Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-06-25
A BUDGET OF WILLS.
LAST TEsrAMEErs WHICH HAVE MADE
THEIR AUTHORS FAMOUS.

LAST TESrAMENrS WHICH HAVE MADE
THEIR AUTHORS FAMOUS.
Eccentric and whimsical Wills and Vim
dicsive Bequests that have
Puzzled Lawyers.
Elk. Governor Macarthur, of Ohio, died a
good while ago leaving an estate amount.
ing to S2,000,0 600, which was not to be
divided until the youngest grandchild
should reach the age of q years, and then
be apportioned equally among the entire
family. The will was indefinite in an i'm
| portant particular. The old man neglected
| to say whether he meant living grand
children or included those yet unborn.
The executors refused to act under these
unusual conditions, and the County Court
appointed a trustee to take charge of the
property. Fifty years passed away after
the old mans death, and grandchildren
continued to be born. Finally some of the
heirs thought it about time an under
standing was arrived at, and went into
| Court, and the case is still before the
Courts and grandchildren continue to be
born. The shortest will on record was ad.
admitted to probate at Lewes, Del, in No
vember, 1878, and consisted of eight words !:
"a Mrs. Blank to have all when | die. :"
| The property was considerable, but the
will was not contested.
wIEL OF a JILTEp BACHELOR.
| A French merchant dying more than
century ago left handsome legacy to
| lady "who had, twenty years before, re-
fused to marry him, in order to express his
gratitude to her for her forbearance and
his admiration for her sagacity in leaving
to him happy bachelor life of independ-
ence and freedom" Equally cynical is the
will of Lieutenant. Colonel Nash, who be-
queathed an annuity of $3.50 annually to
the bellringers of Bath Abbey, provided
| they should mutfie the bells of said Abbey
and ring them, with doleful accentuatiop,
| from A. ~ to P. NJ. on each succeeding
anniversary of his wedding day. and dur
ing the same number of hours, only with a
merry peal, on the anniversary of the day
which released him from domestic tyranny
and wretchedness.
The records of the Probate Court will
show that the ruling passion of an eccen-
trio genius is frequently strongest in the
face of death, and the most characteristic
thing in the life of many men is their man.
ner of taking leave of it. The will of
New Yorker who died only few months
ago is fresh in the mind of every newspa-
per reader. Bequeathing all his fortune to
his nephews and nieces, seven in number,
he decreed that they were to share it
equally and on no account to go to law
about it, on pain of FORGETTING their respect
i've rights. 60 1 strictly enjoin my execu-
tors, F" continued the will, to hold a pub
lie sale, at which my seventy one pairs of
trousers shall be sold, aud | wish no one
purchaser to have more than one pair. l
desire that these garments shall IN no way
be examined or meddled with, but be dis
posed of as they are found at the time of
my death" As the testator had always
been more or less eccentric in his ways no
one expressed surprise at these singular
clauses, which were religiously carried out
The sale was held, the seventy-one pairs OF
trousers were sold to seventy. one different
purchasers. One of these, in examining
the pockets. discovered in the fob packet
of some kind closely sewed up. He lost
no time in cutting the thread, and was re.
warded by bundle Of bank notes repre-
senting 81, coo. The news soon spread,
and each OF the others found himself pos
sessed of a similar amount. As may be
supposed, all were well satisfied except the
heirs, who could not find redress at law,
that common resource being prohibited
MORE CURIOUS WILLS.
A manufacturer of Lebanon, Pa, Mr..
| Willie, appointed as executors of his ex-
traordinary will jury of honor. consisting
of all the householders in his native town
"who can prove that they came honestly
by their fortunes. each to receive 5000 for
| his trouble. He computes that there
cannot be above twenty in the town, and
doubts whether that number will be
reached. But Mr.. Willie was halter,
and therefore, perhaps, excnsably mad.
Among the men who have gone deliber-
ately out of the world with feelings of
hatred, malice and revenge, intensified by
approaching death, Philip, Earl of Penn
| broke, is one of the most notable examples.
His will was, perhaps, the greatest literary
effort of his life.
@ Item As for my soul, | do confess
| have often heard men speak of the soul,
but what may be these same souls, or what
their destination, God knoweth for myself
| know not. Men have likewise talked to
me of another world, which have never
visited, nor do | even know an inch of the
ground that leade,h thereto. When the
King was reigning did make my son wear
a surplice, being DESTROYS that he should
become Bishop, and for myself | did fol-
low the religion of my master. Then came
the Scotch, who made me a Presbyterian,
but since the time of Cromwell have be-
come an Independent.
WHICHEVER RELIGION MAY SAVE SOUL.
s'These are, methinks, the three princi-
pal religions of the kingdom. Ii any one
of the three can save soul to it / claim to
belong. If, therefore. my executors can
find my soul desire they will return it to
Him who gave it to me.
g give my body, which it is plain
cannot keep, for, as you see, the chirur-
geone are tearing it in pieces-bury me,
therefore. hold land and churches enough
for that. Above all, put not my body be.
meath the church porch. for I am, after all,
should be inferred there where Colonel
Price was born.
"Item | will have no monument, for
then must needs have an epitaph, and
have had enough of verses during my life
time.
"Item | give my two best saddle
horses TO the fSaIl Oh DenoISn, whose iegsi
methinks, must soon begin TO fail him. As
regardeth my other horses, | bequeath
them to Lord Fairfax, that when Cromwell
and his Council take away his commission
he may still have some horse to command.
"Item | give nothing to my Lord Sage,
and do make him this legacy willingly, be-
cause know that he will faithfully dis
tribute it unto the poor.
BEoUEATHING A THRAsHING.
" Item Seeing that did menace GER
tain Henry Midway, but did not thrash