The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-02-18
MIRANDA WOODS WILL.

EXECUTORS REV. H. W. BEEcHER AND H. G.
THE suRRoGATE's coURr-PooR PROSPECTS
FOR THE CoLoRED FEMALE. SEMINARY.
The will of the late eccentric spinster, Miranda
Wood who. upward of q quarter of q century ago,
appointed her pastor. Rev. Henry Ward Beccher and
one Of the then leading pillars of Plymouth Church.
Henry c. Bowen, as her executors. came up yester-
day for examination in the Surrogate's Court
before Surrogate A. H. Daley. Miss Wood died
June 3. 1873. in Brooklyn, leaving no sisters
or aunts surviving. but blessed with cousins.
Tho latter are ''reckoned up by dozens however
being only eight in number. These relatives, who
are seeking break the will. not being remembered
therein by Cousin Miranda. are as follows:-Hapzi-
bah Webb. William Hulse, Margaret Hulse, Samuel
Lewis, Charity Lewis, Anne Lewis and Phebe Wise,
residents of Orange county. n Y; and Lewis Hulsc
of Slate Hill, N J. Counsellor C. r. Tresidder.
proctor for William and Margaret Hulse. flec OBJ
lection to the probate of the will in the Surrogate
Court December 30, 1878. Counsellor H. A. Holland
appears in the interest of Hepzibah Webb and
Messrs. Culver and Wright taking care of the
legal rights of Phebe WISE
The testatrix, in her WILL which bears date Of
September IL, 1882 says:~
give and devise all estate real and personal whereof
Brooklyn, clergyman and Henry G. Bowen, merchant to
ever upon the uses and trusts Of the following
First TO pay all my debts funeral expenses second
1 sS %
New York and 70 be conducted on plan similar to Mount
for the Of lower atainmens Of carning qualify
prevent (Which forbid said seminary from being
sed in the State of New York within i've years after my
for said school in any Canada
their WISDOM they think best calculated promote the
Of sd sS %S f
after my decense or sooner II conveniently may be-
Henry Ward Beecher and Henry g Bowen executors Of
this last will and testament hereby rcvokng oil former
wills.
on the examination yesterday Thomas Frazier
who offered the will for probate and who had for
testified that Miss Wood was never married and left
relatives except cousins. He found the will
among some OF her papers; the handwriting was
that Of the deceased lady. He had written to Mr.
Beecher and to Mr.. Bowen in relation to the will,
but neither gentleman had replied to the letters.
Erastus Conklin, whose name appears as one of
the signature was his but he had recollection of
having signed the paper. He hau no recollection OF
any OF the circumstances attending the will. The
other subscribing witness to the will, Mr.. L. @.
Studge, IS dead.
BOWEN AND BEEcHER.
Further examination OF the was adjourned
to HERALD reporter after the adjournment that a
gentleman had been sent to zee Mr.. Beecher to re-
quest his attendance in Court but that tho pastor
replied :--"Bowen and don't sail i'll the same boat
now and the estate is too insignificant for to
take interest in. There is not enough of money
in it to put shingles on such an institution. MIR.
Bow en- the lawyer sad had also declined to act in
the matter The counsellor said there two other
wills of prior date, left by Miss Wood This trust
deed is void, in reality, remarked the lawyer, be-
of the impossibility of providing seminary
for the education of .colorod ualcs for small
amou nlt $4,000 which is about the bulk of the
estate. When the will shall have been declared void
the estate VIII then necessarily DC ciNoeu among
the cousins. they being next OF kin amt sisters
aunts in the case"