The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-02-13
TIE MERRILL WILL CONTEST.
How Absorbing Love for an Adopted Son
wa. Changed to fmpiacabie Hatred.

On the opening OF the Merrill will case In
the Surrogates Office yesterday morning Mr..
George Merrill resumed the stand. Having
identified tho will OF Capt. Merrill. dated Nov.
II, 1856 and recognized the handwriting in it
MS the same ns that in the will Of Mrs. Merrill
dated two days before. the witness proceeded.
In reply to Mr.. parsons's ntcrrogitorics to tcs-
tfy in substance as follows.
Anor loavn. the New Jersey Zinc comnany com.
aud wa. tmiiici Tic bar in is,a iiayc since Mac,
u.c the law except when serving in the army have a
letter ifom Capt Merrill ON the same sheet
From this point the .cxamin ation consisted al
most ont rely of the idcnti II alton and reading
Of letters from Mrs. Merrill to George Merrill.
They were very long. and full of personal Cos.
sip. with unertionate expressions interspersed.
In u letter dated Paris. March 26. 1851 slic said
Your poetry IN the Erpnnig fnT il beautiful.
| hopc YOU gave Mr. Taylor a cory. Though
Mr. i. IL strictly business man. he apprc-
ciat"s cool thought. good sentiments. good
language. a.. Tho lines
"' Thus IN her veins the wave Of life reflects"
:. Mr. Parsons reading copy. stqmmcereed. hos
, tatrI, nnn snlL; eve II up. sir. strange
tie surprise. Mr. Merrill read tho rest Of the
quotation from the original:
"Soq uercome.
The nur~ conveys her icntly To her couch"
tEx-Jndge Porter shook his head in a critical.
dcrrecutory way, and Mr. Parsons went on
GO Pleas m. very much" Then the lcttcr
rawblcd on To- a lively description ot the Hotel
dL Louvre inhab tunts. the mothers Of several
children who sat nightly ut the card tables.
the girls whirling in the waltz with fast
4 letter dated Paris. April %. 1857. spoke Of
Capt Mnrrili's weakness the consequent delay
in returning TO America. and the quest ionaLle
ACCESSIBILITY OF Georges coming over TO Paris TO
accompany their return home. which. however.
Capt Merrill would not advise. This letter en- .
closed small scrap Of paper. on which Capt.
Merrill had written. as he lay in bcd, the single
I.-. nil D.. L.
mitted him tn write.
IrSJadsc ror'cr-Mhssn did Capt Merrill iiei
Mr Par.ons-v h. va. the Nr TAYLOR with whom ou
wen ~ this letter sdused to consult about going
S,9 ,i. Z, s, Ngrri'rs bushes, rs,,ner =,
this mornings PAPERS
A letter dated Paris. April 81. 1857. spoke OF
the CHntain ms failing. and said. " said to him.
VINO 10 you wish the most to see % home.
after GeorgcF He instantly replied Mr.. Tay-
lor, Mr. Taylor. h. has a big heart and his
feelings ovrr'aine him and he could not finish
the sentence H. is drsponding. He said u
me. | " sh to die Mt home. wish To be buried
q Gr"nwood. and we must all lie together
George Merrill continued his testimony. as
follows:
rs'arred Immediately to this city after nv father.
ioa.. a6ou, The iSt or 10Th OF Jam" Ms @iher. dWd
10 the date OF hs death Wa always very kind e. M NJ
pecd much s,ce,sd lie NSs AWAY s @ IN
ldd or Attended sNmratlii<ed with me and slsph,d
ever corrected me but twice In NV ill., anI Tor both Of
those expressed his regret aii.rwar In hi.
lte he transferred To- sixteenth interest ~ the sp
john Brisht II had been BOUGHT tor She hcncn capt
luNestuett "a the email amount OF their athrr. ans
"erwis IL a ne nS S nay 10Y We d ', I IN i te
scaman's Sa,.ns. SANK. OF winch he wa u trustee.
Recurring to Mrs. Merrills letters. the law
yefS read one from Paris in which she demand
ed 10 know what her income was. and accused
George Oi Keeping the knowledge from her %
serve his own ends; said she WAS living at tho
rate oil less than ten fran a day. denied herself
" ne. and allowed herself only the barrSt nereS-
sitirs OF existence. She knew. she sad. why
widows married second time: n they were
needy. II WAS 10 have support; If they had means
IL WAS 10 get "a man oil practical sense to take
care Of II.
Witness testified that the estate had no. been
diminished when under his control bat aug.
mrnted; that tue interest on the securities Of
Capt. NJ outside Of the shipping business
yielded about $1,000 year. which WAS more
than needed by her ant him. and that tIe sur
From Paris. March 2. 1859. Mrs. Merrill wrote
e. George a l.tter Of scathing deuunc alton oi
him. OF Mr.. Taylor-her lifelong TREND anu
the Old. trusted. and valued friend unl
partner OF her husDand-ani OF Mr.. B.roe. con
c"rnlng whom sue had before WI tt-n So Kin ~,
and gratefully. TIL" best she inon nad t. 50,
was that she thanked Mrs. Baroe Tor leit NJ hri
srised and scorned' all the others. aud spOk,
+ Of the degradation, Indebtedness. and uorti
fitation' George had caused her. The letter
J which was exceedingly long, WIS well and go.
ness and angry reproach.s.
Chief Justice Curtis of the Superior Court
having taken the sand. testified that he knew
Mrs. George Merrill before her marria age as a
lady of refinement and culture. that her y lrcnts
wrre persons OF means and refinement; that
her friends wer' persons oi resprctahlllty and
culture; that her mothers sisters and NOR
remote relatives stu were all distinguished by
Refinement