Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1922-12-09
DAUGHTER WHOM He
THOUGHT DEAD SUES.
TO SET WILL ASIDE.
OTTER CREEK FARMERS LAST
TESTAMENT ATTACKED IN CIR.
GUT COURT BY CHILD HE BE.
LIsvEo PRECEDED HIM ~
DEATH.

Stl Gator woman and her daughter
Mrs. Elizabeth Cooper ana Mrs. Min.
ME Jones, started two suits in the Cir.
cult Court this morning the former tc
secure dover interest in certain
property of the late Edward Cooper
and the other TO set aside his will and
secure a share of his estate Mr.
Cooper. who was q wealthy resident
of Otter Creek township, passed away
May 10, 1922, leaving an estate valued
al almost 100000.
Mrs Jones, in her bill filed today, al.
legeS she is the only child OF the late
Edward Cooper, and asks that she
be given her part Of his property The
, bill OF her mother alleges that she and
fMr. Cooper were married Jan. Is. 1873.
and separated in August 1875. Two
children were born of this marriage.
she claims, the Oldest dying In infancy
and Mrs, Jones' the youngest, having
( been born Aug. 10, 1875.
She alleges that she LEFT the de.
ceased in August, 1876, because OF his
/ extreme cruelty and mistreatment.
After the separation, she alleges, Mr..
Cooper filed q bill asking a divorce
on grounds of desertion She filed
cross bill, she alleges, aud in March,
1881, was Frante1 a divorce decree hy
8 iuiy in the Circuit Court on grounds
NJ cruelty.
A short time after the divorce, Nrs
Elizabeth Cooper alleges, her ex-hus-
band married Mrs Rchecca Cooper,
who now resides in Winter Haven |
Fla Mrs Rebecca Cooper and the
other heirs OF the will of Mr.. Cooper |
are named as the defendants.
Mrs. Elizabeth Cooper alleges that
at the time she secured the divorce
from her husband he fraudulently con |
spire1 with his mother, Mrs. Jane
Cooper to keen her from getting a |
dover interest in his estate. and trans
fered to her eighty acres of land
which he owned at the time The |
bill alleges that Mr. Jane Cooper re- |
turned the land to him in 1884. The |
complainant asks that she be given a |
dover interest in this eighty acres
In the bill filed by Mrs, Jones. which !
asks that the will be set aside she
introduces copy of the document, /
which states, Being mindful of the |
fact that have no children" in dis
posing of his property. Mrs Rehecca Y
Cooper is left eighty acres of Otter ,
Creek township land outright in the
will and is left the residue Of the es /
tate for her lifetime At her death |
one-half Of the residuary share goes to
the tcstators three nephews. John |
Cooper. Frank Cooper and Emerald |
Cooper. and the remaining onehalf to .
the brothers and sisters of his wife
The will was drwan in 1Sq3
Mrs. Jones in her bill alleges that
said writing ALLEGED to be the last will /
of the said Edward Cooper was not in
fact ever signed by him, and that said
writing was never legally executed,
nor was said writing purporting to be
the will of Edward Cooper. deceased, |.
executed in conformity with the law of ,
the state with relation to wills, nor
was said writing pur9orting to be the
alleged will of Edward Cooper ever
read TO him, or the contents thereof |
made Known, nor was the said Ed
ward Cooper of sound and disposing
mind and memory at the time that It
is alleged that he made the said writ
ing alleged to be his will, and that said .
writing which purports to be the last
will of Edward COCper, deCesed, was
obtaired hv false and fraudulent arts
and practices and under influence ex-
ercised over him by the said .Rebecca
Cooper"
Mrs. Jones further alleges that her
father had spoken to her in endearing
terms as his daughter many times, In .
spite of the fact that his will allegas
he has no children. She also alleges
that he had i'll health, which made him
mentally unbalanced. The will she
says. was signed in the same hand
writing it was drawn, and bears diff |
ferent erasures and changes. She !
also alleges that it did not bear her
fathers mark.
She claims that the benefciaries Of |
the will attempted to make her father |
believe that she was dead.
Named with Mrs. Rebecca Cooper as
defendents are John c. Cooper. Frank |
Cooper, Elmer Cooper Emerald Coop.
er, Robert Holland. Ella Holland. John
Holland. Margaret II. Kirkpatrick,
George w Holland William A. Hol-
land and Emma f. Dougherty
Mrs Jones lists her fathers prop
ertv at the time of his death as 100
acres of la Sale county land valued
at $4,000. Streator real estate worth
$4,000. property at Winter Haven, Fla /.
valued at $4,000 or SIS 0on and chat
tel property valued at $4,000.