Mathewson vs. Wakelee Summons and Complaint Collection
Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/4/2025, 3:12:41 PM
Added description
Description
Mathewson vs. Wakelee Summons and Complaint Collection
Overview
This collection comprises scanned reproductions of the summons, complaint, and related writ issued on July 14, 1909 by A. McClellan Mathewson, the appointed overseer of the Turkey Hill Indians, against the Wakelee family. The documents are in English and were digitized by the Connecticut State Library as part of its New Haven County Superior Court (NHSC) “Black, African American, and Indigenous History” (BAAI) Indigenous Cases series. The collection contains four high‑resolution JPEG images and their corresponding TIFF files, each depicting a page of the original legal papers.Background
The case arose from a 1871 sale of tribal land by former overseer Watrous C. Wakelee, who allegedly misappropriated $960 of the sale proceeds. In 1909, Mathewson filed the civil action to compel the Wakelee heirs—Munice A., Harriet E., Frederick C., Albert L., Eli H., and minor David—to account for the missing funds. The summons was directed to the Sheriff of Ansonia and the Sheriff of New Haven, commanding the defendants to appear before the Superior Court in New Haven.Contents
- Summons: Orders the defendants to appear before the court on September 1, 1909.
- Complaint: Details the alleged financial misconduct, outlines the sale transaction, and lists the defendants’ obligations.
- Writ: Signed by Edward A. Harriman, Commissioner of the Superior Court, and includes service records by Sheriff Amer A. Peck.
- Supporting pages: Provide background on the Wakelee family, estate settlements, and the legal basis for the claim.
Scope
The collection covers a single civil action filed in 1909, focusing on indigenous land rights and financial accountability within the New Haven County Superior Court. It includes all extant court‑issued documents related to the case, but does not contain subsequent court rulings or related correspondence. The material is geographically bound to Connecticut, specifically New Haven, Ansonia, and Derby, and is relevant to scholars of indigenous legal history, property law, and early 20th‑century Connecticut jurisprudence.Entities
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Entity Relationships
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Raw Cheimarros Data
@mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection:document {title: "Mathewson vs. Wakelee Summons and Complaint Collection", creator: @a_mcclellan_mathewson, institution: @connecticut_state_library, created: @date_1909_07_14, language: "en", subjects: ["New Haven County Superior Court", "Turkey Hill Indians", "Indigenous rights", "Legal documents", "Summons", "Complaint", "Financial accountability"], description: "Scanned images of a summons and complaint filed by A. McClellan Mathewson, overseer of the Turkey Hill Indians, against the Wakelee family concerning alleged financial mismanagement."}
@a_mcclellan_mathewson:person {full_name: "A. McClellan Mathewson", role: "plaintiff, overseer of Turkey Hill Indians"}
@watrous_c_wakelee:person {full_name: "Watrous C. Wakelee", role: "former overseer of Turkey Hill Indians", died: @date_1878_03_16}
@edward_a_harriman:person {full_name: "Edward A. Harriman", role: "Commissioner of the Superior Court for New Haven County"}
@amer_a_peck:person {full_name: "Amer A. Peck", role: "City Sheriff of Ansonia"}
@munice_a_wakelee:person {full_name: "Munice A. Wakelee", relation: "wife of Eli H. Wakelee II"}
@harriet_e_wakelee:person {full_name: "Harriet E. Wakelee", relation: "wife of Albert Wakelee, guardian of David Wakelee"}
@frederick_c_wakelee:person {full_name: "Frederick C. Wakelee"}
@albert_l_wakelee:person {full_name: "Albert L. Wakelee"}
@eli_h_wakelee:person {full_name: "Eli H. Wakelee"}
@eli_h_wakelee_ii:person {full_name: "Eli H. Wakelee II"}
@david_wakelee:person {full_name: "David Wakelee", status: "minor"}
@caroline_wakelee:person {full_name: "Caroline Wakelee", relation: "widow of Watrous C. Wakelee"}
@charles_l_wakelee:person {full_name: "Charles L. Wakelee"}
@turkey_hill_indians:organization {type: "tribe", location: @new_haven_ct, state: @connecticut}
@new_haven_ct:place {city: "New Haven", state: @connecticut, country: @united_states}
@ansonia_ct:place {city: "Ansonia", state: @connecticut, country: @united_states}
@derby_ct:place {city: "Derby", state: @connecticut, country: @united_states}
@connecticut:place {type: "state", country: @united_states}
@connecticut_state_library:organization {type: "library", location: @new_haven_ct}
@new_haven_superior_court:organization {type: "court", jurisdiction: @new_haven_ct}
@derby_savings_bank:organization {type: "bank", location: @derby_ct}
@mathewson_vs_wakelee:event {type: "civil action", plaintiff: @a_mcclellan_mathewson, defendants: [@munice_a_wakelee, @harriet_e_wakelee, @frederick_c_wakelee, @albert_l_wakelee, @eli_h_wakelee, @david_wakelee], subject: @turkey_hill_indians, court: @new_haven_superior_court, filed: @date_1909_07_14, description: "Summons and complaint alleging misappropriation of $960 from sale of tribe land."}
@summons:document {type: "summons", related_case: @mathewson_vs_wakelee, date: @date_1909_07_14}
@complaint:document {type: "complaint", related_case: @mathewson_vs_wakelee, date: @date_1909_07_14}
@writ:document {type: "writ", related_case: @mathewson_vs_wakelee, date: @date_1909_07_14}
@file_pinax -> documents -> @mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection
@mathewson_vs_wakelee_collection -> contains -> [@summons, @complaint, @writ]
@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_indigenouscases_mathewsonvswakelee_001_jpg -> depicts -> @mathewson_vs_wakelee
@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_indigenouscases_mathewsonvswakelee_002_jpg -> depicts -> @mathewson_vs_wakelee
@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_indigenouscases_mathewsonvswakelee_003_jpg -> depicts -> @mathewson_vs_wakelee
@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_indigenouscases_mathewsonvswakelee_004_jpg -> depicts -> @mathewson_vs_wakelee
@a_mcclellan_mathewson -> sued -> [@munice_a_wakelee, @harriet_e_wakelee, @frederick_c_wakelee, @albert_l_wakelee, @eli_h_wakelee, @david_wakelee] {reason: "failure to account for $960 from sale of tribe land"}
@watrous_c_wakelee -> oversaw -> @turkey_hill_indians {appointed: @date_1871_03, removed: @date_1909_05_28}
@sale_1871:document {type: "sale", seller: @watrous_c_wakelee, amount: 1000, date: @date_1871_05, proceeds: 960, beneficiary: @turkey_hill_indians}
@watrous_c_wakelee -> failed to -> @accounting {amount: 960, issue: "misappropriation of sale proceeds"}
@accounting:concept {description: "Financial accounting of tribe assets"}Metadata
Files (8)
OCR Text
TO THE SHERIFF OF THE COUNTY OF NEW HAVEN, OR HIS DEPUTY, OR EITHER SHERIFF OF THE CITY OF ANSONIA,—GREETING: BY AUTHORITY OF THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT, you are hereby commanded to summon Munice A. Wakelee, Harriet E. Wakelee, Frederick C. Wakelee, Albert L. Wakelee, Eli H. Wakelee, known as Eli H. Wakelee, Second, and David Wakelee, all of Ansonia, to appear before the Superior Court to be held at New Haven, in and for the County of New Haven on the first Tuesday of September, 1909, then and there to answer unto A. McClellan Mathewson of New Haven, as overseer of the tribe of Turkey Hill Indians, a tribe of Indians resident in New Haven County, in a civil action wherein the plaintiff complains and says: 1. That at the March term, 1871, of the Superior Court of New Haven County, Watrous C. Wakelee of Ansonia was appointed overseer of the tribe of Turkey Hill Indians. 2. In May, 1871, said Watrous C. Wakelee, overseer as aforesaid, sold certain real estate belonging to said tribe under the authority of the Superior Court of New Haven County, for the sum of $1,000. 3. Said Wakelee made return to said Court that he had received at the time of said sale, the sum of $1,000, and that the expenses of said sale had been $40.00; that he had invested the proceeds of said sale, to wit: the sum of $960, as follows: $720. of said sum were placed in the Derby Savings Bank in Derby at interest, and the remaining $240. of said $960. was invested in real estate situated in the City of New Haven and not described in said return.
OCR Text
4. Said return was false, and said Wakelee did not deposit any money in the Derby Savings Bank in the name of said tribe, or in his own name as overseer of said tribe, or in any other manner for the benefit of said tribe. 5. Said overseer did not buy any land in New Haven for said tribe, or in the name of said tribe, or in his own name as overseer of said tribe. 6. Said Watrous C. Wakelee made no other return at any time to said Court of his doings as overseer of said tribe, and never filed any account as such overseer. 7. On March 16, 1878, said Watrous C. Wakelee died. 8. No overseer was appointed for said tribe after the appointment of said Wakelee until May 28, 1909, when the plaintiff was appointed overseer of said tribe by the Superior Court for New Haven County. 9. The estate of Watrous C. Wakelee was settled and was distributed to his widow, Caroline Wakelee, and his four sons, Eli H., Albert, Charles L. and David Wakelee. 10. Said Eli H. Wakelee died testate March 3, 1905, leaving all his property by will to his wife Munice A. Wakelee, who has received all of said property. 11. Said Albert Wakelee died testate January 4, 1901, leaving a will giving his property to his wife, Harriet E. Wakelee, and to his sons Frederick C. Wakelee, Albert L. Wakelee, Eli H. Wakelee, Second, and David Wakelee. 12. Said David Wakelee is a minor, said Harriet E. Wakelee being his guardian.
OCR Text
13. All the defendants have received, either directly of said Watrous C. Wakelee, or indirectly through the widow and heirs of said Watrous C. Wakelee, portions of the property left by said Watrous C. Wakelee at his decease. 14. The plaintiff has made demand upon all the defendants, the demand in the case of David Wakelee being made upon his guardian Harriet E. Wakelee, requiring the defendants to account to the plaintiff as overseer of said tribe of Turkey Hill Indians, for said sum of $960. so received by said Watrous C. Wakelee as overseer of said tribe, and not accounted for by said overseer to the extent that each of said defendants has received property, directly or indirectly from the estate of said Watrous C. Wakelee. 15. None of the defendants has accounted, or offered to account for any portion of said sum of $960. so received by said Watrous C. Wakelee. The plaintiff prays, by way of equitable relief: 1. A decree ascertaining the amount due from the estate of said Watrous C. Wakelee to the plaintiff by reason of the failure of said Wakelee to account for the said sum of $960. so received by him as overseer of said tribe. 2. Requiring each of said defendants to account to the plaintiff for said sum so found due to the plaintiff to the extent that each defendant has received, directly or indirectly, any portion of the estate of said Watrous C. Wakelee, by inheritance, devise or gift.
OCR Text
3. Judgment against each defendant for the amount found due from him on such accounting. I, Edward A. Harriman, the subscribing authority, hereby certify that I have personal knowledge as to the financial responsibility of the plaintiff, and deem it sufficient. Of this writ, with your doings thereon, make due return. Dated at New Haven the 14th day of July, A.D. 1909. Edward A. Harriman, Commissioner of the Superior Court for New Haven County. State of Connecticut, County of New Haven, Ansonia August 25th, 1909- Then and there by virtue hereof, I left at the usual place of abode of the within named defendant, David Wakelee, a true and attested copy of the within writ, summons and complaint, with my endorsement thereon- Becs- Miles Travel - $0.50 Copy - $0.70 Service - $1.22 Endorsements - $0.22 $2.61 Attest, Amer A. Peck City Sheriff of the City of Ansonia
Version History (4 versions)
- ✓ v4 (current) · 12/4/2025, 3:12:41 PM
"Added description" - v3 · 12/4/2025, 2:27:26 PM · View this version
"Added knowledge graph extraction" - v2 · 12/4/2025, 6:36:08 AM · View this version
"Added PINAX metadata" - v1 · 12/4/2025, 6:33:55 AM · View this version
"Reorganization group: Summons_and_Complaint"
Parent
No children (leaf entity)