The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-04-30
THE whsnBuRS WILL oAsE.
Tho Bible Society Charged with Cisimine
Money TO which IL has no Moral Right.

Tho Bible Society Charged with Claiming
Money TO which IL has no Moral Right.
To ne Ed1or Of The sun.
Sra: Some mistakes in the paragraph in last Fri
days SUN concerning tho attempt OF the Bible Soc-
ETY. obtain for their treasury, one Of the resi-
duary lcgateee in the will Of Mr.. Washburn OF Wor
cester certain amounts not belonging TO them, but
bequeathed 70 others render a corrected statement
Of the case necessary. Mr. washburn was not tie
Rev. I. Washburn, but the Hon. l. Washburn, hay
ing been n member OF the Massachusetts Senate.
In Mr.. washburns viii he LEFT to his wife and to tho
Homo for Aged Females. besides other requests to
both the of $4,000, half FOR herself and half for
the Home. "And direct he will says) that the fore
going Of $4,000 shall be paid to my said wife
by transferring and delivering to her $50 shares OF
the capital stock OF the 81. washburn and Moen
Wire Works." at the par value OF t100-125 OF
which shares she Is to hold during her life. and do
liver over at her death to form n part OF the fund
for the Home aforesaid" This was In 1867. BY the
same will he LETT $50 shares in the same stock, or
s75O 900, for the founding and establishment Of Me-
mortal Hospital
After this will was made, the nano OF the stock
company containing this property was changed to
that OF the "washburn and Moen Manufacturing
Company" and another will was drawn by Mr..
washburn's instructions by his lawyer. Judge
was inserted instead "a The former in connection
with the same bequests. Before this VIII could DO
signed me tes.siSr MT wmheurn' olen rsaVi n,d
name.
By this will the Bible Society and six ether be.
sioners for Foreign Missions being the first. were
endowed with legacy Of 5000 each, and wero
made resduary legatees, entitled TO whatever prop
er might remain the estate amer all the requests
or the teetator had been paid out Of u.
without having signed tho last viii containing, tho
changed name Of his manufacturing COMPANY, the
6eauests to ne Home. the Hospital and Part ,s Of
Wire Works Company, as named In the first will
A question thereupon arose which the administra-
equity, without forcing the cstate into lawsuit.
namely, In regard TO the construction which tho
under che name us0a Of he Wire worf
They asked the residuary legntees TO Instruct them
| ed, as the stock OF the washburn and Moen Manu-
featuring &c mpany as In default OF such instruction
they %S sS to enc for By !,
,he nrst win. e take half the estate for for
settlement Of the estate, and although her waiver
was worth TO her BY snnuity calculations siSoOO,
pal You'd that
intended provisions by her husband, not mentioned
The . will sho1s b carried out They all
mise, except the Bible Society. That Society.
,hrouEh is Legacy Committee no. only refused IFS
concurrence, but laid claim At first 10 the whole OF
the widow. not being the stock Of the Washburn
longing 10 the Bible Society and the other resduary
egateos. Anerward, discovering that tho Hospital
fuhlment tin It should be worth sbundred thousand
dollars they relinqushed that and threw themselves
upon tho $4,000 oequeathed TO the Home and the
widow, refusing TO permit that to be construed as
belonging to the Home and widow. because. II with
held from them and thrown back into the estate for
the resduary legatees, the Bible Society and the
other societies would get possession OF II as resi-
dnary legacy But the other societies having decided
that u belongs to the widow and the Home. Is only
the Bible Society that lays claim to it.
The Legacy Committee having iwieeirefused the
tho other societies had agreed to, Airs Wsshburn
WAS compelled 10 appeal for equity 70 the Board In
behalf Of her own rights and the rights OF others
The Rev: DIR. Cheever was appointed by the Society
Of the Home 10 defend their well as that
OF Mrs. Washburn before the Board against the in.
justice OF the Legacy Committee His argument, US
well as their report, Is printed.
Their decision, rejecting her appeal, would drive
washburn petitions The Bible Society to prevent.
she asks for equity, and the lawyers reply, No
equity shall be granted, but only law. we throw
ourselves upon tho law AMI claim what Is In the
bond.
The. Board of Managers without giving Mrs,
Washhurn's petition hearing before the Board in
stantly committed u 10 tie terry same Comm nee
against whose injustice Il appealed TO the Board Of
again committed their own decision 70 the same
Committee TO be acted o..
his widow the homestead as her own IN fee simple,
which previously only fo right. by the terms
agreod upon with the other benevolent societies,
this homestead to DO paid for out Of tho estate
but the Bible Society claim the amount as belonging
their residuary legacy and they to take it from
the widow and put " Into the treasures OF the be-
neyolent societies because, while II Is hers morally,
they claim u legally In consequence Of Mr.. Wash
burns death without being able 10 sign his last
will. There was also a house in Portland which
he had given to the widow Qxnard, a needy rela.
tive OF Mr.. Wtshburn, the renquishmcnt Of which
house to that widow es being morally hers by the
known intentions Of Mr.. Washburn, Mrs washburn
had proposed among the terms OF settlement to the
residuary legstees. AZ we have said all the other
benevolent societies agreed to this but the Bible
Society refused, and claimed the house OF the widow
oLnard as belonging 10 their rosiduarY portion.
The Board OF Managers are a Just and honorable
body, and viii doubtless reconsider their action and
correct mistakes. 80