The Forgotten Heir of Everett

Considerable interest is centered in the suit of Victor B. Kromer against Frank P. Priday, the Rucker Brothers, and Henry Hewitt, Jr., which will be heard by Judge Denney in Snohomish. The suit is to regain possession of the Kromer estate, consisting of valuable land in the heart of Everett. The Monte Cristo hotel and much of the water front are in the tract, and its value is estimated at $1,000,000. The suit is interesting not only on account of the large value involved, but also from the prominence of the parties. The land in question was filed on by D. Kromer in 1870. Kromer was a pioneer settler who resided on the land before it was surveyed. He proved up the land in 1878. In 1878, he married a squaw named Emma Kanouse. Kromer later moved to Portland, where he died in 1881. Before leaving, he made a will leaving the land to his son, Victor K. Kromer, providing the land should not be sold until the boy came of age. After Kromer's death, the executor petitioned the court for permission to sell the land. It is alleged in the suit that the Ruckers and Henry Hewitt, Jr. urged the mother to contest the application, and eventually induced the widow to give a quit claim deed to an undivided half of the property. The boy now seeks to set aside the partition proceedings, alleging the defendants conspired to deceive the court.