Deer - Urial - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

The suit of Oliver P. Lewis, administrator of the estate of John R. Teegarden ____ Urial Deer____ came to a conclusion at a few minutes just before midnight, by the return of a verdict for the plaintiff in the sum of $8,800. the suit was commenced in Fountain County. From there it went on change of venue to Warren County and thence to Parke County. The evidence in the case would make a book as entertaining as any work of fiction. Urial Deer settled in the southwest corner of Parke County when quite young and devoted all his young life to the accumulation of land and money, so that a few years before he died he possesses an estate of perhaps $75,000. He lived with his son-in-law, John R. Teegarden, and some years ago, as the proof showed, began to lose his mind and about the same time his lands and money began to go into the hands of John R. Teegarden as a gift, so that at the time of the old man’s death, Teegarden had possessed himself of about 400 acres of the old man’s land, worth $20,000, and some $8,000 to $10,000 of his money. Some of the estate had been given by the old man to other children but in very unequal proportions, a son in Kansas getting but $1,000. After Urial’s death Aug. 22, 1889, Job, the son in Kansas, came to Fountain County to look into the condition of his father’s estate and found that he had died penniless. He employed William T. Whittington and Kennedy & Kennedy to look the matter up for him, which they did with the result stated. The evidence presented many curious features, especially the part that detailed the old man’s oddities and eccentricities. As a specimen it was proved that on one occasion he took a large basketful of wool to church with him and distributed it among the congregation, requesting them to pick the wool for him, saying it was useless to spend time listening at the sermon merely—that they should be engaged at some useful employment while hearing the sermon. The argument occupied eight hours and was listened to by a crowded house, Messrs. P. S. Kennedy and William T. Whittington, of Crawfordsville, speaking for the plaintiff and James T. Johnston, Charles McCabe, and Wm Bingham, of Covington, for the defense. Besides these attorneys, S. D. Puett, of Parke, and Andrew Marshall were for the plaintiff. The result of this suit will be a redistribution among the heirs of about $70,000 of property, and the disinherited son, Job, will receive his full share, which will be at least $10,000.