The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-08-10

HER PROPERTY.
Pietro, the London correspondent of the
Brooklyn Rerie,o, under date of July 10th,
writes:
One rarely has anything so exquisitely
absurd as the " Great Catholic Will Case"
which, after a very brief trial, was decided
yesterday in the Probate Court by Sir
James Hammer and a special jury. 1t was
heralded in some of the journals as "a
most startling exhibition of Jesuit cum
niug," and the court was crowded with
people who came to hear the awful dis
closures that were promised.
Thirty six years ago the wife of a Mr..
Weld became a Roman Catholic, and re-
which happened last year. She was a poor
girl of respectable family. Her husband,
who was Catholic like herself, was very
rich. He performed some services to Con-
tinental sovereign and was made baron,
so that this lady became not only wealthy
Weld died, leaving his fortune to his
wards the son also died: leaving his for
tune to his mother. After many years the
baroness again married, this time to Mr..
Winterbothan. He died not long since,
leaving his fortune to her, and thus the ba-
roness found herself still more wealthy
than before, and with no one with any
claim upon her wealth. Her mother and
her sister were her only relatives. These
she provided for literally, and being a de-
vout and well-instructed Catholic, she en-
ployed herself in sustaining works of
charity. She died at Ostend, in 1872, leav-
ing respectable annuity to her mother
and sister, giving legacies to various
friends, bequeathing sl 900 to the Pope,
and leaving the rest of her property,
amounting to about 96O,O to Archbishop
Manning and other Catholic dignitaries
and priests for the benefit of certain chart
ties or institutions which she named. AS
the result showed there never was a more
just and reasonable will ever made, nor a
more intelligent, sound mird ed, and free
testatrix. But the mother and sister-who
are Protestants-were angry at not getting
the whole of the property, to which they
found attorneys to take up the case on
speculation" and to bring a suit to set
aside the will on the ground that it had
been obtained by undue influence" "Je-
suit intrigue" and "priestly intimida-
tion." The counsel for the will contented
witnesses, that the Baroness was a women
of sound mind, admirable business quail
ties, and perfectly we'll aware of what she
was doing and then they waited for the
evidence on the other side. There was
none! The contestants of the will had
SuaieoN SiSutecu Seublelncn VIII con-
spiracy to obtain this lady's money-and
when it came to prove it, they had not a
word to say. Only two witnesses were ex-
amined-the mother and sister. One of
them said she thought she was ill used be-
cause the Baroness had not left her 95OO
year-the other one had only some ret1ec |
tions of her own to read out Of her diary, |
giving her views on the Jesuits Tie |
Judge summed up in very strongs words
for the will, declaring that there was no
doubt. The Jury at once found for the
will; and the Judge then ruled that as
the contest against the will had been
wholly unfounded and unreasonable one,
the contestants should pay all the costs
The charity of the much abused +" Je-
Suits" alone prevented this order from be-
ing enforced. They instructed their coun-
sci to say that while they wished it to be
made matter of record that the attempt
to break the will was one that should be
punished by this penalty, they would not
Insist on its payment.