Tfalte RURAL NRW-YORKER 
1483 
Legal Notes 
A Fraud in Legal “ Business ” 
Here is a fraudulent practice that you 
want to look out for: A man and his wife 
living in an Eastern State received a 
legacy, consisting chiefly of some real es¬ 
tate, located in a seaside resort. The 
property was heavily encumbered by 
mortgages, but gave a fair income from 
rentals. The man was an invalid, and his 
wife was not acquainted with business. 
They had few friends that they could 
trust, and in some way they fell into the 
hands of a city lawyer, and took his ad¬ 
vice about disposing of their property. 
He induced them to form a realty com¬ 
pany. They were to hold a majority of 
the shares, but the management of the 
company was to be in the hands of five 
directors. This man and his wife were 
made directors, and the lawyer, his part¬ 
ner and one of his clerks were made the 
other three. The company was organ¬ 
ized, and it took all the property and 
proceeded to “handle” it. The three direc¬ 
tors in this lawyer’s office controlled the 
affairs of this company, and they seem to 
have, paid practically all the net income 
to themselves for services rendered. The 
result is that the real owners find 
their property tied up so that they no 
longer have control of it, and they receive 
no income from it whatever. Strange as 
it may seem, there are many cases where 
some such game as this has been played 
on confiding country people. The law¬ 
yer who would do it ought to be dis¬ 
barred, and during the past few months 
a number of such lawyers have been han- 
^'“<1 in this way. More of them ought tr 
follow, but it is a great mistake for 
country people to let their property pass 
out of their hands in this way to strang¬ 
ers. 
Here is an actual case of what hap¬ 
pened as the result of joining a class in 
a correspondence school. Several years 
ago a young man thought he would like 
to study mechanical engineering. It is 
doubtful if he was fitted for the work, 
but he signed a contract and made the 
first payment. When the lessons came, 
this young man found that they were not 
what he wanted, and some of his friends 
began to laugh at him for ever taking 
such a course. Then he concluded that 
he wanted to break his contract, so he 
sent the lessons back, and wrote stating 
that he would not continue. He received 
letters from time to time stating what 
the school proposed to do to him, and now 
he has beqn served with a paper to ap¬ 
pear as defendant in a suit to recover the 
price of these lessons. A lawyer tells 
him that since he actually signed the 
contract, the school can compel him to 
pay, and if he has any property to levy 
on, they can collect it. It is doubtful if 
the school would ever go to the limit of 
collecting this money, although legally it 
is probable that they could do so, since 
their contract was clearly signed in due 
form. They would hardly levy upon 
property to collect this money, but this 
all goes to show the folly of starting to 
take these correspondence lessons without 
knowing what they are, or whether the 
student is qualified to take care of them 
or not. There is only one safe rule in 
all this line of business, and that is ab¬ 
solutely to refuse to sign any contract 
whatever of this nature. Keep your name 
off paper of this character if you want to 
keep your name above reproach. 
Dower; Claim for Money Loaned 
1. F and I have been married 38 years 
and left the old home and bought a farm 
on which we now live. No slave has 
worked harder than I on this farm. In 
February, 1915, F sold the old farm and 
gave each of our children $1,000 apiece, 
which is $5,000, and had $3,000 checked 
off to himself and left me without a 
penny. He said he got it by inheritance 
and I had no claim on it. There was 
nothing said until I had signed the deed 
and the children had their checks and 
then he refused to take anything until 
he got the $3,000. Is it that under the 
laws of Ohio a husband can cheat his 
wife out of her rights in property? F was 
worth $16,000 before he sold the old 
home. Can he do this and can he cheat 
me out of my thirds? 2. In 1905 F 
bought the farm we now have. He gave 
$8,000 for it. He did not have quite 
enough to pay for it. I had some money 
in the Dime Savings Bank and some in 
the Building and Loan—$700 in all. I 
told him I would let him have it until he 
got out of debt, and then I wanted it. 
I got it from my parents by inheritance. 
Now he won’t pay the money. He has 
held it for 11 years. I wanted it when lie 
sold the old place, but he would not give 
it to me. Can he hold it and can I get 
interest on my money? The children are 
all married and they are all very much 
put out at the way he has treated me. 
Some of them refused to take the money 
after their mother was thrown out. Can 
he keep the money and can I get in¬ 
terest? MRS. M. F. j. 
Ohio. 
(1) and (2) The chances seem, on the 
face of things, to be against you on both 
complaints, exceedingly unjust as it may 
be. You were entitled to a dower of one- 
third interest for life in this home farm. 
You signed the deed and thereby released 
your dower right in it. And you have 
waited more than 10 years to sue for 
the repayment of the loan, and that is 
probably outlawed, that is the statute 
of limitations lias run against it. But 
there is a chance, if you can prove he 
got your signature, to the deed by fraud, 
and that he promised the repayment of 
the loan when he got out of debt and he 
has not been out of debt for more than 
six years, that you may recover in both. 
In any event do not give this matter up 
until you have presented the facts to the 
best attorney you can find in your neigh¬ 
borhood. If your rights cannot be ob¬ 
tained by strictly legal means there may 
be other ways of exerting pressure which 
will get them. 
Property Left in Trust 
How can we leave our property to be 
kept intact and some way provided to 
give us an annuity while we live, then 
said income to be used for the benefit of 
rural districts, like sending lay ministers 
among them or providing teachers or 
books to instruct in those things that 
young people ought to know to success¬ 
fully come in contact with a grasping 
world? Please give suggestions. What 
do you think is the greatest need of the 
rural community? e. b. g. 
New York. 
It is, at best, questionable whether 
this may be done in whole as outlined by 
you. You may deed your property to a 
trustee in whom you have confidence, to 
hold in trust during the lifetime of your¬ 
self and wife, develop it, collect the in¬ 
come and pay the same to you during 
your lives, and then the safest thing to 
do is to give the trustee power to dis¬ 
pose of it absolutely for whatever pur¬ 
pose you wish. For the law looks with 
disfavor upon these trusts which hold up 
the legal title of property, and the gen¬ 
eral rule is that no trust of real property 
may be created for a longer period than 
for two lives in being, but perpetual 
trusts for the benefit of religious or char¬ 
itable purposes are sometimes allowed by 
statute. You must be sure you have no 
creditors, as they may reach the trust 
fund. If you contemplate the action you 
set out it will be best for you to consult 
a good local attorney and put the whole 
matter up to him. Be very sure of your 
trustee before you put your property in 
his hands. 
Sometimes we think the greatest need 
of the rural communities is a greater co¬ 
operative and community spirit, so that 
they can get together and then stick to¬ 
gether and work together for the many 
things they need to get the best benefits 
from their work. Once they can work 
together as a unit, their battle, whatever 
it may be, is won. 
A Washington man has in his employ 
a faithful but at times stupid servant 
in the person of an old darky named 
Zeke. Recently, when the employer had 
vainly endeavored to get something done 
in a certain way, he gave up in despair, 
exclaiming: “Zeke! Zeke! AVhat do you 
think your head is for?” Zeke, who evi¬ 
dently thought that this was another of 
the troublesome questions that his em¬ 
ployer was always asking, pondered it 
deeply. Finally he replied: “Well, boss, 
I guess it’s to keep my collar on.”— 
Pittsburgh Chronicle-Telegraph. 
ULIME — 
mane. CROPS . 
REDSKIN’* 
Short Boot 
You’ll Tire of 
Them Before 
They Wear Out 
That’s saying a heap about 
rubber boots, but we know 
there’s more real value in 
these two“Redskins”shown 
here than you’d expect . 
Why, just a glance at them 
will convince you of their 
remarkable sturdiness. 
This “Redskin” short boot 
and “Redskin” 
four-buckle arctic 
are only two of 
the famous line of 
IAMBERTV1LLF 
Grubber foot we ar** 
known forover forty years fortheirwon- 
derful wearing qualities and comfort. 
You men who like boots or shoes made of 
red rubber buy “Redskins.” They’ll stand 
the wear and tear, the rain and slush. Ask 
to see them at your local dealer’s. He pays 
more for Lambertville Rubber Footwear 
simply because he is anxious to sell you quality 
merchandise. Should he not sell this famous 
line, write us, givingus hisname, 
and we’ll quickly see that you 
are supplied at regular prices. 
LAMBERTVILLE 
RUBBER COMPANY 
Lambertville, New Jersey 
REDSKIN” 
Four Buckle Arctic 
PULL OUT THE 
STUMPS! 
Th§sJL HERCULES- 
All Steel Triple Power Stomp I 
JPuller pulls an acre of stumps aduy 
-Increases the value of your 
land 100%. Makes room for | 
money crops. Guaranteed 
for 3 years against break¬ 
age from any cause. Send 
name for line free | 
book,30 days free 
trial offer and 
spec I a 1 low-price | 
am proposition. 
HKRCULK8 MFG. CO. 
930-24 th Street 
Centerville, In.. U. S. A 
ASK 
our sales 
office near¬ 
est you for 
prices and 
terms on fertil¬ 
izers adapted to 
your soil and crops 
The American 
Agricul¬ 
tural Chemical Co. 
New York, Baltimore, Phil¬ 
adelphia, Buffalo, Cin¬ 
cinnati, Cleveland, 
Detroit, etc. 
Book free 
H 
THIS YEAR 
OME-MIX YOUR FERTILIZER! 
SAVE $4.00 TO $12.00 PER TON 
Earlier and Bigger Crops 
WITH 
Genuine Peruvian Guano 
13% Ammonia 10% Avail. Phos. Acid 
AND 
2%% POTASH 2% % 
Write for FREE SAMPLE and we will tell 
you how to get more POTASH for your crops 
NITRATE AGENCIES COMPANY 
106 Pearl Street, New York City 
