Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-06-19
CIRCUIT COURT.
The williams VIII Case-COneIusiOI
of the Testimony.

of the Testimony.
Thomas C. Williams, Executor, Us John
Saunders and Naeissia p Saunders, Contes-
tantS.
FIRST DAY-The plaintiff produced pa
per purporting to be the will of Cynthia p.
Williams, his late wife, and the sister of
contestants, who died at Philadelphia July
49, 1866, at the residence of her husband
at his father Shouse, having by this will
devised all her property to the plaintiff.
Alexander S. Bradley, the attorney who
drew the will, and George c. Ferree an
other of the original witnesses, were intro
duced, and proved the due execution of it
at the boarding house of Mrs. Miller, on
Vine street, in Nashville, on July 10, 1861.
The testatrix was the youngest daughter of
Mrs. Aaron V. Brown, of Melrose, by her
first husband, John w. Saunders. The
property which she devised came to her
fromher father, and had been settled upon
her as her separate estate by her husbandl
The defense set up by the contestants was
that Mrs. Williams was under the en-
tire control of the husband and that she
was induced to make the will by fraudu-
lent misrepresentation as to the enmity of
her own family.
To this end they introduced as witnesse
a number Of persons, the principal of
whom were a Mrs. Cole, friend of the
family, and Mrs. Brown, mother of tesla
trix, who testified as follows: Mrs. Cole
stated she was visiting the testatfix at
Philadelphia in the summer of 1866, and
that her confinement took place at that
time. A child was born, which lived but
a few hours, and it being evident that Mrs.
Williams was in great danger, her mother
was telegraphed for, and came as far as
Cincinnati, where she telegraphed to Phila-
delphia to inquire as to her daughters cons
dition. In reply to this dispatch Colonel
Williams telegraphed the following
Cynthia is improving, God will preserve
her and deal with you. If you think he will
hear you | advise you to pray" This had
the effect to prevent Mrs Brown from pro-
ceeding to Philadelphia. Mrs. Cole fur
ther stated that the news that her mother
was not coming had very injurious effect
upon Mrs. Williams health, which had
before been improving, and as she
grew worse rapidly, her mother was
again sent for, and this time came on to
Philadelphia. She was there received
with harshness by Col. Williams, who, it
was stated, compelled Mrs. Brown to get on
her knees and ask his pardon before he
would permit her to see her daughter. Mrs.
Williams was delirious when her mother
arrived, and continued so until her death,
with short intervals of reason.
The details of the scenes at the house of
Mrs. Williams are exceedingly tragic, and
affected the witnesses and hearers very
much The attempt was made to show
that Mrs. Williams attack of .'puerperal
mania" was caused wholly or in part by
the harsh conduct of her husband in tell
ing her abruptly that her mother was a
heartless woman, and would not come to
see her, and that Col. Williams acted very
violently towards his mother in-laW during
her visit.
Mrs Brown stated that she opposed the
marriage of her daughter to Col. Williams,
but reluctantly yielded on finding she was
determined to marry him; that her daugh
ter was of a childish, yielding disposition,
and was wholly under the control of her
husband that Col. Williams was always
violent and harsh in his conduct towards
his mother-in-law, and she intimated that
he married his wife for her money; that
Col. Williams was very abusive on her ar
rival at Philadelphia to see her sick daugh-
ter, and in other respects corroborating the
testimony of Mrs. Cole.
SECOND DAY.-On the other side, depo-
stions were read for the plaintiff from the
physicians and friends Of the Williams
family, stating that the relations between
Col. Williams and his wife were uniformly
pleasant on both sides; they were a most
devoted couple, and that everything was
done to save her life which money and
skill could devise; also showing the agony
and atiliCtiOn of all at the death of Mrs.
Williams.
The father and mother of Col. Williams
were introduced, and their testimony was
principally rebutting that of Mrs. Cole and
Mrs. Brown, as was also that of Mrs.
Campbell, one Of the nurses Of Mrs. Viii
liams during her sickness.
There was a direct conflict of testimony
as to many of the events which transpired
during the sickness.
The Judge, Hon. NJ. NJ. Brien, finally
checked the further introduction of testi-
mony, on the ground that the most Of the
matters already given in evidence were
wholly irrelevant and the evidence was
closed, and the case will be given to the
jury to-day.
GREAT EXCITEMENT 1T has at last
been decided that the best Boots and Shoes
can only be got at the Nashville Shoe Store,
No. "A North College street.
mch 26-3m. NJ. MoRGANsTERN.
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