Sumner County KS Archives News.....Crawford, W. D. Estate Tax Disputed Between Sumner and Sedgwick Counties October 12, 1913 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ks/ksfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Debra Crosby http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00010.html#0002467 January 25, 2020, 5:57 pm The Wichita Daily Eagle October 12, 1913 The Wichita Daily Eagle (Wichita, KS) Sun Oct 12, 1913 pg 5 DISPUTING OVER TAX ON ESTATE Sedgwick and Sumner Counties Both After Share of the Late W. D. Crawford's $29,000 Holdings WILL SAYS HE LIVED IN THIS COUNTY Because He Owned Farm in Sumnter County Attempt Is Made to Collect Inheritance Tax There Which county, Sedgwick or Sumner, should receive the taxes upon the estate of W. D. Crawford, a pioneer who died in April, is what is worrying the officials of both counties and Paul J. Wall, attorney. The estate is valued at about $29,000, and was left to Mrs. Crawford, widow of the deceased, and several grand children. Sumner county officials claim that Mr. Crawford lived in Sumner county and the taxes from his estate should go into the "coffers" of that county. Accordingly, on Saturdy its officials tried to enter the estateon the tax role. Attorney Wall discovered the intentions and made a hasty trip to Wellington on Saturday morning to protest against the action. It was postponed until a later date for settlement. Sedgwick county bases its claims on the taxes to the estate to the fact that part of the estate is in money and in Wichita banks. Also that when Mr. Crawford's will was filed in the Sedgwick county probate court, it was found to hear this clause: "I, W. D. Crawford, of Sedgwick county, do hereby, etc." This Sedgwick county officials and Attorney Wall claim is sufficient evidence that Crawford claimed Sedgwick county as his place of residence. The estatee has already been placed upon the tax roll of Sedgwick county upon the strength of Mr. Crawford's will. Part of the estate consists of a farm near Derby that was purchased by Mr. Crawford in 1885. It was recently purchased by Mrs. Crawford for $13,500 from the executors of the estate. Mr. Crawford was one of the pioneers in southern Kansas and accumulated his fortune by hard work and frugality. He was a close business man and was very careful that his investments were always of the best. The Wichita Beacon (Wichita, KS) Fri Nov 28, 1913 pg 10 LEGAL FIGHT OVER DEAD MAN'S GOLD WHERE WAS THE HOME OF W. D. CRAWFORD? Sedgwick County Says He Lived Here and Sumner County Declares His Residence Was in That County Sedgwick and Sumner counties in a dispute over a dead man's money. It is going to take a hearing by the state tax commission to settle which is entitled to the tax on it. This hearing will be held in Wichita December 3, at which time J. A. Burnette, of Caldwell, a member of the commission will be here to take testimony in the case. Which Gets the Taxes The trouble is over the money left by the late W. D. Crawford, of this county. Both counties claim him as a resident at the time of his death. Sumner County officials contend that Mr. Crawford was in fact a resident of that county when he died and as such the county is entitled to the tax on his property which was mostly in cash. As evidence of his residence in that county the officers point to the fact that he voted there at the last general election. Cite City Directory On the other hand, Sedgwick Conty officials will call attention to the last directory of the city of Wichita which shows Mr. Crawford as a resident of this place, living at 224 North Topeka Avenue. They also allege that Mr. was a resident of the southern part of this county many years before selling out and moving to Wichita, and that the only property he ever had in Sumner County was some money on deposit in banks there. DIED SEEKING HEALTH Mr. Crawford was taken ill soon after coming to Wichita and went to Texas for his health, but he failed to receive any benefit from the change and soon died. He left money to the amount of about $29,000. The tax on this will amount to nearly $600, and that is why the officials of the two counties are contending for it. The Wellington Journal (Wellington, KS) Thur Dec 18, 1913 pg 3 In the matter of the taxes of the Crawford estate claimed by both Sedgwick and Sumner counties, the state tax commissioners rendered a decision in favor of Sedgwick. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ks/sumner/newspapers/crawford1386gnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ksfiles/ File size: 4.8 Kb