Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on November 25, 1940.
Horse Case In Seventh Round Now
Another chapter in Porter county’s celebrated “horse case” is being written in Porter superior court today when the case of Cora Peterson, administratrix of the estate of the late Ben Anderson of Chesterton, versus Ben and Vernon Kuehl, of Washington township, was called for trial before Special Judge Homer Sackett, of Gary, and a jury in Porter superior court.
Today’s hearing marked the seventh trial of the case which had its inception in March, 1933, when the Kuehls purchased a mare from Ben Anderson at an auction sale held in Chesterton.
The mare proved to be defective, according to the Kuehls, and they refused to pay a promissory note of $100 given in the purchase. Anderson started to recover. A short time later the mare dies and Anderson brings an action to obtain a colt she left behind.
Then Anderson was killed in an automobile accident and the estate decided to carry on the litigation. Although the original animal was valued at $150, the litigants have incurred between $600 and $700 in costs to date.
Six previous trials of the case have resulted in one disagreement and five verdicts in favor of the Kuehls. However, errors and irregularities in the proceedings have kept the case “up in the air.”
Oscar Strom of Gary is representing Mrs. Cora Peterson, the administratrix, and James J. McGarvey is attorney for the Kuehls.
