Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-03-02
INTERESTING WILL CAsE-sKETCH
OF MADAM IUMEL.

The widow of Aaron Burr went the
rounds last summer, Immediately after her
oeath. Her property was worth over a mil
lion, and her will has made talk The
Chicago Republican says:
The old lady continued 20 occupy, up to
the time of her death, the same stately man
sion, once reckoned among the most elegant
in the aristocratic suburbs of New York,
in which she lived before her marriage with
Burr. From her first husband, Jumel,
Whose name she resumed after her separa-
ton from BURR, she acquired great deal
of property; and the story runs that when
she found that Burr was interfering with
the management of it, and collecting the
rents in her name, she gave him sound
beating, and that was the cause Of their sep
aration. She had no legitimate children,
but she had two nephews and two nieces,
the offspring of her sister, the late Mrs.
Mary Jones, 10 whom it was generally sup
posed that the bulk Of her fortune would
descend.
For several years before her death she had
little intercourse with these members of her
family. The only persons from whom she
sought advice were the Rev. j. Howard
Smith, rector of the Episcopal church in
Carmansville, and Mr.. Nelson Chase, her
lawyer, who was also, report said, her illegiti-
mate offspring. The Rev. Mr.. Smith was a
frequent visitor of her house, and at times
for she was always very eccentric, and more
so than ever during her latter years-it is
said that it was difficult TO approach her
except through him.
Her will was executed in April, 1853,
when she was ninety-four years old. BY it
she devised TO the Church of the Inter
cession, of which Mr.. Smith is rector, the
land on which her residence stands, COM
prising about thirty-two acres of the most
valuable ground on the upper part of the
island of New York, and the sum of $40, 600
20 be expended in building a new church
thereon. Mrs. Chase and her daughter,
Eliza Jumel Perry, were to have, each, the in
terest of 81 900 for life. She bequeathedt to the
Rev. Mr. Smith S. 900; 10 nine different char
liable institutions, $50, 500 in the aggregate
and 10 Felice Legardare, theniece Of her first
husband, $4,000. The rest Of her property,
the value Of which must have been some
where about 500, 900, was 10 be divided be-
tween the aforesaid Smith, Chase and his
daughter, and henine itableinstitutions,
in shares proportionate TO the specific be-
quests made them as above.
This will is now contested by Mr.. Chase
and the four heirs at law, William Jumel
Jones, Stephen Jumel Jones, Eliza Jumel
Franchell and Louisa Jumel Franchell-
these latter, the nephews and neices before
mentioned, having apparently made an ami
cable arrangement with Mr.. Chase. They
allege that Madame Jumel was of unsound
mind at the time the instrument was exc
cuted and that her signature was obtained
by the Rev. Mr.. Smith through "circumyen-
ton, fraud, undue influences and coercion"
The issues and questions Of fact arising on
the pleadings were submitted TO Judge
Clarke, of the Supreme Court of New York,
in chambers, on the 9TH inst, and the case
will probably be tried in April or May. A
number Of the most eminent lawyers of New
York are engaged as counsel, and the trial,
owing to the magnitude Of the interests in
volved, the peculiar character and the history
Of testatrix, and the delicate nature of the
questions in dispute, promises 10 be one of
extraordinary interest.