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Recluse Leaves $10,000 Fortune Buried in Jars - Gives Directions for Finding Money in Scribbled Will
Eureka, Ill., Oct. 3 - AP - Henry W. Onnen, 65 year old wealthy recluse, often voiced his mistrust in banks; his scorn for courts, judges and lawyers.
Before his death last October he had written in his will that "no lawyer, no judge, no court is to have anything to do with my property."
The principal matter of litigation in the Woodford county circuit court this week was Onnen's buried fortune of $10,000 and his heirs and their counsel are disputing whether some of the money he had hoarded has disappeared.
Onnen's will, scribbled in pencil on the back of a 1937 calendar, was found by relatives after his death last Oct. 24. He also had written directions for finding his life's savings.
The will named three of his nephews to take spades and dig under a henhouse "all at once, so there will be no crooked work." They followed directions and found approximately $7,000 -- in eight fruit jars. In one jar was $6,400 in bills; each of the seven others contained 25 and 50 cent pieces, amounting to between $175 and $200 each.
The paper money was for eight nieces and nephews, children of his deceased brother John; the silver was for his two sisters. Another search was directed to an old trunk where about $3,000 was found and which was ordered divided between his sisters.
A suit for an accounting of Onnen's property was filed by his sister, Mrs Fannie A. Beckman, Bottineau, N.D., against her sister, Mrs Lena Upts, a farm wife near Minonk, Ill. Mrs Beckman asked that her sister be forced to give the accounting of their brother's property, claiming he had more money than has been disclosed. She also said among the assets allegedly missing was an old coin collection once appraised at $20,000.
Hearing in the case was continued by Judge Ed Robeson to allow time for depositions to be taken from Mrs Beckman.
Eureka, Ill., Oct. 3 - AP - Henry W. Onnen, 65 year old wealthy recluse, often voiced his mistrust in banks; his scorn for courts, judges and lawyers.
Before his death last October he had written in his will that "no lawyer, no judge, no court is to have anything to do with my property."
The principal matter of litigation in the Woodford county circuit court this week was Onnen's buried fortune of $10,000 and his heirs and their counsel are disputing whether some of the money he had hoarded has disappeared.
Onnen's will, scribbled in pencil on the back of a 1937 calendar, was found by relatives after his death last Oct. 24. He also had written directions for finding his life's savings.
The will named three of his nephews to take spades and dig under a henhouse "all at once, so there will be no crooked work." They followed directions and found approximately $7,000 -- in eight fruit jars. In one jar was $6,400 in bills; each of the seven others contained 25 and 50 cent pieces, amounting to between $175 and $200 each.
The paper money was for eight nieces and nephews, children of his deceased brother John; the silver was for his two sisters. Another search was directed to an old trunk where about $3,000 was found and which was ordered divided between his sisters.
A suit for an accounting of Onnen's property was filed by his sister, Mrs Fannie A. Beckman, Bottineau, N.D., against her sister, Mrs Lena Upts, a farm wife near Minonk, Ill. Mrs Beckman asked that her sister be forced to give the accounting of their brother's property, claiming he had more money than has been disclosed. She also said among the assets allegedly missing was an old coin collection once appraised at $20,000.
Hearing in the case was continued by Judge Ed Robeson to allow time for depositions to be taken from Mrs Beckman.
