Divorce Papers: William Clifford LeMaster

From the Colorado State Archives, I was able to obtain copies of the divorce papers of my paternal great-granduncle, William Clifford LeMASTER, who married Lella Edith LEWIS on August 20, 1892 in Jay County, Indiana.  After living in Elyria, Lorain County, Ohio for a number of years, they moved west to Fort Collins, Larimer County, Colorado before 1910.  William filed for divorce in Teller County, Colorado in August 21 1917 - and papers were served to Lella in Los Angeles, California on September 5, 1917.

STATE OF COLORADO

County of Teller; SS

IN THE COUNTY COURT

No. 3359

WILLIAM C. LEMASTER, Plaintiff

vs.

LELLA E. LEMASTER, Defendant

ACCEPTANCE OF SERVICE

I hereby accept service in the above entitled cause and acknowledge receipt of a true copy of the summons and complaint.  I also waive all right to a trial by jury and consent that the case may go to trial at any time the plaintiff may elect without any notice to me.

Lella E. LeMaster

copy of Lella's signature

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 5 day of September A.D. 1917.

Earl ????

Notary Public

STATE OF COLORADO

County of Teller; SS

IN THE COUNTY COURT

No. 3359

William C. LeMaster, Plaintiff

vs.

Lella E. LeMaster, Defendant     

SUMMONS

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF COLORADO,

To Lella E. LeMaster the defendant named, GREETING:

You are hereby required to appear in an action brought against you by the above named plaintiff, in the County Court of Teller County, State of Colorado; or, if served out of the State of Colorado, or by publication, within fifty days after service hereof, exclusive of the day of service; or said action may be regularly set for trial the same as though such appearance had been made and issue had been joined on such complaint.

The said action is brought by plaintiff to obtain a decree of divorce, dissolving the bonds of matrimony now existing between plaintiff and defendant, on the ground of desertion as will more fully appear from the complaint in said action to which reference is hereby made and a copy of which is hereto attached.

And you are hereby notified that if you fail to appear, and plead to said complaint as above required, the said plaintiff will apply to the Court for the relief therein demanded.

Given under my hand and the seal of said Court, this 21st day of August A.D. 1917

K.C. Gustin, Clerk

STATE OF COLORADO
County of Teller; SS


IN THE COUNTY COURT
No. 3359


William C. LeMaster, Plaintiff


vs.


Lella E. LeMaster, Defendant


COMPLAINT


Comes now the above named plaintiff, by Alvin S. Frank, his attorney, and complains of the defendant and for cause of action alleges:

1.

That plaintiff is and for more than one year last past has been a bona fide resident of the state of Colorado and of the county of Teller.

2.

That plaintiff and defendant were married at Salamonia, Indiana, on the 21st of August, 1892, ever since have been and now are husband and wife.  That there were born to plaintiff and defendant as a result of the aforesaid marriage the following minor children, Ralph M. LeMaster, of the age of fifteen years, at present residing with the plaintiff, and William C. LeMaster, Jr., of the age of thirteen years, at present residing with the defendant.

3.

That the defendant deserted plaintiff on the tenth day of July, 1916, and in spite of frequent requests of plaintiff that she return to him and live with him she has continually refused to live with plaintiff as his wife.

4.

That the amount involved in this action does not exceed the sum of two thousand dollars.

Wherefore plaintiff prays that the bonds of matrimony heretofore and now existing between him and defendant be totally and forever dissolved at his costs; that he be given the custody of his minor son, Ralph M. LeMaster and that the defendant be given custody of William C. LeMaster, Jr., and for such other and further orders as to the Court may seem proper in the premises.

Alvin S. Franks [signature]

Attorney for Plaintiff

State of Colorado,

County of Teller, SS.

WILLIAM C. LEMASTER, being first duly sworn upon his oath deposes and says: that he is the plaintiff in the above entitled cause; that he has read the above and foregoing complaint and knows the contents thereof and that the same is true of his own knowledge.

Wm. C. LeMaster

Signature of William C. LeMaster

STATE OF COLORADO

County of Teller

In the County Court

No. 3559

William C. LeMaster, Plaintiff

vs.

Lella E. LeMaster, Defendant

FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

This cause having been brought on to be tried on the 24th day of September A.D. 1917, the plaintiff appearing by Alvin S. Frank, his attorney, and the defendant not appearing, either in person or by attorney, the case not being contested, the cause being tried to the Court without a jury, and the evidence having been duly presented and submitted,

THE COURT DOTH FIND: That the Summons was regularly issued in this cause and served up the defendant by acceptance of service by defendant acknowledged before Earl Newmire, notary public within and for Los Angeles County at Los Angeles, California.

That more than thirty days elapsed after the filing of the complaint herein before the trial of this cause;

That the plaintiff resides in Teller County in the State of Colorado;

That the plaintiff was personally present at the trial;

That at the date of the commencement of this action the plaintiff had been a bona fide resident and citizen of the State of Colorado during the one year next prior to the commencement thereof;

That the plaintiff and defendant were lawfully married on or about the 21st day of August, A.D. 1892 and ever since have been and now are husband and wife;

That the plaintiff and defendant have two minor children as the issue of said marriage; to-wit: Ralph E. LeMaster and William C. LeMaster, Jr.

That the said Ralph M. LeMaster is of the age of fifteen years and is residing with the plaintiff, and that the said William C. LeMaster, Junior, is of the age of thirteen years and is residing with the defendant.

That the said plaintiff, William C. LeMaster, is a fit and proper person to have the care and custody of the said Ralph M. LeMaster, and that the said defendant, Lella E. LeMaster, is a fit and proper person to have the care and custody of the said William C. LeMaster, Junior, and it is so ordered by the Court, and it is further ordered that the plaintiff may have the privilege of visiting with the said William C. LeMaster, Jr., for a period of not to exceed three weeks in each year and that the defendant shall have the privilege of visiting with the said Ralph M. LeMaster for a period not to exceed three weeks in each year.

That by competent evidence it has been established that defendant deserted plaintiff more than one year prior to the filing of the complaint in the above entitled cause and has failed and refused ever since to live with plaintiff as his wife.  That plaintiff is entitled to a decree of divorce.

That the plaintiff shall, at the expiration of six months from the date of filing hereof by the Clerk of this Court, be entitled to a Decree of Divorce, provided these Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law have not been set aside and no motion to set them aside remains unheard and undecided.

Done and signed this 24th day of September, A.D. 1917.

By the Court, Karl W. Farr, Judge.

STATE OF COLORADO,

County of Teller, SS.

In the County Court

No. 3359

William C. LeMaster, Plaintiff

vs.

Lella E. LeMaster, Defendant

DECREE

This cause this day having been brought on to be heard and more than six months having elapsed since the day on which the findings of fact and conclusions of law were filed herein and said findings of fact and conclusions of law having not been set aside and no motion to set them aside remaining unheard and undecided, and upon motion of A.S. Frank, Esq., attorney, for the said William C. LeMaster, the plaintiff herein and accordance with said findings of fact and conclusions of law,

IT IS ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED by the Court that the bonds of matrimony heretofore and now existing between the said plaintiff William C. LeMaster and the said defendant Lella E. LeMaster be and the same are hereby dissolved and that said parties are, and each of them is, freed and absolutely released therefrom.

AND IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED by the Court that the sole care, custody and control of the minor child Ralph LeMaster, be and the same hereby is granted to William C. LeMaster, plaintiff herein; and that the sole care, custody and control of the minor child, William C. LeMaster, Jr., be, and the same hereby is granted and given to Lella E. LeMaster, the defendant herein, until the further order of this Court in the premises.  And it is further ordered by the Court that said plaintiff have the privilege of visiting with the said William C. LeMaster, Jr., for a period of not to exceed three weeks in each year, and that the defendant shall have the privilege of visiting with the said Ralph LeMaster for a period of not to exceed three weeks in each year.

That the plaintiff have judgment for his costs herein expended to be taxed and execution may issue therefor.

Done and signed in open court this Third day of April A.D. 1918.

By the Court, Karl W. Farr, Judge

Black Sheep Sunday: Alleged Bank Bandit Leader Held

Source: Leader-Tribune, Marion, Indiana, April 3, 1925, page 1 & 15

ALLEGED BANK BANDIT LEADER HELD

H. PIERPONT IS ARRESTED

He Is Said to Have Led in the Robbing of Two Grant County Banks

Held in Kokomo Case

Bonds Taken From the Bank There Recovered by Detroit Police

--

Harry Pierpont, 24 years old who it was alleged was the leader in the robbing of the South Marion State bank and the Upland State bank last fall, was arrested yesterday at Detroit, Michigan, as a suspect in the robbing of the South Side Bank at Kokomo on Friday, March 27.   Thaddeus R. Skeer, 23, known as “Sudy” Skeer of Fort Wayne, was also arrested, as was Miss Louise Brunner, also of Fort Wayne, who is being held as a witness.

It was reported that a third man said to me, Everett Bridgewater, also a member of the gang  which robbed the Grant county banks, had also been arrested for having taken part in the Kokomo robbery, but this could not be verified last night.

Woman is in Prison

Bridgewater’s wife, Mary, is now serving a term in the women’s prison at Indianapolis for having taken part in the robberies in this county.

The three prisoners have waived extradition and will be brought back to Kokomo, probably today, where the men face charges of bank robbery and petit larceny, warrants of which have already been issued by City Judge Joseph Cripe of Kokomo.

A.E. Garton, cashier of the Kokomo bank, from which more than $10,000 in cash was stolen, went to Detroit yesterday afternoon and identified bonds, amounting to $ 7,000 which were also taken by the robbers.  A part of the cash stolen has also been recovered.

Vernon Shaw, a customer who stopped into the Kokomo bank at the time the robbery took place and who was held up and “Chic” Nelson, who was in a drug store across the street from the bank at the time of the robbery, left last evening for Detroit, where they will attempt to identify the prisoners as those who took part in the robbery.

Gives False Name

Pierpont, when arrested at first gave his name as Frank Mason, but later in the day admitted that his name was Pierpont.  Detectives from the Pinkerton agency trailed the Brunner woman from Fort Wayne to Detroit, and a short time later the woman and Skeer were arrested, when they met in that city.  Pierpont’s arrest followed a short time later.

Deputy Sheriff Woody Smith, who has been working on the case on the supposition that Pierpont and Bridgewater were implicated in the Kokomo robbery, gave a description of Bridgewater to the Detroit police yesterday afternoon, and was told that Mason had admitted that his right name was Pierpont.  Deputy Sheriff Smith stated last night that he would go to Kokomo with a warrant for Pierpont and Bridgewater and would try and get the Kokomo authorities to turn them over to him for trial in this county for robbing the Grant county banks.

With the arrest of Pierpont and possibly Bridgewater, the entire gang of robbers who are alleged to have robbed the Grant county banks will have been rounded up, the other five now serving sentences in prison.  Mrs. Bridgewater was arrested at her home in Indianapolis and brought back to this city, where she was given a sentence of from two to fourteen years.  The other members of the gang, who admitted to being implemented in the robbing of the Upland and South Marion banks, were James Robbins, arrested at Lebanon, the first member of the gang to be arrested; William Behrens, who was arrested at Monticello; Marion (Red) Smith, alias “Springfield Red,” who was arrested at Indianapolis,  upon his return from Springfield; George Frazier of Kokomo, who came to Marion and was turned over to the police by his father and Robert Morris of Indianapolis, arrested in that city, all of whom entered pleas of guilty in the circuit court and were given sentences of from ten to twenty years in prison and Mrs. Emily Morris, arrested at Indianapolis with her husband, who also “plead guilty” and was given a sentence of from two to fourteen years.

---

This article from the Marion, Indiana newspaper gives a little different perspective on the arrest of my cousin Harry PIERPONT (1902-1934) for the Kokomo robbery and ties him to bank jobs in Grant County that need further research.

Black Sheep Sunday – create a post with the main focus being an ancestor with a “shaded past.” Bring out your ne’er-do-wells, your cads, your black widows, your horse thieves and tell their stories. And don’t forget to check out the International Black Sheep Society of Genealogists (IBSSG). This is an ongoing series at GeneaBloggers.

Surname Saturday: Grimes

The GRIMES surname is in Eileen's maternal line.  The origins of the surname are unknown at this time.


Stories and history:


Ahnentafel # 61: Mary Grimes (1809-1903).  Mary was born April 19, 1809 in Middleton, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania.  She married February 16, 1832 in Champaign County, Ohio to George Sills (1809-1880).  George was born December 1, 1809 in Bedford County, Pennsylvania.  They raised 6 children in Champaign County, Ohio and Wabash County, Indiana.  George died June 9, 1880 in Dora, Wabash County, Indiana.  Mary died August 21, 1903 in Huntington County, Indiana.


Ahnentafel # 122: Benjamin Grimes (bet1770-80-abt1868).  Benjamin was born between 1770 and 1780 in Pennsylvania.  He married Catherine Haynes (c1780-aft1864).  Catherine was born circa 1780 in Pennsylvania.  They had 6 children and lived in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Champaign County, Ohio.  Catherine died after August 1864 in Champaign County, Ohio.  Benjamin died about 1868 in Champaign County, Ohio.


Surname Saturday – create a post in which you discuss a surname and mention its origins, its geographical location(s) and how it fits into your genealogy research. Surname Saturday is an ongoing series at GeneaBloggers.