A Legal Battle for an Inheritance

An interesting case will probably soon be before the court in this county, involving the title of the R. V. Peabody homestead claim of 160 acres adjoining the townsite of Whatcom. R. V. Peabody in his lifetime, as many others of the early settlers of Whatcom county have done, took an Indian woman to live with, with whom he lived a number of years, and during their residence together at Whatcom on the homestead property a son was born to them who was named Frank Peabody. Frank lived with his father at Whatcom until the latter went out upon the British Columbia boundary commission, when he placed the boy in a family near Tumwater, paying for his support and education. When the boy was about twelve years of age, R. V. Peabody died, and thereafter the uncle of the boy, John E. Peabody, took charge of his brother's property, and he and the other collateral heirs have since taken all the property, leaving the boy entirely unprovided for and destitute. The collateral heirs of R. V. Peabody made a deed of an undivided one-half of this homestead claim to Capt. Wm. Utter, of Whatcom, at the nominal consideration of one dollar. Capt. Utter was the administrator of the estate and has ever since resided upon the land, holding for himself and the collateral heirs, who are all non-residents and residing at Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. The boy Frank Peabody has now become of age and has made arrangements with a Mr. Dorffell, of Seattle, to assist him in recovering his rights. A deed claiming the land through Frank Peabody as the only son and heir of R. V. Peabody was on Thursday of last week filed in the auditor's office at Whatcom. Mr. Dorffell has employed G. Morris Haller, Esq., as counsel, and accompanied by Mr. Haller, went to Whatcom last week looking after his interests in this behalf.