Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-11-14
vANDERBILTs vAGAR1Es.
Tery Long Question and q Very Short
AnsaUer.
New York Herald.


Another day was spent in examining DR..
Dixon, medical expert, called in the Van
derbilt will case yesterday. The long hypo-
thetical question published when propounded
to DIR. Petzold and Dr.. Vandeweyde was sub
mitted to DR.. Dixon with certain modifca-
tons, so that it read as follows:
'tAssume that person had such diseases,
difficulties and sufferings for over twenty
years and such neoplasms for over ten years;
also assume that several years before he made
his will he repeatedly affirmed the duty of an
equal distribution of property among children,
and within few months before he made his
will asserted he did not know what he was
going to do with his enormous estate; also
assume that he made and violated many tes-
tamentary promises, some of them to his lin
cal descendants, of whom he had seventy;
also assume that before he made his will be
entertained causeless hatred to all his ten
children but the one he had selected to re-
ceiye his fortune of over $60,OO0OOO, mostly
accumulated in the latter years of his life. to
whom he had given the bulk of it, and to
whom and his sons nearly all of it; also as
sumo that he formerly entertained for such
son not so high regard as for others of his
children, speaking ofYand to him in oppro-
brious epithets, and saying Of his eight
daughters that they were splendid women,
and that he was proud of them, but that
shortly before his will he expressed for such
son the highest affection, claiming that he
was the only one of his children who had
always been source of comfort to him, and
exalted him as to his capacity far beyond his
merits; also assume that he declared, after
making such unequal will, that if he made
hundred wills he could not make better
or different one; also assume that he
claimed that he had fixed the principal rail
road, and of which he had the control, and
which was the greatest part of his fortune,
so that it would run itself, and that he de-
clared himself to be the railroad king of the
nation, If not of the world, and that his son
William would be after him; also assume
that between the will in question and the
codicile reaffirming the same, he asserted
that at his death he expected that William
a. and his sons would perpetuate the name
and honor of the family; that he
had especially tested Billy's Cor
neil; also assumes that he naturally had a
strong will, rejected all advice, became self
sufficient, almost always abruptly stopping
and refusing to speak if interrupted with a
question, and said had he died in 1854
the world would not have known that he had
lived; also assumes that he had contemplated
monument 100 feet higher than any ever
built; also assumes that for several years an
terror to his will he believed he was receiving
communications as to his disease and bust
ness affairs, and finally as to his will from
the dead, state, in your opinion. whether he
was sane or insane?"
The auditors during the reading of the
question consulted the morning papers, and
the doctor, when the question was finished
with marvellous breyity answered tsInsane.' 9