Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 January 1917 — MONNETT BOARD ISSUES STATEMENT [ARTICLE]

MONNETT BOARD ISSUES STATEMENT

The Ownership and Control of Monnett School Is Permanently With Rensselaer People. During the few years the Monnett School has operated it has frequently been remarked that property really belonging to the school had been transferred to the Chicago' Training School. for City, Home and Foreign Missions, and that this school had been ribbed to the advantage of the Chicago property. In order to clear up this point, once and for all, the undersigned officers of the Board ot Trustees, having traced the transfers, desire to present it to the community. The records in the recorder’s office dhow the commissioners’ partition of the Fletcher Monnett estate September 21, 1906, and Cordelia P. iMonnett as one of the heirs. On July 11, 1907, a warranty deed was filed from Cordelia P. Monnett to Chicago Training School for City, Home and Foreign (Missions, for all of the real estate (too long to 7describe here), then owned by the former, including the ten and sixty-two hundredths acres on which the building of the School lor Girls stands, subject to no conditions, except rights of tenants, and existing leases.

Then on March 30, 1908, the greater part of the real estate was sold to J. J. Lawler. But the tract described as ne nw sw 30-29-6, 10.62 acres, was transferred to the holding Society of the Deaconess Association, namely, the Methodist Deaconess Society,’ whose officers in turn transferred it 10~ Uie Moffftfelt Girls’ School, a corporation under the state of Illinois. Later this was incorporated under Indiana, and the incorporation papers provide for eleven trustees, seven of whom shall reside in Jasper county, the said trustees to have absolute control of the property, so long as it is maintained a& a School for Girls, the election of the members of the board is subject to the approval of the Northwest Indiana Conference of the Methodist Episcopal church. Thus it is obvious that Miss Monnett deeded her entire property to the Chicago Training School. The benevolent purpose she had was fuk filled while she lived, and that was the erection of a large building for the use of the Training School. She requested iher attorney and also Mr. Meyer, of the Training School have told us that the Training School set aside this ten and sixty-two hunThis request they immediately complied with by turning it to their holding society and on down to the board of trustees. Finally, in case of a slight flaw which might some time appear in our title, Mrs. H. L. Brown and Mrs. A. P. Burton, the remaining heirs, gave a quit claim deed in December, 1916, to the board of trustees. _ _ - . Reading between the lines of the actual deeds, which say nothing as to the disposition of the property she then owned, it is clear as to Miss Monnett’s purpose. She desired a memorial building of great benefit costing from $50,000 to SIOO,OOO and also she desired ten acres and a building to be maintained as a girls’ school. The Training School also furnished her a home as long as £he lived. The warranty deed pave the Training School all the property she then owned, without any provisions whatsoever. Her requests they carried out to the letter, as far as any one here is able to ascertain, and both these requests are surely good memorials to 'her credit. These deeds and transfers can be seen in the county records. (Signed) Board of Trustees, Monnett School For Girls, By M. D. Gwin, President. ? : v—Attest: Mrs. H. L. Brown, Sec.