dispu-
lants ceased 70 wrangle. and Mrs
Houseman asked the stranger what be
wanted
Il have come over from Germany"
he replied ito claim an inheritance.
Is this the property Of caspar House
man. deceased1"
1T ia
well. I am Louis Brackenthaler OF
Bingen. Caspar Houseman sent me
shortly before he died a WIN leaving
bis property 70 me-
He drew a VIII from his pocket writ.
ten IN Houseman's handwriting and
bearing his signature. All looked at il
aghast for they knew wen the tesla
tors writing. and II was his.
This new complication was too much |
for the wranglers. and they all left the |
premises without a struggle as they |
passed out Herr Brackenthaler stood |
bowling and smiling at them. with his
hat IN his hand. and 50 sardonlc was
his demeanor that they were all glad |
when they got away.
One would expect 10 end the win on
Ole In the surrogate's Office. | got the
story from a German barber at Cats
KIN while he was shaving me. and as
soon as he had finished went to the
and made inquiry there for
L. I was informed that about once a /
year some one inquired about House
man will, but there was no record OF
any such document
But to finish my story. During the
night following the surrender OF the
Houseman people to Herr Bracken-
lhaler there came up thunderstorm
hat caused the mountains to reverbe-
'ate. n anything. worse than when
acndrick Hudson's men had played at
bowls there. For a time It seemed to
hose who lived on the banks OF the
liver that the whole Catskin mountains
we're ablaze. To this very day there Il
ire citizens or towns that were settle
nents In those days who remember
heir grandparents or greaf-grandpar-
lats giving descriptions OF that storm.
he spot below where now stands the
Mountain House shooting up Gre Ike
'olcano. This Is the place where the
neager ruins OF the Houseman castle
tand.
The next morning persons went to
his spot and found the Houseman
Iousc burned to the ground. the only
emalns being small part Of the base
nent wall. As for Herr Brackenthaler.