The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1883-11-10
HALF A MILLION.
A Young Man Indebted TO a Boston
Estate to that Amount.

BosroN. October 29.-The talk Of the
town is the verdict of the jury N the
Armstrong case, which, contrary to the
general expectation, strips the resPon-
dent, Warren X. Blodgett, OF the S4OU,-
600 which Widow Abigail Armstrong
gave him during her life for his person
al kindness to her and for his care Of her
large estate. The case, which has
been on trial for three weeks, has
enlisted the services of such men
as William q. Russell on the w1n-
ming side and Z. lockwood HOar and
ex-Gov. Goshen ID Mr.. Blodgett's be-
half 1t has furnished more romance
than any other recent case, while the
distinguished standing of the Armstrong
family, the immense sum involved, the
pecularltles of the old lady, and the life
history of Mr.. Blodgett have combined
TO make the trial engrOss all the pubic
attention that was not given to politics.
Mrs. Armstrong was the widow OF an
ex-mayOr of Boston and an ex-governor
of Massachusetts, who died before the
war and left her with a Beacon Street
mansion and property worth something
less than $500. 600. Mr.. Blodgett came
to Boston about that time with few
borrowed dollars IN his pocket and OBJ
tanned employment In a butcher shop II
one of Mrs. Armstrong; buildings.
The widow liked the boy, and finding
BIN smart and honest lent linn money
wherewith 60 start II business for him
self About fifteen years ago the Old
lady, grown Ii the meantime to be re-
cluse, intrusJed to Mr.. Blodgett, who
was then a prosperous provision dealer
on BewdOIn Square, the management OF
her estate. He and his family were at
that time about the only visitors Mrs.
Armstrong had, her numerous re 'atIves
having one by one been estranged
from her, and the testimony SHOWS
that they were on terms of close
intimacy. The income of the estate was
about $50, 600 a year, and this sum Mr..
BlOdgett used to collect and bank, cred
Itlng himself with his commission of 10
per cent. After while. IN 1874, Mrs.
Armstrong fell into the habit of giving
her faithful friend the whole of his col
lectIOns, as well as the commission. She
told him that she preferred to make no
VIII and desired to endow him with
wealth, and this design she fully carried
out.
MI Dl1LEELl. WHO WIS Tie uESb VII
ness called by the other side, produced
a set of accuratelY-kept books, showing
receipts for 1866, ,0O0 from his benefac-
tress. All their negotiations were con-
ducted in strict privacy, no witnesses
being present, and no counsel con-
suited as to the prOprIety of such I'M
mense gifts, and this privacy probably
influenced the jury IN a great measure.
They believed that the old lady, after
1873, was undujv influenced. In this they
were aided by the great volume Of ev1-
deuce of servants and others showing
her parsimony and what experts called
senile dementia, and also by the charge
Of the Judge, which gave them authority
to infer undue influence from the tasti-
mony. The amount which Mr. Blodgett
Acknowledges having received, with IN
terest, viii leave him indebted TO the
Armstrong estate, according TO the ver-
diet, about half a million dollars.
Against this, however, there viii be a
set-Otf for his services IN managing the
estate, which viii be determined, prob
ably, by master.