Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 December 1907 — ALLEGE UNDUE INFLUENCES [ARTICLE]

ALLEGE UNDUE INFLUENCES

Complaint of. Fletcher Monnett Charges Chicago Training School With Bad Methods. The complaint in the suit brought by Fletcher Monnett against Cordelia P. Monnett and the Chicago Training School for City, Home and Foreign Missions, sets out some quite startling things. It is alleged that prior to last July Miss Monnett permitted her brother and other relatives to visit her, assist’in caring for her and to counsel with her about her business affairs. According to the statement made in the complaint one of the deaconesses came along about that that time and so completely captivated the confidence of Miss Monnett as to cause hex to refuse to allow the relatives to longer visit the home. That during the summer and fall a Dr. Myers, an emissary from the Chicago institution, made frequent visits here, some times remaining two or three days. That he spent his [entire time at Miss Mon nett’s home, taking his meals there and remaining over night. That apparently every effort was made by he and the deaconesses to play upon the susceptibilities of Miss Monnett, and by keeping her from contact with either her relatives or other business advisers, to secure the deed for all her property and lands in Jasper county. Dr. Myers is said to be the husband of Lucy Rider Myers, the founder and present head of the Chicago institution. He is said to have begun his visits here previous to the time that Miss Monnett deeded her Hammond property to the home, about six years ago, and it is believed his visits have been

quite frequ nt and their sole pui • pose was to secure her confidence and influence the deed of the property, altho at the same time mnch money has been secured for the home. The fact that the relatives were in no wise consulted and that Miss Monnett did not counsel with her former business advisers at all and was rushed away to Chicago before the transfer of the property was placed on record, makes the training school agent’s methods look very questionable. There is no contract on file here to secure for Miss Monnett any fulfillment of the plan to give her a home in the institution and an annuity of $1,200 and there is nothing to obligate them tj keep the girls’ home here. There is also no provision to support the home here the home in’Chicago expecting to sell all but thejresidence property and the enclosure about the house, and they could it they chose to do so sell the entire property and leave no memorial here. The fact that Miss Monnett se cured this property largely from her father, whose estate she managed after he was declared insane, makes it seem almost certain that the plaintiff and his heirs have a just claim for recovery. Rensselaer people would be very glad to have the plan of the home building in Rensselaer carried out, but the methods of the Chicago head institution are no,where approved. f

If a compromise could be effected by which the residence and the eleven acres could be deeded for the purpose announced at the start, with assurances that the home would be retained here, and the 1,003 acres returned to Miss Monnett or a guardian for her, it would probably be a very fair settlement But having gone this far it is thought the trustees of the training school will nx relinquish until every recourse law to retain the property has been tested. - The Library lecture number Thursday night by DeWitt Miller, who has a far famed chautauqua record, should draw a large crowd.