The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1881-05-07

How Il Rich Old Woman Got Drunk and
York-The Wonders Of the Dog show-A
Case Of RIacklnail-Stock Exchange, On
Dit, etc.
New YORK, April 80, 1881.
EDITOR CHIEF:
A will has just been admitted to pro-
bate in tile city Of Brooklyn, the inves-
tigation Of wllicl, has brought to light
the most remarkable revelations ever
listened to in a court of law. The whole
affair reads like romance, and, although
the Surrogate has given his decision ad-
hitting the will to probate, the end is
not yet, for the property fought for is
large, with the income constantly in
crcasing, and the executors will not give
it up without Il bitter fight. Many years
ago there came to the city Of Brooklyn q
poor 1rishnan and his wife by the name
of O'Hara, and there they settled down
! to fight the battle of life as best they
could. O'IIara, though illiteratc, was
sharp and sl,rewd; rs q contractor he
became power i'll South Brooklyn, and
in Il few years from Il condition of ahject
poverty became, if not q millionaire, at
least, a very rich man, and died, leaving
all his property, about $l5O,o0O, to his
widow. As soon as it was discovered
that she had 50 much money she was not
without friends, the most prominent
amc,ig them being Judge Alexander
McCue, i shrewd lawyer Of Brooklyn,
and a couple of Catholic clergymen, VIII"
were the main recipients of her bounty.
After the death Of her husband she staI-
ted iii to have the benefit Of her fortune,
and almost the fist break she made WAS
| to take her clerical friends on Il trip to
the Holy City Of Rome, bearing all the
expense each way; and while there she
bought Il chime of bells, which she pre-
sented to the parish church, and on her
return she gave each Of her spiritual
advisers 5000. She rode out frequently
with one or both Of her priestly friends,
and rs Il general thing returned most
glorio,,sly drunk. 1t the witnesses are
to be believed, the old lady kept her
clay in Il condition of continual moisture
for many years. Sho had wonderful
visions; before she left Ireland she saw
| .,ff l,nc l., 0,n, md
though having reached the term allotted
by the psalmist Of three score and ten,
this lively old dame imagined herself
married to Il Smart young fellow, and
could be heard all through the night by
her neishbors in the house giving hel
imaginary spouse Hail Columhia.'
She was continually paying for masses
for the reposc of somebody's soul, and
her friends the priests found this as good
IL lode as John w. Mackcy forn.l in tl,t
! Big Bonanza i'll Nevada. One got !;
magnificent altar cloth and $5UUO; the
other got a splendid set of chalices an'
5000. One Of the priests told the oil
lady a story of an unfortunate man wh'
died. leaving his money to his relations
and the relations began fighting abon
it, and lie had no peace in his grave ol
fully remarked, if he had a fortune t.
leave. he would not leave it to IL lot 0
fighting relations /; but he would leave j
to the church, where it would do s>m
good to his poor soul, but right her
came Il hitch, the laws Of New Iorl
prevented the old lady from leaving tn
whole of her property to the holy church
fortunately for her, however, her lawyer
Judge Alexander McCuc, suggested
way by which the provisions of tina
wholesome law could be cva.lcd, am
that was to appoint him and the tw
priests absolute trustees Of the ren'alnde
,, of her worldly goods, to d" with thel
whatever they saw fit, and this the o
lady did and then making bequcsts q
$4,000 each, to a couple OF orphan nIcces
and $4,000 to the Long Island llospita
the priests, the Catholic church an
Judge Alexander McCnc appear to HAY
secured the rest, !, sum total ;lmonntin
to not far from S1.o,O0O, and then sll
/. died. Three Snrroyates have passc
S away since this remarkable will VI;
first offered for probate. The prcsel
I Surrogate is il Catholic, and he was III
/ able to see that amy undue influence h;'
been used with Il poor drunken old d'
mcntcl woman Of 20, whose great prol
erty had been diverted from the lawtl
u heirs and left to the holy church. III
|, fight is by no means ended. There Ill
I stiu courts III the State where the san
| influences which have SO far surroundc
this case will avail its INSCRIPTIONS az
vncatcs no longer, when it is to be hope
}, that Justice will be eventually done al
$ this infamous will will be broken.
I have had Il chronic grrmble all Il
spring at the weather, and ! hardly fe
inclined to let up OH it yet; we have
: few stray leaves on the trees, an occa>
onal blade Of grass, but as yet We l.a'
no spring to speak Of.
{ Undoubtedly you have heard of peop
being very much moved. but | doubt
/. you ever saw al entire columnni
J. moved is the city Of New York is
:, present. l know not who the fellow W
! who first started the idea Of peop
: moving once Il year, but whoever he ":
Ii his memory should stand accursed i'll t
calendar forever. Man Is prone to Z,