Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-04-23
4 Romantic Will Case.

With little dressing up, will case
which recently came before the Surrogate
or Probate Judge of New York city might
be made the basis of an exciting romance
In 1872 Miss Susan A. Lawrence, a rich
young lady of New York, secretly mar
ried John A. Baker lawyer by profess
sion, and a native of North Carolina.
Baker had been previously married to a
Miss Hargin, of Chicago, whom he aban-
doned, and from whom he afterward pro-
| cured divorce on trumped-up charge
against her. He was plausible fellow,
and, assisted by Eliza Brown n female
relative, succeeded in inducing Miss Law
renee to marry him clandestinely. Her
family disliked Baker, deeming him un-
III %s DC arter .e Was sucn uiat i1 U1l1 ~
who knew her could believe that
she would have consented to
the step unless under deceptive represen-
tations. There was evidence that these
had been brought 10 bear upon her through
the woman Brown, who convinced her
that Bakers first divorce was perfectly
legitimate. The unfortunate young lady
| fell into the trap, and went South with
Baker early in 1873 without letting the
| fact of the marriage be known. She died
without children in 1874 at Charleston, S.
c. She made e will In which she left her
husband an annuity of 81 800 for life.
The small amount of this bequest appeared
to show quite plainly that she had not
much confidence in him, but her relatives
would not suffer him to keep even the
| 81 500. They alleged that undue influence
had been used to secure 1t, and the Surro-
gate ruled in their favor. He said:
In the present case we have evidence
which shows conclusively to my mind
that the legatee, John A. Baker, had suf-
! ticient influence to induce Il refined and
sensitive woman, TO whom violation of
the conventional proprieties of life was
evidently repugnant, to consent TO mar
Tiage in opposition to the wishes of her
family, who believed him unworthy of
her, and TO marriage in secret-always
an act done with regret, and seldom by a
woman of the character and social position
of the decedent-eXceptim impelled by pas
| sion which would consent to any sacrifice
for the object Of her love. And his in
| tluence was sufficient, after the marriage
| had been kept secret for months from her
family, to whom she was fondly attached,
to consent to clandestinely leave the pro
| lection of the household with the man who
had inspired and fostered the passion, to
go to a distant State and accept his doubt
| full protection instead An influence suf
ficient to accomplish these results is equal
TO procuring the execution of tesla
mentary instrument from the decedent
which would give the chief actor life in
terest in portion of her estate, and this
hold 20 have been affirmatively proven in
this case; and certainly the one most in
terested in sustaining the instrument has
failed TO convince me, as under the law he
should do, in view of his relations with
the decedent and of all the facts and cir
cumstances which have been developed in
the proofs, that no sinister means were
used by him to secure the bequests in his
| favor"
This decision is no doubt in accordance
with the law and the facts in the case, and
it is certainly in the direction of poetic
instinct. The novelist would, however,
provide some deserving heir or lieiress
whose inheritance of the fortune would
bring about happy marriage, thus afford
ing pleasant relief TO the dark picture OF
thwarted villainy.-OtReinadtt Gazette.