Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-07-21
A REMARKABLE WILL CASE.

Get the S24o.000 for which they Fought.
New York Sun, July 8.
The great contest of the year in the
Surrogate's Court was decided yester-
day by the rejection Of the documents
Offered. for probate as the will and CO.
dicl of Mrs. Harriet Douglas Cruger.
The contest has occupied large share
of Surrogate Hutching's attention since
last fall. The American Bible Society
and the Presbyterian Board of Missions,
the principal legatees, represented by
Wheeler Ell. Peckham, have diligently
urged the ability of Mrs. Cruger to
dispose of her riches. The nearest Of
kin, a nephew and a niece and two
grand-nieces, represented by Joseph H.
Choate, have as diligently and more
successfully contested it.
Harriet Douglas Cruger was one of
the historical characters of old-time So
ciety in young New York city. Fifty
and even sixty years ago, she was dis
tinguished for her conversational abili-
ty, and among us are to be found elder
" gentlewomen who were of the num-
erous guests that made her brilliant
wedding assemblage. Younger New
Workers knew of Mrs. Cruger only as
the invalid mistress of the stately man
sion of stone in West Fourteenth street,
now filled with paintings and rare an
tiquities, open to the public, aud free
on Mondays. She was born in 1889,
and died three years ago.
The contest o. the documents whese
preparation both worried and pacifed
the latter years of Mrs. Cruger's life,
showed by ample proof that she was of
inherited fortune, of superior education,
high social position, imbued with great
pride of ancestry, strong affection for
kindred, and an earnest believer in the
tenets Of the Presbyterian Church, of
which she had been for over fifty years
member In the maturity of her mem
tai vigor, she contracted a marriage
which was soon followed by a separa-
ton, and lawsuit, that continued for
over eight years, involving the rights of
her husband in her estate. under a post
nuptial settlement between them. No
issue proceeded from the marriage.
Her nearest of kin, surviving. are a
nephew and niece and two grand-nieces,
with whom she had always lived
on terms of the greatest affection,
and intimate family relations. She had,
In successive legal testamentary instru
ments, from 1888 to 1864, and by verbal
and written declarations, expressed her
intention to hold the principal part of
her estate for the benefit of her rela-
tives. la one testamentarv paper she
bequeathed a small henefaction to a
charitable object. Up to 1866, Mrs.
Cruger was of undisputedly sound
mind. While she possessed great men
tai vigor and strong viii, the evidence
shows thi.5 l1le exhibited none of those
qualities and characteristics which are
proven to have first appeared during
that year, rs consequent upon severe
illness, and which peculiarities cont;n-
ued in more or less marked degree
and modified form until death.
Mrs. Cruger possessed strong and
active mind and an intelligent compre-
hension Of her affairs, and of her rela-
tons to others, until 1866, when there
was a marked change; and she never af-
tics of mind which had before distin
euished her in the higher circles of So
ciety.
Her illness, in March, 1866, followed
a fall from which she became uncon-
scious, and evidence of arrangement
quickly followed; failure to recognize
those with whom she had been upon in
innate terms; the assertion of the per-
sona1 presence of the devil, and of the
existence of fire under her bed; and a
long continued apprehension of bodily
danger and spiritual destruction. Her
malady was so decided, and for time
her condact SO violent, that DR.. Met
calfe and DR.. Wadsworth (the latter of
whom was engaged to live constantly In
the house with herr were apprehensive
of the necessity Of placing her IN an
asylum for the insane
Of her more violent symptoms she
was relieved in the summer of 1866;
though they afterwards reappeared at
times. In September Of that year she
conceived the idea of ayerting the de-
struction of her soul by giving her
property largely to religious uses;
which Intentions she communicated to
the Rev. DR.. Paxon, who sought in vain
to convince her that according to the
tenets of her church salvation could
not be thus obtained but only by faith.
At times she would acknowledge the
force of his arguments, but on making
another visit soon afterward he found
her again impressed with the same be-
lief, and resolute to have it incorpor-
ated in will. Later in the fall of that
year she prepared, partially In her own
handwriting, and partly by debating to
an amanuensis, the scheme OF will dis
tributing the smaller portion of her es-
tate to her next of kin, and the residue
in equal shares to the American Bible
Society and the Board of Foreign Mis-
sions, which epitomized statement of
her testame ntary wishes were given to
her counsel, Mr.. G. F. Southmayd, with
request TO draw will in conformity
Herewith. Mr.. Southwayd visited her,
found her conversation incoherent, and
being satisfied she was in no.condition
to make will, declined to act. In
February, 1867, she communicated re-
quest to Mr. Charles O'Conor, who had
been for many years her coun-
sci in the protracted itiga-