Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-01-13
BEDFORD, IN TAYLOR COUNTY,,
FURNISHING ANOTHER SEN.
SATIONAL CASE.
ADOPTED SON OF A. j.
LITTER CLAIMS ESTATE
Exhibits in Court Brick Bearing ln-
scription Telling Where 10 Find VIII
and Also Will ltself-Other Heirs
Begin Suit to Have Will Declared
lIlesai-Now in Supreme Court.


which recently startled Iowa with the
arrest of four pioneers charged with
the murder Of a cattleman fifty years
ago, in which a chest of buried money
was involved, yesterday furnished an
other sensational story in arguments
presented to the Iowa supreme court
in the case of Olive Daniels VS.. Ernest
Lewis, appellant.
An ugly brick bearing an inscrip-
ton giving directions for digging for
a buried will of A. J. Litteer, pioneer
of Taylor county; a pickle jar which
contained similar directions and an
old earthen jar which was found
buried and which contained will CIV
ing the 100000 LITTER estate to Ernest
Lewis, were exhibited in court yester-
day to emphasize the force of the at
torneyS argum ents.
Lewis Claim Denied.
According to the facts as presented
to the supreme court, A. J. Litter, OF
Taylor county, died in 1910. He owned
a $50 acre farm in Taylor county. 240
acres in Kansas and certain notes.
Ernest Lewis, claiming to be an adopt
ed son of LITTER, laid claim to the en-
tire estate.
Other heirs of Litter fled action in
the Taylor county district court ask
ing that Lewis claims be denied. The
lower court so ruled
Lewis appealed to the supreme court
and the high court reversed the lower
courts ruling. The case went back for
decree in keeping with the opinion.
hA Hajr
new trial. Lewis objected and has ap-
pealed to the supreme court to sustain
him.
Estate in MuddIed Condition.
A. ]. LITTER was so years old when
he died His estate was found in
somewhat of confused condition.
Ernest Lewis exhibited documents
claiming to be the adopted son and a
will giving him the property.
After the lower court on the original
hearing had decided against Lewir,
two mysterious notes appeared. One
was found on the porch of ]. A. Evans
in the town Of Bedford. 1t directed
the finder to look for certain brick |
in the hedge at the LITTER place in |
Bedford. Evans paid no attention TO
the note.
peared mysteriously in the office of G.
B. Haddock. 1t also called attention
to the brick.
Find Brick With inscription.
A search was then made for the
brick. 1t was found. On 1t was the
North thirty steps dig for will"
Ernest Lewis and others interested
began prospecting the estate in re-
Spouse 70 the directions on the brick
On May 90. 1913, a rod which was be-
ing used in the prospecting. struck an
object. On digging an old churn was
found. In 1t was an earthen jar and
in the jar was a written document
said to be the last win Of A. J. Lit
teer. There were other objects with
the document This will gave the es-
tate to Ernest Lewis.
After finding the churn some one
found a pickle bottle in the hedge and
in it a paper which read:
Take Jar to Court House.
'"Whoever finds this, go 80 steps
north and dig for viii strait east Of
persimon tree then take inside jar to
court house before 1t is opened."-A. J.
LITTER.
A few days later certain notes be-
longing to the estate were found in a
tin box IN a buggy owned by H. NJ.
Long, who lived near the LITTER es-
tate. One of these notes was signed
by Ernest Lewis for the sum of $500.
On the back were the directions that
the money received on payment OF
the note was to purchase tomb
stone"
Both sides claim fraud. perjury,
and conspiracy. The attorneys
say that the estate is worth 100000
and that the high value is responsible
for the hard legal fight being made
over it.
All Bedford Aroused.
According to the record, there was
great excitement in Bedford when the
jar was found. A crowd of thirty to
fifty men followed the sheriff to the
court house when he took possession
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
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