The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1925-09-03
NO CONGREGATION
FOR new CHURCH
Will of Illinois Man Gives
$4,000 for Spiritualist
House and Library.

ground here for $4,000 church with
out any parishioners. There will be
$4,000 expended for furnishings and
extras. A pulpit for the preacher
and seats for the communicates, but
there viii be no people. This house
Of worship will be dedicated on March
1, 1925.
The court has ruled that the struc-
ture must be built. It was provided
for in the will Of ]. T. Crumbaugh,
an eccentric farmer Of this community.
he died in 1905. leaving will which
plainly stipulated that the income
hoip I1c0 acres Of the richest land
in Mclean county should Be set aside
forever and be used solely for the
construction Of the church and also
public library to be erected here In
Leroy. After sufficient funds accrued
to pay the cost Of construction. then
the annual income from the land was
to be devoted to the maintenance of
the two institutions.
Relatives Contest Will.
Relatives ignored by the testator
Immediately instituted suit to have the
document set aside. alleging undue IN
fuence. incompetency and various
other reasons. The litigation was car
ried on for a number Of years and
ran the gamut Of the various courts
from the lowest to the highest The
lower court declared the will invalid
but the Supreme court set aside this
finding and held that the will should
stand. A new suit was fled In the
Circuit court and again the plaintiffs
won and the case was taken up. Again
the upper tribunal decided for the
will. For the third time, the relatives
presented the issues In a new form
In the Circuit court and jury de-
cided for them. but on the appeal the
Supreme court refused to recede from
Its original findings and insisted that
Crumbaugh was entirely rational and
sane when he made the will and was
man Of excellent judgment. prud-
ence and forethought.
Heirs Give Up Battle.
After three successive knockouts the
disappointed heirs decided that they
were up against stone wall and the
litigation ended. The defense Of the
will by the executor cost the estate
$4,000 in attorneys and court fees and
this had to be raised by the sale of
property Of various kinds. The Htiga-
ton and resultant expense has de-
layed action upon the church and IL
brary, as it was necessary to accumu-
late sufficient funds to justify letting
the contract. The fund Is now ample
and the contract has been let.
Crumbaugh and his wife were for
merly Uniyersalists. but five years be-
fore the formers death he became
interested in spiritualism and Joined
that sect. He believed with sincerity
that he could converse with departed
friends and spiritualfstic mediums took
advantage Of this belief and arranged
Crumbaughs became the parents of
child that lived two months. It was
the fancy of the father that his child
became an adult spirit and was daily
seeking to communicate with him. He
engaged portrait painter to place
upon canvas replica Of the son as
he would likely appear at mans estate
had he been permitted to live. This
imaginary portrait in oil was hung
upon the wall Of the Crumbaugh home
stead and became a shrine at which
the father daily worshiped, while with
the cooperation Of the mediums he
believed that he was conversing with
this child.
$4,000 for Maintenance.
Opponents of the will stressed this
point In the effort to prove Crum-
baugh Of unsound mind, but it failed
to carry any weight with the Supreme
court. There was little surprise when
the will was read, to learn that his
fortune, estimated at $25O.OO0, had
been left to found and support q
Spiritualist church and library.
When Crumbaugh was alive there
was a small group Of neighbors who
entertained the same faith, but all
are gone and today, 1t is asserted.
there Is not single believer in
spiritualism in this community. Realiz-
ing the folly Of building church
without leader or congregation. the
trustees conceived the idea Of COM
bining the church and library and
utilizing one-half for an auditorium
and the other half for the storage Of
books and also a reading room.
The court ruled that this dual struc-
ture did not conflict with the will,
and, accordingly, plans were drawn
for the combination church and IL
brary. There will be seance room
where mediums may seek to com.
municate with the spirits, while there
will be an auditorium seating several
hundred people, suitable for meetings
Of Spiritualists or others.
The joint building will be 100 feet
In length and SO feet In width. There
win be an income Of $4,000 per an
mum for the support and maintenance
Of the structure.
The Leroy library has probably the
richest endowment and the largest an.
nual income of any similar institution
in the smaller cities of the United
z u