The New York herald., 1876-07-09

A CURIOUS WILL CASE.
A WILL CLAIMED TO HAVE BEEN EXECUTED IN
FULTON STREET SALOON.

A WILL CLAIMED TO HAVE BEEN EXECUTED IN
FULTON STREET SALOON.
Tho citizens OF Rockiand county are considerably
excited and take than ordinary interest IL legal
contest pending before Surrogate sulcrns, at Now
City, in that county. II appears from the evidence
thus taken that in February, 1875 John s. Greenn,
a very wealthy aud feeble old man. died at sprns
Valley leaving his only surviving heirs at law two
daughters and son. AT the time OF his death he
owned a large amount OF valuable land in Rockland
county, together with valuable real estate this city,
He Tor than forty years engaged IN the iron
business this city, where he amasscd nil The wealth
that is the subject Of bitter controversy. few
years ago he retired business ana from that tms
until his oeath was resident OF Rockiand county,
HIS children all of mature age. Soon aites
MS death one William H. Baldwin, residing al
MoDtclar. N j. presented to tho Surrogate Of Rock.
land alleged last will and testament Of tho dead
man, stating at the same time that deceased left no
heirs aud asking the Surrogate at 10 take tho
proof Of the Of this instrument and admit II
to probate. The Surrogate, however, knowing thl
statement to be incorrect declined to do this but
issued citations to the daughters and son Of the do
ceased them show cause, II any they had, whJ
this so-called last viii and testament should not b
admitted TO probate The appearance Of this alleged
will greatly surprised the heirs tor the that for
rux pEArn or THEIR FATHER +
he had not had possession OF his faculties, aud by res
OF n severe paraytc stroke IN the carly summer
OF 1872 wholly unit to make VIII or TO attend TO
tho transaction oil any business Baldwin appeared IN
this alleged testament as its sole exccuor~hnd his
wifc's mother chet dcvisee. Baldwin procured the
legal services OF sackctts Il Lang and Edward Y.
Clark OF this city, TO prosecute his interests, and the
heirs OF deceased employed Henry Daily, Jr., also Of
this city, to contest the probate OF the so.called
last Will and testament OF their father.
The paper bears date June 1877 ans
the side OF thc will shows that the instrument
executed by the deceased al saloon in Fulton
street, New York, on the 5th day of june 1872, and
was witnessed by two persons named Krug and Max
field. krug testified to having deceased sign the
will and At his request he tKrugl signed his .
wunesS But Max1cd testified that the deceased did
the his and that the deceased
did not request him tMaxlcld) to witness any will
He SAID ho signed his 10 paper but hc was una
bic to tell what that paper when nc SO signed IT,
BALDWIN tcsuded thai he present and saw he will
signed by deceased and that signed at ih6 81
loon on June g. 1874
rnx ugIRs CONTEST
the alleged will tho grounds The deceased never
signed the Sth day Of june 1874 or at any other
time; that deceased Al that time conbned TO his
bed at tho house OF his son, IN Rockand county with
paralysis, aud his mind so impaired as To render MN
wholly unit 10 make viii and that VI he ever signed
the alleged will his signature procured by fraud
and undue influence by this so called viii The de.
ceased devised nearly the whole of his property "a
Jennettc /. stevenson the mother in-law oil Baldwin,
also portion to one Mary Welsh. Neither OF these
women any way, by blood marriage related
10 deceased The children thus entirely deprived
Of The benefits arising from their fathers wealth.
the fact that deceased lived perfect harmony with
his cbdrcn that they took the most tender care OF
Lim down 10 tho period OF his death aud the testimony
assigns for the tesiators disregard OF them
IL ~ claimed that many years there existed be.
tween deceased and Jenncttec L. Stevenson (the woman
to whom dece sed bcqucathcd his wealth. an intimacy
of questionable character and that two or three chill
drcn were the irut OF this equivoca situation ono oi
the sons Of the woman Stevenson WAS examined AZ
witness and ho testified thai hc did not know whether
he related deceased bat that he had
heard II reported that deceased was his
father But OF the most serious ques.
tons Tor the Surrogate 10 determine s was tho alleged
viii executed by deceased New York the 9th day
OF June 1922 On this point the and daughters les
tify that deceased confined to the house III ROCK
land county with paralysis on that very oay, baving
been taken dangerously III on May y previous ana
that he did leave The house uutii scptembrf io
lowing. CorroDoratinr these witnesses "a DR. Ham.
mond who testified that he was called TO attend de-
ceased May 2s 1874 and found him prostraied with
continued TO attend him almost every day for many
weeks thercaf er. Dr Hammond produced ms account
books containing the original entries ot his visifs
deccnscd covering the very period that BALDWIN snd
Krug testified the alleged will was executed al tho
saloon W New York.
Mr. Person. ghbor OF deceased testified That tho
latter prostrated with paralysis on June 3, 1917,
and that he twtncss went almost daily 10 NJ Ifcenn
during tins illness and shaved him. Medical testimony
also produced showing that deceased at The ,ims
BALDWIN swcars no In New York executed tns
proposed viii, vas wholly unnt 70 make a wiii his
mental faculties being much impaired Tho testimony
IN sim unfinished and the 10 expected to occupy
considerable portion, II not tho entire. summer.