ˌɔn dᵻsˈɛmbɚ tˈɛn, wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi fˈaɪv, wˈʌn ʌv hɪz fˈɔːɹmɚ ɹᵻtˈeɪnɚz, nˌɪʃɪɡˈɔːɹi tˈeɪkkɪjˌoʊ, fˈaɪld ɐ lˈɔːsuːt ɐkjˈuːzɪŋ ðiːz ɹˈɛlətˌɪvz, lˈɛd baɪ tˈɑːʃɪtˌeɪnz jˈʌŋɡɚ bɹˈʌðɚ, sˈoʊmə ˈæɹɪtˌeɪn, ʌv hˌævɪŋ mˌeɪd fˈɔls tʃˈɑːɹdʒᵻz lˈiːdɪŋ tə tˈɑːʃɪtˌeɪnz ɪŋkˌɑːɹsɚɹˈeɪʃən, fɚðə pˈɜːpəsᵻz ʌv ɛmbˈɛzlɪŋ ðə mˈʌnɪz ʌvðə fˈɔːɹmɚ dəmˈeɪn.
On December 10, 1885, one of his former retainers, Nishigori Takekiyo, filed a lawsuit accusing these relatives, led by Toshitane’s younger brother, Sōma Aritane, of having made false charges leading to Toshitane's incarceration, for the purposes of embezzling the monies of the former domain.