The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-06-28 00:00:00

COURT OF PROBATE AND DIVORCE.

IMPORTANT WILL CASE.
Before Sir Creswell Cresswell, and a Special Jury.)

SIMS . HUTCHINSON.

This was a suit instituted by the plaintiff on behalf
of himself and next of kin of Mrs. Arabella Watson,
deceased, to try the validity of the will and codicils made
by that lady, the issues being that the will and codicils
were duly executed under the provisions of the statute of
the Ist and 2nd Vic. (the Wills Act), that the testatrix
was of unsound mind when she executed them, and
also that their execution had been obtained by undue
influence.

The testatrix, Mrs. Arabella Watson, was the relict
of Mr. Watson, who, for many years, occupied a very
responsible situation in the Custom House, and as
Custom House agent amassed a considerable quantity
of property. They resided at No. 17, Blackfriars-road
between forty and fifty years, the place being formerly
known as Burrow's-buildings, opposite Nelson-square,
and after the decease of Mr. Watson the testatrix con-
tinued to reside in the same house to the time of her
death, which took place in October last, at the age of
between seventy and eighty. Mr. John Hutchinson, the
defendant, who supports the will, is a surgeon, formerly of
Farringdon-street, bat residing at the corner of Nelson-
square, Blackfriars-road, nearly opposite the house of
deceased, and for many years he had attended her in his
medical capacity, and they were also on terms of great
intimacy. She had often expressed her intention to
leave the bulk of her property to him and his family,
and in the year 1858 she executed a will bequeathing
several legacies in favour of her relatives, she having no
children, and also executed two codicils, one in March and
the other in September, 1859, reducing the amount of
the legacies, and bequeathing the bulk of her property,
£25,000, to Dr. Hutchinson. The testatrix was a lady
well known in the parish of Christ Church, and much
respected for her very general liberality, although
cautiously bestowed. Her habits were quiet, and her
only amusement was being driven out in an old yellow-
bodied carriage to go a shopping, which she invariably
did herself, ordering all the household requisites,
although accompanied by a female companion and an
antiquated coachman- This fact is sought to be made
an eccentricity amounting to insanity. On account of
Dr. Hutchinson being no relation, and her medical
attendant, his undue influence over her is assigned in
her bequest of the bulk of her property to him.
There are between sixty and seventy witnesses on
both sides to be examined, and the case will occupy
several days.

The corporation of Waterford owe "184,000, and they
are going to borrow £2,000, and then curtail their
expenditure.
ELorzmENT.—The wife of a farm labourer named
Simpson, living near Roche Abbey, has recently run
away with another man, taking with her about £l6O,
which she has lately had bequeathed her by 'a relative.
The woman went away from home about a month ago,
on the plea that she was going to see some relatives to
improve her health. She drew the money at Kirton,
and last week left Doncaster—so her husband reports—
in the company of a young man named Thompson, and
the supposition is that they have gone to America.
She had only one child, and she has taken it with her.
SOLAR EcmrsEs.--Astronomers are now on the qui
vive for the great solar eclipse which is to take place on
the 18th of July next, and which will be total in Spain.
This is the more important, as none of those which are
to occur within the present century will be so convenient
for observation as this, that of 1887 alone excepted.
following
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The
oAinceearnic,a'Sahara, Mediterranean. 1870, December 22,
Azores, Spain, Algeria, Turkey. 1877, August 19,
li.E.of Germany, Russia, Central Asia. 1896, August
9, Greenland, Lapland, Siberia. 1900, May 21, United
States, Spain, Egypt.
RENDERING CRINOLINE INCOMBUSTIBLE.-At a
scientific meeting in Edinburgh, a crinoline dress has
been exhibited, one half of which had been immersed in
a solution of sulphate of ammonia, in order to test its
non-combustibility. On a light having been applied to
the crinoline, the part of it which had not been steeped
in the solution was at once enveloped in flames, but the
only effect which the light had on the other part was to
char it. This was considered a satisfactory experiment,
and it was stated that, as ammonia was only twopence
per pound, it was accessable to the humblest class. It
was stated that the crinoline used in the Reyal estab-
lishment was steeped in a totally different solution, but
that its cost prevented its general use, aild that the
cheaper solution Was equally efficacious,