A Sensational Case From Webster

A bilí in chancery containing soine very sensational features has just been tiled by Lawrence & Butterfield, attorneys, with A J. Sawyer of counsel, in the circuit court. Leonard D. Kosier, of Webster, who for thirteen years bas been an inmate of the Pontiac insane asylum, charges that he was wrongfully incarcerated while sane, for the purpose of being defrauded out of his Drospective inheritance. He is the son of the late George Rosier, of Webster, who died in 1S90, leaving property of the value of $22,000. The petitioner was the oldest of six ehildren, one'of whom had died leaving two ehildren. The property, with the exception of a legacy of $10 to the petitioner, was left to the four otlier ehildren, George 15., William F. and Clara D. Rosier and Mrs. Lottie Alley, and tlie two grandchildren, Wirt and Ella Cushing. His brothers, sisters and the two graiuichildren are made defendants. The petitiouer sets forth that up to the time he was 31 years of age he lived with his father and did the labor of an ordinary farm hand without compensation excepting the sole necessaries of life. He charges that in November, 1880, his brothers conspired with his two sisters to deprive him of his inheritance and procured his incarceration in the Pontiac Iusaue Asylum, where he was conflned until August 25, of this year. His father died December 26, 1890, possessed of $22,000 worth of real and personal property and leaving a will which was probated on the petition of tíeorge B. Rosier, which petition did not inention the interest in the estáte of the orator in the bill just tiled. The final account i the estáte was allowed in February, 1892, and a decree of assignment made distributing the real estáte among the other brothers and sisters and giving him one-sixth of the personal property. He charges that he had no notice of the proceedings of the probate court and that no guardián was appointed for him, that his two brothers were instrumental in keeping him confined and that at no time was he lnsane. At the time George B. Rosier made the petition for the probate of the will Leonard charges that the said George made oath estimating the value of the personal property at $3,000 and that the claüns allowed against the estáte amounted only to $54.77 and that al the personal property that came into the hands of the executor amountec to $294.67 and that only $195.23 was lef to be divided into one-sixth parts and that in fact all the petitioner ever re ceived was $10. The petitioner further states tha while he was confined in the asylum he wrote letters to his father and bro thers, which were never answered, ex cept that he had one short letter from liis brother William, and that they never sent him clothing or provisión! and never made any inquines con cerning him and with the exce}tion of one visit by William, never came to see him. On August 25, 1S93, the petitionei states, that while engaged at farm work at the asylum, he escaped and walked forty miles to the home of his cousin in Hamburg. His brothers sent word to the asylum and demanded immediate pursuit. He was recoufined. His friends circulated a petition for his release which was signed by forty citizens of the neighborhood of bis father's house, but the brothers and sisters refused to sign it. The petition was forwarded and he was reeased. He charges that it is only since his elease that he has learned of the probate proceedings, when the time to take an appeal from the decree of assignment has long expired. He charges that his father for a long ime before the will was made took morphine in large quantities for relief from a painful disease and that the children had influenced him against his oldest son. He charges that the will was not valid and asks for a temorary injunction restraining the deendants from disposing of their property until the case can be heard. "udge Kinne issued the temporary inunction asked for. The files of the probate court show bat Leonard Rosier, the petitioner above mentioned, was regularly comuiitted to the insane asylum, as an inligent insane person on the petition of ïis father, George Rosier. Three pliyicians of this city testiöed tbat tliey believed hirn insane. His father tesified that he was obliged to keep him ocked in his room nights and that he vas possessed of the idea that the rest of the family were intruders upou the farm, which he seemed to believe he owned.