Tracy - Basil
Source: Weekly Argus News April 2, 1892 p 4
The funeral of Basil Tracy, who lacked but a few years of being a centenarian and died Friday after an unpredented fast of 8 weeks, occurred at Waynetown yesterday and was largely attended. The services were conducted by Rev. Quillan of this city and were under the auspices of the Masonic Fraternity of which the deceased was an old and honored member. Interment at the Masonic Cemetery at Waynetown
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Source: Crawfordsville Star, April 1, 1892 p 2
Nothwithstanding the inclemency of the wather Sunday morning, hundreds of relatives and friends of the late, Bazel Tracey, of Waynetown, which were conducted by the Masonic fraternity and presided over by Rev. Thomas Quillen, of Crawfordsville, a venerable gentleman nearly as old as Bazel Tracy. Bazel Tracy had been a member of the old Newlight Church about 50 years and was made a Maosn May 21, 1858 in Asher Lodge at Pleasant HIll, transferring his membership to Waynetown Lodge Oct 27, 1867, since which time he has been an honored member.
Since the year 1871, "Uncle Baz," as everybody called him, has divided between his children and grandchildren $1,927, besides advancing at divers (sic) times to his progency about $12,000 cash.
During the time that he was thus amply providing for his children of about the year '69 some sharps from Putnam County bought of him 45 mules, which at that time were worth $225 per head and failed to pay for them. With the loss of the mules and costs of the suits for their recovery, which were also lost, $15,000 of his good money got away. Since '71 Tracy has paid $24,000 surety debts and lost by bad notes, $6,000, making a total of $42,000 cash.
Yet with all the losses Uncle Bazel gave to his children $100,000 worth of realty. Four children, three daughters and a son, 27 grandchildren, 49 great grandchildren and 3 great great grandchildren are left to mourn the loss.
Uncle Bazel was born in Kentucky in 1803 and married ELizabeth Price in 1822; each being of prolific parentage, the chaiin of blood relations reaches into the hundreds, there being in this state nearly 200. Kentucky, Illinois and other states swelling the number by near 300 more.
Some ridiculous statements have been in circulation to the effect that there will be a series of law suits over the rights of heirs, but there is nothing apparently in these reports except the idle gossip that always makes the man who has accumulated greath wealth by honesty and industry the object of criticism while living and the helpless target of busy-bodies after death has ended his ownership of great holdings that lopse when the King of Terrors raps at the door with his summons. - kbz
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Source: Crawfordsville Daily Journal Friday 25 March 1892
Uncle Bazil Tracy died at the home of his grandson-in-law, Jeff Mills, of Wayne Township, this morning at an early hour at the advanced age of 90 years. For eight weeks his death had been hourly expected and during that period he had taken no nourishment but merely managed to keep alive by reason of his wonderful vitality.
The funeral will occur Sunday morning at 10 o’clock at Waynetown under the auspices of the Masonic fraternity of which the deceased was an old and honored member. His dying request was that Rev. Thomas Quillen, of Crawfordsville, should deliver the sermon. Mr. Tracy was born in Kentucky and although a man of small education, he always displayed rare business ability and amassed a large fortune. Two years ago, he owned 2,000 acres of land in this and Benton County, but about that time he began to give it around among his five children and his grandchildren and now a great law suit is on hand to test the validity of some of these gifts and also an alleged sale of land. His grandson-in-law, Jeff Mills, purchased a large and valuable tract of land from the old gentleman giving him his notes for it. The other heirs assert that Jeff got around him and now has even the notes, the estate having absolutely nothing to show for the transfer. Mr. Mills enters a general denial and asserts that everything is perfectly straight. A long legal battle will result and some of the old pioneer’s possessions will slip away before the end is reached. Mr. Tracy died on the land he entered many years ago. - kbz
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Source: Crawfordsville Daily Journal Wednesday, 16 March 1892
The Indiana pioneers are dying rapidly and but few of those magnificent specimens of our early statehood now remain. The vitality of these old gentlemen, however, is sometimes to be remarked upon and their struggle with health is a very impressive one. Bazil Tracey, of near Waynetown, is 90 years of age and has passed a major portion of his life in this county where he has been an exemplary and influential citizen, widely known. For the last six weeks his death has been hourly expected but he still lives and the physicians are unable to place any limit on his life. For seven weeks he has laid upon the bed unable to move but suffering from no complaint, merely dying from old age. In this time he has taken no medicine or food. He has simply lived by means of his wonderful vitality. Several times those in attendance have attempted to give him milk, but without avail. His system is beyond the power of assimilating food. Of course he grows perceptibly weaker but so long has his death been expected that physicians and nurses in astonishment have given up predictions as to the fatal hour. So greatly has he wasted that one placing his hand upon the patient’s stomach feels his back bone. There is absolutely no flesh on the skeleton which has no power of motion, but life unwilling to depart still lingers. The man who was once heavy and six feet high is now picked up in the nurse’s hand without the least exertion and moved at pleasure. This case of wonderful vitality has attracted no little interest.
Although so old he has fasted much longer than the famous Dr. Tanner and no one is able yet to state the hour when his death will come. The case is a peculiar one to say the least and has baffled all the doctors’ expectations and predictions. -s
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Source: Crawfordsville Daily Journal 26 May 1891 p4
Basil Tracy is 88 years old and one of the oldest citizens of Montgomery county. A few years ago he had 2,000 acres of land and much personal property." To-day his sole possession is a burial lot, which will soon be all he needs. Some of his relatives, however, think that perhaps they are not so situated in regard to future wants and will make one of the greatest legal fights ever made in this county to regain apart of the old gentleman's property. Mr. Tracy's land was located in Montgomery county chiefly but he also owned a line body of land in Benton county. He gave away much of it to various ones of his children and grandchildren but until recently retained possession of about 1,000 acres of the finest land in Montgomery county lying near Waynetown and the garden spot of the whole community. Somo time ago Mr. Tracy who is in feeble health physically, and, as a majority of his relatives claim, mentally, took up his residence with his granddaughter, Mrs. Lizzioe Peirce Mills, a young married lady who with her husband, resides near Waynetown on the Tracy place. They took care of the old gentleman in a most tender manner and he began to think that they were just about right. He had but to signify a wish and it was granted and it is natural that the old gentleman should entertain the best of wishes toward his favorite granddaughter and her genial and accommodating husband. Very natural it was, also that when the matter of Mr. Mills and wife purchasing the beautiful 1,000 acre tract arose, that the old gentleman was Willing that they should have it pretty cheap. Money wasn't much object to him anyhow, and inasmuch as Lizzie and her husband had been so kind he desired to do the square thing by them, and what is more he did it. The tract of land was conveyed to them for the very reasonable consideration of $3,000, or the magnificent pot of about 83 per acre. As it is worth between 850 and 800 per acre it was remarked that Lizzie and husband had made a pretty good deal in real estate, especially as they didn't pay cash but gave their notes for the amount. He hasn't even the notes now and his other relatives say that he was soft-soaped out of them. This may be so and it may not, but anyhow he hasn't got them and the relatives not in the deal claim the right to theorize. Daniel Hawk, of Benton county, another of Mr. Tracy's sons-in-law, J. P. Biddle, another, and Simeon Grenard, a grandson, were in the city yesterday prepared for war. Crane & Anderson were retained to file a motion to have a guardian appointed for Basil Tracy on the ground of his being of feeble mind. When this is done the guardian appointed will bring suit at once against the Mills family to have the conveyance of real estate set aside. It will be a hotly contested fight and the outcome will be awaited with interest.
Source: Waynetown Hornet Saturday, February 11, 1893
Tuesday of this week was begun at Frankfort on a change of venue the Bazil Tracy case in which brothers were arrayed against brothers and sisters against sisters in an endeavor to sustain or tear down certain conveyances made by that grand old pioneer who carved out a fortune with a plow and ax, although he could not read nor write and it has been said of him that he could not drive a nail, yet there are many witnesses living who can testify that Uncle Baz could drive a bargain with the best of them when it came to a land or horse swap. Uncle Baz had been in poor health several years before his demise and it is upon the grounds of his feebleness that the heirs claimed he was not competent to transact business; hence this suit at law to undo what he had done recently.
Tuesday after a hard struggle between the legal lights as to which was the more valiant warrior, the case was finally opened before Judge Doyal and the following witnesses introduced who testified as directed by the opposing attorneys who were striving hard to earn a portion of their fees.
(*Witnesses-Isaac Davis, John W. Utterback, Allen J. Moore)
Wednesday morning witnesses came in from all directions, but the attorneys upon either side were absent, but it was noised about that a compromise would be affected and as the hour of high noon was sounded from the magnificent bell on the Frankfort courthouse, all witnesses in the case were discharged and the announcement made that the battle over Bazil Tracy’s thousands was at an end and that the terms of compromise were effectually the same as the old pioneer had laid out for his descendants long before his demise. The decree of the court forever sets at rest all doubt of the soundness of Bazil Tracy’s mind and quiets the title to all the land held by Thomas J. Mills and making all transactions of the deceased during his life valid. Jerry West was made trustee and will deliver all papers to Lyda Pierce and Tom Tracy on payment of $7,600, which is to be divided between the plaintiffs after $600 has been deducted for the Merrill Heirs. Crane & Anderson are to divide the remaining $7,000 between the four heirs—Biddle, Grenard, Pierce and Hauk heirs, each side paying costs made by them. The further conditions are that Mills and wife withdraw their lio__ suit against T. H. B. & Cain et al, and that they pay all costs in said suit to date. The attorneys have 60 days in which to announce the pro rate of each heir as has also the defendants to raise the $7,600; then will have closed the last act in a drama that arrayed brothers against sisters, and neighbor against neighbor. There can be no retreat from the decree of court as all parties were privy to the agreement which was to forever settle the estate. Jeff Mills now has a title to 685 acres of land that can not be disputed before any tribunal and when once paid for, he can live at his ease. – thanks so much to S&E