Thomas J. Ragland ^{1 2}

   FamilySearch ID: L5YQ-XL1.

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Newspaper: Topeka State Journal: Madora E. Beecher's lawsuit against Tomas J. Ragland, 4 May 1889, Topeka, Shawnee, KS. ² Madora E. Beechard, a young unmarried woman, wants the district court to grant her $10,000 for personal damages and loss of character, caused by Thomas J. Ragland, under promise of marriage. The young woman lives with her parents in this city and is about 26 years of age, but unable to write her own name, and was compelled to attach "her mark" to the petition on file. She also made an affidavit of poverty as cause for not depositing the usual sum as security. The marriage was to have occurred on Thanksgiving day, but Ragland left the city and turned his $8,000 worth of property over to his friends.

2. Newspaper: Topeka Daily Capital: $10,000 Wanted - Thomas Ragland Prosecuted for Seduction Under Promise of Marriage, 5 May 1889, Topeka, Shawnee, KS. ³ $10,000 Wanted.
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Thomas Ragland Prosecuted for Seduction Under Promise of Marriage
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Madora E. Burchard instituted legal proceedings yesterday to recover $10,000 from Thomas J. Ragland, by whom, she alleges, under promise of marriage, she was seduced in April, 1888, and that the issue is a son, born in January last. The plaintiff alleges that prior to April, 1888, the defendant and herself had been friends for some time and that the defendant called as a suitor for her hand at the home of her parents in the city of Topeka. She further alleges that in December, 1888, the defendant turned his property amounting to $8,000 over to his relatives and then he left the city and his whereabouts to her have not since been known. She alleges the defendant agreed to marry her on Thanksgiving day, 1888, and that he failed to keep his promise. By failure and neglect of the defendant to perform his promise of marriage the plaintiff alleges that she is injured and damaged in loss of character and reputation.

Thomas had a relationship with Madora E. Beecher, daughter of William Beecher and Ann Susannah Spangler. (Madora E. Beecher was born about 1856 in , , OH,^{4 5 6} died on 8 Jan 1945 in Topeka, Shawnee, KS ⁷ and was buried in Topeka: Memorial Park Cemetery, Shawnee, KS ⁷.)