The Stubblefield Will Dispute Settled
A long-running legal challenge to the Stubblefield estate is dropped, clearing the way for a long-awaited home for widows and orphans in Walla Walla.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The suit instituted in the superior court November 20, by McDonald & Rupp, representing Mary McElroy and Henry White, of Arkansas, to break the Stubblefield will was dismissed today. By mutual consent of all parties concerned an order of dismissal was filed in the court and was signed by Judge Brents. The attorneys for the contestants are allowed a fee and the Arkansas heirs will receive nothing. This removes all the obstacles to the establishment of the home for indigent widows and orphans. The deeds conveying from the city and the Ladies' Relief Society the property donated toward the home will now be executed, and the cash subscription which was raised through the efforts of President Turner and other members of the Commercial Club will be placed in the hands of the executors of the estate. It is not probable that anything will be done toward establishing the home until spring. Many changes will necessarily have to be made in the Baker residence to put it in proper shape for the reception of charges and it has been deemed advisable by the trustees not to commence work until after the cold weather has passed.
“This removes all the obstacles to the establishment of the home for indigent widows and orphans.”
This settlement resolved a landmark civic project in Walla Walla, turning a private inheritance into a foundational social service. Today, Walla Walla continues to grapple with housing and support for its most vulnerable populations, mirroring the persistent tension between estate legacy and public welfare.
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