The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-10-13
THE DUDLEY WILL CASE.
OUR TROY CORRESPONDENCE.


One OF the most interesting law suits now in pro
grcss through tho courts Of this Is Tho Dudley VIII
Case at Albany. Legally, morally socially and nnan-
cally 1t secures attention from all who have any knowl-
edgo or IT, as we'll from the numerous and highly
respected parties interested the disposition OF large
estate
The eminent counsel arraycd before the Surrogate
the questions involved and the amount In controversy
as well tho private history OF family rvalsies and
jea!ousc5 excited by the hapcss condition OF iesa
trx, en- aged and nfirm lady burdrned with property
and worn out by the enirea les and iinpnrluntes Of
anxious relatives, the influence brought bear BY her
servants and agents The production Of the will n con.
traversy, the growth her coorcd hang
waiter al her table 10 DO her '1an bGsinessn with
iroe charge aud entire management o. her estate Of
soopoOo anu how he managed H. aud who has got pos
session OF most or IL the mental condition ur the lady
who lived alona In her house with her servants tor
twenty years after tho d ath or her husband the late
Ghar.s T. dudley. a. one time aIayor OF Albany and
United States Senator contemporary with hariin ysn
Buren; The extensive family connections smong tho old
D4fchi indeed all tho Surroundings OF this tend
TO make u rotabe in the legal annals OF thc Stale.
The ease Is now In the Supreme Court appeal from
the order OF the Surrogate Albany COUNTY, Hon
Lawton, admitting the will probate. From the re-
cords Of the sunoga,c's Court and me thousand
iolos Of testimony taken before him. ain enabled 70
present some Of tho leading features OF the case
Biandina Dudley, the tesiaris did a, her home IN
Albany on tho ssh day Of March. 1861. aged nearly
eshty years. She left will ube ia ,n,rovcr.avi
dated December 20th 1859 IN II, Robert j. Hilton and
Ewerd y. kcndnck were nominated executors. Ey
IL.
the democratic candidate Tor Lieutenant Governor
was also nominated an executor. Seven years
before MIS- pudleys death, ID" estate was
hands OF her regular agent, Hon Thoma w. olcott Of
Albany aud went Under tue control Of .hr coored
want spoken 81, William A. Dctz Al her death the
estate was found 10 consist OF real estate la Albany
mostly. valued at only about $4,000. what had
become Of the estate WINS the question.
Mrs. Dudley was known 10 have given literally. and
70 have craven hrr name on tho dudley Observatory
by an endowment. She known TO yield easily 10
haas
were IN moderate circumstances. but annual income
could do all that without dspssing the csia,e-snd the
The colored agent, Dsstz, and this counsel Hilton, APP
N be the only persous who knew and they
prncipai witnesses 70 establish the VIII. | shall not
attempt even synopsis OF the testimony. But II
appears from tho summing up al counsel before the
surrogate that Ivy some means or Other about $3.50 900
bad been given by Mrs Dudley to branches OF
her family her nepbcws and nicces-nanlely, the
hillers OF eida county and her niece the Tbbses,
family, namely, he Br,nIcrhas. Of Albany had been
entirely overlooked and forsoten both her gifts ard
in tho will before the court.
II also appears that tie eolored servant and agent
DEITY had received over ana above his regular pay aud
salary, az gift $1,000 IN one item, and In several
otbcrs, enough 10 make total Of about SIS 900.
Dcaz IL said TO be n god business man, ~ radical
politics. and interested in the .evahon the cooeed
race: and his connection with this would
SHOW that is better to be agent than principa ad-
minisiraicr than heir, "a the worid goes
But where Is tho oaIanee Of The property,
by the will now Ia controversy Mrs Dudley gives her
silver ard plated 10 her n.phe~r and neceS
r. B Miller, OF Uti>s and sarrl ID. f,nbits IL Troy who
snnunersbe wsims Oddities isosyperaees ard name
deiusions whinh the old lady shown 20 have pos
sessed OF In Tor latter days also her apparel diamonds
above
$4,000 10 John b. Miller, OF Utcs.
$4,000 In Mira Nilson. ~ New Jersey.
5000 to Rev. Henry SANKEY'S children.
- 000to lsabea Forbes, her servant
$1,000 70 Elizabeth Van vfooinsn her servant
$1,000 10 William A. Ucz, eolorcd servant ard agent
$4,000 10 several churches and sucietcs Ia Alhauy
$50, 900 10 the Dudley Observatory.
Tho remainder Of the estate !. DIVIDED between Nm.
Elizabeth Tilbits Of Albany, andssrs Hoasc Seymour
Of Utica
In APRIL Ises he executor offered The viii for pro-
Tropoh6uls being X J. Hilton, Ozark - cochrsne John
X Porter, Of the coar Of Appeals bench Hamilton
Harris, aud samueI Hand, Of Albany.
Nina Elizabeth BrinkefboG Of Aibany surviving sister
o. Mira Dudley Que 81 the contestants apisrrd oy her
connse, James FORSYTH, Of Troy Lyman Ifcmain and
Henry smith, % Albany, the able bfsitle' Attorney.
Mr. sarsh B rbblf-, aho ~ the coEfesfsnts now
abroad 10 Europe, appeared by j counsel. William A.
ia shancs ~ senator * Ansuy. D. counsel FOR tie
guardian OF minor fbilareu IN tte ssso
About throe years consumed ID ths bs'ore
the sufrogaf. II now rasss- 40 The neat argument
" tho case viii he before the General fern thc a..
peal and VII take place ~ Albany aeSt winter
The csssf hGw ID the land ~ specid sanin.siia-
tir. Mr. Naucu!t pending tue lufstsr whch promises
IL pc ionr the estate viii Eat rwyers,
notice ttss Robert ". fsuyr aui Eaward kcborlck
have qlated A. es"cnor sna thst no feccfds how
rcont sagneu assnst them ~ ik erol ~ t0orsd
yaui ami agent beiu q over 5000 AMI i1rt iht
cal a4nin iraor aud the ~lecptnis have dt ulls
Who 4 entitled ~ The posse ~ the property while
tie Gaze b. pending and uhdrcidei ~ fAs courts. hHt
90 siluE strhtor ~ nsnttolli e r. q hast L a.
present
1Lerc n q lie easc fnr chsD,e far isfensis d.pay
81 III s.nutx sFgnr'ni siina aud rni alus 81 test
Honf ana taAuuallIr ~ auih0rifis-
lhr proponents Wtoduced written memorandum ~
hegue-is g q psNe, q ~ handrtNns 81 ~ tr.fHrl
spd 81 spnn gNAs conclusive i1encc ttai mo
s,rwn cft use hss wiN and drawn = sh~ depirsd
Fka crntsftans tpwryer ftgsFsd t.Et rapeT addl-
ti0nsl srldnur 1856 rfK. budisv inepmTetent 10
maze 3 VIII acd Considered b. her esansa those
Ia rbsr-n ~ Ter spd they heid that she irfresd
ana ber hand rliced y wrnI ~ inp~f nth ~ W
silence All 4ufs tf her attention competency
the rial whlch hey anticipated ami tekaB 70 pos
against luur rear before tAe death " the tswAinx
flse IEOsf $500 p' us nfrntsde Ae rnNfr tour ~
the courts m ~ made befDse ne parties iigant vii Ne
safsntd indeta r that i4ie ifstilr pfnts
81 wtt avtn n rrachrgthe roun % ArpsAis Al the
nsf rsMfFt