The Express.
London, England, 1860-12-05 00:00:00

RIOS Wll2ll AT LONDON 2111D42.

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LONDON, WNDNISDAY, DEC. 6.

Pool Mr. Feasinzaz Dmrr enjoyed the pro
verbial luxury at the embarrassment of riches.
He bad realized a sum of some fifty thousand
pounds, and his business as a watchmaker brought
him yearly eight thousand pounds. He had
neither wife nor children : but he numbered
amongst his friends not only an eminent lawyer,
one of her Ms.; tares Camel, but brothers
and sisters, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law,
nephews and nieces. " Where the carcase is,
" there will the eagles be gathered together," and
the scene in the clockmaker'a room above his
shop in the Strand a few mouths ago is a touching
illustration of the old saying. There lay the sick
man, attended by his two nieces and a disreputable
surgeon—surrounded by his clocks, his chronome-
ters, his compasses, and his other scientific instru-
ments—his door besieged by his relations, who in
turn were kept outside by his legal friend
and adviser, Mr. EDRUND BRUCE= DazusoN, Q.C.
To get away from all this turmoil and con-
fusion was eseential to his possible recovery,
but the thing was impossible. As Mr. PANT-
RIDOR, the eminent surgeon who was called in, de-
clared, " Everybody objected to everybody else,"
and after infinite disputes and discussions the
wretched man remained in his workshop till death
bore him away from all his sufferings.
Then arose the grand contest as to who should
share in the magnificent fortune he had left be-
hind ; and this contest has just been terminated
after a trial of three days before Sir CRISWELL
CRESWELL in the Probate Court at Westminster.
It seems that Mr. 7R/LDIRD.M Darr was the step-
son oiliness's Jour Darr. the original founder
of the family. Bewail) had been a workman in
ARNOLD'S shop—had set up for himself in busi-
ness, and had left by his will a considerable for-
tune to his step-son Feenmuce. Mr. E. B. DENI-
SON, though an eminent barrister, was scarcely leas
devoted to mechanics, especially to cloekmaking.
He was the intimate friend of EDWARD Darr—con-
sulted by him in all his affairs, and besides
being his executor, bad dictated the =issuer in
which ho should dispose of his property. To allow
the great authority exercised by the Queen's
Counsel over the ingenious workman, he only ac•
cepted the office of executor upon the condition
that the will should be made according to his
advice. From this will, it is proper to ob-
serve, Mr. Dminsoe derived no sort of
benefit. The result was that he obtained
for FRIDERICIL a mach larger share of
his step-father's fortune than was originally con-
templated. Besides, Mr. DIN/SON promised to be
the protector and adviser of Fa ees,sirx, and that
promise he failed not to keep—perhaps he kept it
too well.

Naturally enough, a can of the ability and
scientific knowledge of Mr. Denison was much
regarded by Mr. FREDERICK DEPT. He was
consulted about everything. He constantly vi•
sited the shop and want into Mr. DENT'S private
apartments. During the life of his wife, Mn
Dew; there was no diffktilty about his fortune,
for to her be had bequeathed everything. Upon
her death, however, the perplexing question of •
will was reopened. Mr. Dm had • confidential
legal advisee—a solicitor in a well-known boos►—
and, following the ordinary course, Mr. DEN MON
at first resommended that this gentleman should
be seat for. Mr. Dater put the thing aside ; but
presently the question recurred ; the two nieces, at
the dictation of Mr. D CET, wrote down upon a
slate the names of certain legatees, and finally
Mr. Demme furnished Mr. Dater with a skeleton
will. The blanks were tilled up, partly by Kr.
Da:stews himself, with legacies to the amount
of several thousand pounds. Mill this would
scarcely be considered • complete will,
for it did not touch the residua, amounting to
about 50,0001. No wonder that Mr. Denison
should have said, " You hare not settled the
orvat tking yet." How, then, was it settled f
Mr. Ditty bad, indeed, told Mr. DEE ISON that he
had no difficulty about it ; nor had be at first, for
the morning after it was signed he told Mr.
Datimox, " Neil, 1 have settled that, and I Aare
" pat Ice yoer same at the end." Probably no
man ever heard of his good fortune with more
startling equanimity than Mr. Denison. He
knew the effect of inserting his name was no small
thing, and yet he only shook hands with the
dying man and said, " I area rery stue,A übl
yon." At the seine time, as he says, he
just took • hasty glance at the will, to see,
perhaps, that matters wore all right, and then
recommended that the original should be sent to
Coors's. Had this been done, perhaps the three
days' trial might have been spared, and Mr.
D N NUN might now be in the possession of Mr.
Droves fortune of 45,000/. But Mr. Derr de-
termined otherwise. Two copies were made—one
of which was destined for Mr. Diesinow, but the
original will and the other copy were kept. The
will in question was executed on the 10th of
March, 1860, and it is a singular document.
With the exception of some few legacies to two
nieces, to the foreman, and 1501. a year to
Mrs. Dm, the testator's mother—inserted by the
express direction of her son, the testator—the
whole clock business, yielding 8,0001. a
year, was placed under the absolute con-
trol of Mr. BON ErlE D BEMIRE Diwnuow, and
the residue, amounting, as Mr. Dimwit him-
self admits, to 45,0001., was also bequeathed to
Mr. BIM UND BUNT DEEIIEOE. The dying man
had sprung from humble parents, he had many
poor relations, his fortune was large, and yet the
chief object of his munificence was a man without
children, and tar removed from poverty. At the
mann. time Mr. DR:4IEON was a person of • head-
strong, if not overbearing. disposition. Mr. DENT
ow td kiln much. He felt himself under MEW

THE

Far
• thermos
I besides

pressure, for ho had complained of Mr.
" having hunted him up about his will
which the poor man was feverish mid
gradually sinking under a complication of dbe
orders. It is impossible to deny that enormous
powers had been left to Mr. DENISON, and it is
sot unnatural to suppose that the taidator might
dosir• to diminish them. Accordingly, it seems
that on the morning of the Ist of April Mr. DENT,
of frequently repeating that Mr. DENISON had

too much power by the terms of the will, directed
that the will should be destroyed by the two young
women who attended upon him. Thus arose the
chief question discussed in court—namely, whether
the testator deliberately directed the destruction I
of the will ; and after the distinct evidence of
those witnesses, it was difficult to doubt it. In
this absence of all contradiction it was impossible
for any jury to declare that two young women
had deliberately perjured themselves for no
lother object than to spite Mr. Dmvssow
and to deprive themselves of the legacies to which
they would have been entitled had the will stood.
There was, indeed, another question raised,
whether the testator was competent at the time
the act of destruction took place ; but in support
of such a view there was not a tittle of evidence.
The result is that the will, part of which was ori-
ginally prepared by Mr. EDMICND BECK ST? DS-
NISON, is gone, and the 45,000/. which was
destined for that gentleman is divided among the
relations of FIIZDESRIC Derr.

This case conveys • salutary lesson. If Mr.
EDYCND BIOICITT DENIBON had only possessed
the most ordinary prudence and delicacy, he might
have escaped the scandal of the present affair.
There is no man of ordinary regard for his
good name who, in Mr. Dixisox's position,
would have prepared a will for a man in Mr.
DINT'S position—much less who nuder the
circumstances would have accepted the gift of
45,000!. Imagine a dying man, with his
nerves shattered, his mind feeble, and his body
exhausted by disease, lying helplessly in that
London workshop. What would be said of an
attorney or a medical attendant if, instead
of reconciling family differences and offering
friendly suggestions as to the disposal of
a large fortune among needy relations,
either the attorney or the surgeon had directed
the shopman to turn the mother of the dying issa
out of doors " with as little violence as possible,'
or had accepted 45,000!. without a word of re-
monstrance, or without strenuously insisting that
the gift must be made only after serious reconsi-
deration The answer to such a question is too
obvious. Let the same measure, then, bo meted
to one of her MLizirry's Counsel, however scien-
tific, or however learned in the law.