The L'Anse sentinel., 1921-05-13
MANY HERE INTERESTED
IN THE POOLE CASE


Detroit-Failure Of jurors to agree
on all the questions involved resulted
Sunday in their discharge from the
case Of Agnes Cecilia Poole, who has
been contesting the will Of Peter Gil
rard On the ground that her mother
was his common law wife.
The jury agreed that Girard had
been the husband by common law OF
Cecilia Poole's mother. On the ques-
tion Of the validity Of Girard's will
they were hopelessly divided, they re-
ported. Girard left his estate Of
$4,000 to his widow, Mrs. Caroline
Girard. Mrs. Poole will ask for a
new trial Of the suit.
The romance Of Peter Girard, scion
Of one Of Detroit's most prominent
families Of the day, and a half-breed
girl in the wilds Of northern Michi-
gan sixty years ago, is being recalled
in contrasting lights; Mrs. Agnes Ce-
liza Poole says she is the daughter of
Girard and the Indian girl, and she is
attempting to obtain a share of the
Girard estate.
Mrs. Poole is opposed by Mrs. Caro-
line Ackerman Girard, Peters widow
and Mrs. Mary E. Pierce, an adopted
daughter, who are now in possession
of the property in Detroit, consisting
of twenty-four acres of land and two
houses, valued at $4,000. If Mrs.
Poole is successful in having the con-
tested will declared invalid, two-thirds
Of the estate will go to her, while
Mrs. Girard will retain one-third.
Occupying the witness stand for
two days, Mrs. Poole has given testi-
mony covering 242 pages of court
record in which her claims to the es-
tate are set forth.
Phillip A. McHugh, attorney for
Mrs. Poole, has introduced evidence
to show that Peter Girard, when sew
enteen years old, ran away from home
following a quarrel with his father
Christopher, and went to Baraga
county, where his brother Antoine
had preceded him.
He obtained employment in lum-
Der camp, and lived with his brother
who had been given large grant of
government land. In about 1860, ac-
cording to the plaintiffs contentious,
the young man, then about 20, met
and married Julia Countwai Tebeau
who was half French and half Indian
The girl had been married before to
a man named Tebeau, and had borne
him daughter. The defense main
tains that Tebeau was still alive when
Peter Girard and the woman began
living together in a cabin on An.
tones claim on Keweenaw Bay.
Dispositions taken from six old res.
idents of the district tend to show
that the couple were legally married
by agreement, there being no clergy.
man or justices in the vicinity.
Mrs. Poole was born about two
For some years Girard lived with
his wife, their daughter and the TIE.
beau girl in Baraga. Then they
moved to Marquette, travelling by
dog train along the coast of Lake
Superior.
When Girard was about 20 years
old, according to Mrs. Poole's testi-
mony, he went away, presumably to
Detroit, where his father had died
recently, naming Peter executor OF
his estate. He remained away about
two years. HIS marriage to Caroline
Alderman Of Detroit, which occurred
in January, 1870, comedies approx
mately with the date of his absence
from Marquette. After about two
years, Mrs. Poole testified, her father
returned to his family, which had beer
subsisting by picking berries, sewing
burlap bags and accepting donations
from indy fishermen.
"He quarreled with my mother that
day." Mrs. Poole said, "and l heart
him tel her he married her only BY
agreement. He said he was going
back to his people, and he wasn't go
ing to take her. Then he ran from
the house, my mother following. Sht
came back soon, weeping, bat he wa.
gone"
Three years later the. two girls con
tracted the measles, and their mother
taking i'll while caring for them, sue
cumbed to the disease.