The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-01-07
Claims That Actual Ownership in
Large and Valuable Lot OF
Van Buren County Land
Is In Himself.
mo WILL LEFT BY WIFE
Moore Seeks TO Get Possession Of
Farms He Says Were Bought
Although Decided to Her.
with His Own Money

ikeokuk, violin VlTtuoSo'
lStrads delightful conversauonaiisl'
and the apple king of soutneas,ern
Iowa, is the plaintiff in one OF the pis-
igest and most important law sults ever
;docketed at Keosauqua.
1t is approaching the stage OF
real trial soon. and in 1t are galaxy
| of lawyers such as Is seldom seen III
the courst of this section In one case.
L. ]. Montgomery, Edward w. NC
Manus, and Hollingsworth and Blood,
of Keokuk, w. B. Newbold and walk.
ler and McBeth, of Keosauqua ana
four or five Ottumwa lawyers are at
torneys for the rather long list OF de-
PENDANTS, and Sloan and Sloan are the
attorneys for the plaintiff
The property involved is very valu-
able. and the amount runs well up to-
ward 100000 In value.
Famous Orchard Is Involved.
The suit is one in equity to deter
mine who is the real owner of large
lot of fine land formerly in the Meek
holding.
1t includes the famous orchard which
lis one of the best west OF the Mississ-
iipn river and is worth much money.
Mrs. John S. Moore died without
win and without children. which
makes her blood relatives heirs to
half of her property, especially the
real estate. The husband gets her prop
lerty under the Iowa law, with certain
dover rights. Mrs. Moore's brothers
and sisters inherit as her heirs at law
in the absence of q will bequeathing
the property otherwise.
Decided to wife for Convenience.
John S. Moore claims that the land
involved really belonged to him per-
sonally, and not to his wife, although
1T was placed in her name in the title
deeds as a gift to make provision for
her and in trust for himself.
Hence, he alleges, it belongs all to
him, and the heirs of his wife have no
property interest in it. He asks the
court to so degree and declare the I'll
tie to all the land involved to be in
him alone.
The heirs of his wife contend that
the land actually belonged to her and
that the title in her is one in fact as
well as on record This being true.
they have their shares in the property
given them by the law inheritance,
they allege.
says re urrlSnGO the MONEY.
The petition of John S. Moore al
leges different facts for different
pieces of land, and sets out circum-
stances in each case.
One tract of hundred acres, he al
leges. was bought from John n. Bell
in 1885, with $500 of his own money,
and the deed was made to his wife for
certain good reasons which did not
baa -, sc
actual owner
Another hundred-acre tract, he says,
he bought from Isaiah Meek for
SO 600 but Meek died before the trans
action was consummated. although
Moore himself furnished the money af-
terward paid the heirs of Meek when
the title was placed in Mrs Moore,
one of the Meek heirs. Hence. he al
leges, this tract actually belongs TO
him and not his wife, even if the deed
was in her name
To Be Big Legal Battle.
Similar allegations are made as re-
CARDS each of the pieces OF real es-
tate involved in the suit. The defend i!
ands are all the heirs of his wife, their
spouses, and some creditors interested !
In the property.
Inc cnlef point at issue is whether
the land actually belonged to John S.
Moore from the tine it was placed in /
his wife's name, or whether it actual :
ly belonged to her. and the title deeds
stated the actual fact as well as the re-
cord
The number OF lawyers and the
amount of property involved insures
that the lawsuit will be fought thor
oughly through the courts, beginning
in Keosauqua this week when it was
first reached on call docket at the
opening of the January term of the
district court