The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-30
Mysterious Movements of the
Turney BLOOD Relatives"
LETTERS FROM THE spirit LAND"
Three Wills Left by Alexander
Turney Stewart.
What Surrogate Calvin Has To Say
About the Case.

NotnuB bnot nas appeared IN tue newspapers VI ies0
has created such general excitement as the story that
certain parties claiming to DO relatives Of tho late Mr.
A. T. Stewart, were about TO contest his will When
the statement Arst mado public there was mani
fest inclination upon the part OF every to doubt IT,
but that these called ''blood relatives have
banded themselves together for common purpose.
and have. moreover. retained shrewd and talented
counsel 10 plead their cause the story can no longer
be regarded . rumor, bat as a fact
THE CONTESTANTS.
The contestants OF the will the members OF the
Turney family II will DO remembered that the full
name OF the deceased Alexander Turncy Stewart,
and these parties who claim that the disposition OF
his estate they left out entirely Gin the cold ara
firm in their belief that they prove their relation
ship beyond the shadow Of doubt One OF these, Mr.
George w. Tnrney, Of No u Chatham street, who
to be most In earnest in pressing tho suit, and
who is perhaps better posted in the geneaogy Of the
family than the others, says that there nine
Turneys In MI, some OF whom reside in Now York
and others elsewhere The following are the names OF
those interested In the sut:-George W. Turney, Cath
erine Turney, Samuel Turney James Turney, W. H.
Turney Augustus n Turncy, John H. Turncy, Lucretia
Turney
SECRECY.
It is very difficult matter to secure anything like
satisfactory explanation Of the In which these
Turncys are about to proceed in to surmise
how they propose to establish their peculiar claims
From the time Of tho deash Of Mr. Stewart they have
operated with greatest caution and secrecy 1t is
not difcult to ind their whereabouts to
interview with them but when approached they behave
themselves very curious manner, and so adroitly
do they evade the inquiries that ono is sure to
leave them no better posted in reference
to the particulars of the proposed suit
than II he had net seen them at all Indeed, so
strangely do they all important questions calcu
lated to throw light upon the grounds for their pro-
cedurc that ono would imagine they did not intcnd
suit and that the story sensation, were It
not owing to the fact that three well known lawyers
have for many days past permitted their names to be
repeatedly published ass the special advisers OF the
family. This statement, undenied by the lawyers In
question, shows clearly that there is to be SUIT and
that attempt really going to be made to break the
WILL
THE CASE.
Admitting that the TURKEYS arc actually what they
style themselves to be- ''bood relatives OF tho de-
ceased merchant and taking for granted also that no
thrcc respectable and clear headed lawyers would
identify themselves with that did not have some
foundation In fact il may prove OF interest to review
the law this subject There only throo grounds
upon which will may be proceeded against
First-It must be shown that the party who made
the viii was unduly innuenccd; or,
.Second-It must be shown that no was mentally in
competent; or,
ThirdIt must be shown that the will is not executed
in the form prescribed BY law.
Therefore in proceeding with thor suit the Turneys
must establish one three Thcy cannot pro-
simply upon the ground Of relationship for our law
affords every the right Of dsposng OF his property
whom he pleases Suppose, lhen that they proceed
upon the first groSnd-namely, that Mr. Stewart was
unduy influenced ID making his will Undue influcn CO
would naturally nay necessarily. from the
person who the residuary estate nasmuch
tho greatest amount of Mr. Stewards property was
given to mrs. Stewart the undue influence must have
been exercised by his wife. This certainly seems i'm
probable upon It's face aud when It can be shown
clearly and distinctly that Mrs Stewart knew nothing
whatever Of the nature Of the will until IL read in
her presence the suppost0n appears simply ridicu-
ous. It is hardly reasonable TO suppose that they Will
tally Incompetent, for his competency can be too
clearly proven, and the WILL as IL stands to-day shows
that IL executed in the form prescribed by law.
Here, then, given tho only methods OF procedure
that recognized by the law. Ono OF these three
fore they interfere with Judge Hilton by setting
the will aside.
THE PAPxRs To DE FILED
Since then the casc the public understand IT. ap-
pears SO utterly hopeless There must be- either In
Imagination or in fact, something with which the pub
lie IL unfamiliar. In other words, there Is a mystery
involved which all the Turneys refuse TO reveal though
very singular that lilo open that OF Mr.
Stewart and a document so briefly and concsely
written as his will, could BIO surrounded with any.
thing subtle or mysterious He left his property as
many Others who died before him have done-the ma
joity 10 his nearest relative, his wife, and liberal por-
lions TO those who had proven themselves true and
trustworthy IN his service. Yet, despite all those CIR
for weeks past been quietly gathering together their
facts whatever they may be- and It will be only little
while before they will file their papers IN court
AN IMPORTANT INTERVIEW.
The readers Of tho HERALD understand already how
Judge Hilton regards this threatened action against his
interests for statements upon this point nave
recently been published in these columns II would be
unnecessary TO review his opinions now had he not
yesterday, in long conversation with tho writer,
utterance to very surprising facts of which
wholly ignorant.
neys have no ground for action. Il is'ony by
bshng OF three facts that will be proceeded
against" Then the Judge discussed the law Of the
in precisely the same manner given above.
Every one who knew Mr.. Stewart, - he continued,
'any one who ever held intercourse with him; nay,
any who has simply looked from outside upon his
business career, can clearly that he man who
could not have been unduy influenced, while an
attempt 10 show that nc was insane or that his
mind was IN any way affected, Is simply
pre- posterous Of the will Is drawn up legal
form. Mr. Stewart had, Of course, the right TO give
his property away he pleased without consulting
anybody and certainly he required to consult
all these called blood relatives whom he knew
How would lie have been able to ascertain who we're
The genuine oncs--whether they were the old women
IN kcokuk or the old gentlemen IN Chatham street?
ANOTHER WILL.
'Now," continued the Judge, II will tell you some
thing which neither the Turncys nor their attorneys
know. There is another will that Mr.. A. T. Stewart
made PRIOR TO his final which has not been
destroyed. In his property Is distributed In his
last the residuary being given solely to his
WIFE, Nay, Mr. Stewart always had win lilo
wrote many. but every one OF them was
written alter the same form. Since ! assure you
OF this please tell me how there could have been any
undue influence upon tho part OF any one or any de-
gree Of insanity upon the part OF Mr. stewart himself
Now suppose, simply for argument that tho Turneys
succeeded In breaking the maj WILL then they would
have 10 break the written previous to H. and in
fact would have TO contend against every will that he
made until aFwere destroyed The task would DO .
hopeless one as you can easily see, and tho result
aimed at could never be consunnated.
sPfRIrrALsM. :
This is all care to say upon this subject for have
another OF deeper interest TO the public than pro-
posed lawsuit regard II as which q great paper
like the NEW York HERALD should expose Here
catching up huge pile OF lctcrs have communion
tons which not only disgusting but really pro-
fame They are addressed TO Mrs Stewart by spiritual
istc mediums and purport TO come directly from the
land OF spirits They are all signed A. r. Stewart, AID
purport TO be written by him through the different
diuna Let me read you somev
Hercupon the Judge opened letter and read. In