New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-10-17
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
A COLORED WOMAN'S WILL.
rur SURROGATE susTArNs uks. uESpRSs DISPOSE


rur SURROGATE susTAINs uIts. uESDNNs DISPOSE
lion OF HER FORTUNE.
Tho contcs. of the will of Cynthia Hesdra col
ored woman. who lied more than lr9r ostcrdav Inv
property worth $50 COO. was finished Nes.t'u"S, ~
decision of Surrogate.Calvin sustaining ,o .' h
ity OF The Instrument Conslderao,e i"'e hSc,nse
been felt ID this w%rs eooed i people
because of the peculiar circumstances unoet WIN"
TIE contest arose. c, a.oodoct
md ,he prncipaI legatee under the WILL cairns !"
have made the fortune lett by MS W''e, III t..o
cabinet making business. assisted Dy sone so tb,,
fnl real estate Investments. He saws tDa' a. lnSS
approached old age for their mut al ptobev or u,
decided all the property 10 her WIN ne nnUe. %
ing that she should make WI giving 10 ~ Fer
again in the event OF Ter death before HT -norg
her death he searched foT the WIZ a uIuuo
Their papers IN their Armiiage-st; ured ot
and also az the house III which they ~ oaI,s
NJ IL, a co1l6 no. be found. Some weeks
afterwards Sir. Hes ira took TO the ons VI nancrs
yer Quentin McAdam. large Duhuie % NJ TX cs
from the drawer of burcau among t'icSc ~ ',
Am" yas astonished and delighted to fluid the WIN
which he afterward presented Tor probate liz
Mr. Hesdra sole egatee' Eil,i ,s tr,s Win his
w,fe,s heirs. who. If no Will were iouhu
would receive the estate when -, 10 l haJ
sovaI 10 his entire exclusion. 90 Ihey haa
avsn refuscd 10 allow him $4,000 ont oil the es'ate
10 sustain him during his old age As son rs ei,S
Will came to lgdt these reiatlve7inst uteu So,
test claiming hat it was forgery. III pore ud.o
August II. 1S76.and the witnesses were leIer WI
ems ut that ;ine justice of he peace az ny aon,
and Isaac W. Canheid, q banker OF tnat pleoo' ~
dead IL was contented by the contestants VIM
Mr. stephens entered into conspiracy WIN ~
Hesdra in accordance with which he Ior@eu NJ.
Canfield's and Mrs. Hesdra's name to the papepp
wb,ch he drew There was great deal OF eApctt
testimony introduced to show that the nouy
of the will and all the signatures were written
nv the same hand Among the IMPORTANT WITNESSES so
AGAINST Mir Hesdra was the Rev. Henry H. parre..'
fhe colorca preacher. Many colored persons AT
tended the hearings In court. -, IT, , .bo
The Surrogate sustans the will. lie says tiie
nrinolpll questions arose over the long time tat
elapsed alter Mrs HesdIos death before the VIII was
offered for DR. baie over Mr.. Hesdras contradictory
Testimony rs to the finding of IT, and over the ex-
merit testimony as to the alleged forgery Inc sur
rooate places much greater reliance upon the teSti
mony of those experts who were acquainted WIN
the hand writings Of the witnesses to the VIII
and of Mrs. Hesdra, and testified from that
knowledge, tkan upon tie testuuohS
of professional experts who SIMPLY presented
theories mat were not capable OF demonstration ana
rested merely upon their opinions. some severe clt-
lcsms are passed upon this latter class OF testimony
After review of all the testimony II Is conciudeo
that the testimony OF Mr. stephens as to the CIR,
cumstances and manner III winch he drew the VIII
and in which II was executed by Mrs. HeSura mao
NOT been overthrown by the contestants
OueutIn McAdams represented MI Hesdra; fleld
Dorsheimcr Bacon * Deyo, and &. W.Wngate, loi
the contestants.