Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-07-06
Breaking the Old Mans Will.

NCoA. nc Wllleu all MS SOOuS, chat-
tells and effects to his house-keeper.
leaving Jim, his nephew and next of
kin, only his blessing. tFs y !
Jim consulted a lawyer about the
possibility of success in contesting the
will of his uncle.
Counselor. Fve come in to see YOU
bout busting my uncle's Wills ex-
planned jim. -
"On whist sgrounds?" asked the
lawyer. did ne have two Witnesses
and explain that the paper was hislast
will. and request them to sign?''
" Yes, sir, heidi; but. hang me if I'd
signed if I'd a, knowed that he was
goin' to leave me out-in the cold. Not
met
You did not have to know that; it
seems we can't work against the for
mality. Was he of sound and dispos-
ing mind, or. in other words, was he so
peculiar that a jury of twelve sensible
men would regard him rs Incapable of
making a Wilt" ,--~i
Il think he was answered Jim,
feeling treasured. g
''Now tell me What makes YOU think
so. Try and recollect anything he did
that would warrant us in regarding
|
him as crazy" -
- In the first place, he alters paid his
debts right up TO the handle. Never
disputed the bills when he knowed they
was right and save a dollar here and
there. think that oughter be agains.
4 man, don't you?" - a"
Eyes, it shows,a want of foresight.
We might call it unbusiness-like and
| r.ae I'll
few more instances like that and
you'll have yourUncle's money!"
Il never seed that man shirl col
lection at church by stayin' home. l
never seed him look for his hat under
the bench or gaze in raptur's at the
ceilin' when thcplate come round, but
he panned out every time
HE certainly showed unmistakable
symptoms of alteration not to shirk a
missionary collection. Your uncle was
clearly incapable of making a will.
Tell me some more foolish things he
did. - b. t-- l49}
well, less see. What would YOU
say to a man that bought paper every
mornin' when he could have borrowed
Dimes on the top floor Just for walkin'
up for it? 1t strikes me that man
that'd sooner buy than borrer is clean
gone. -
Il fully agree with you. So would
any Judge or jury. Mr.. Gubbett, you
ought to be n lawyer"
Il don't 'spect would say a man that
was a ridin' on a laird avenue car and
the conductor forgot to collect his far
and bimeby in gettin' out han it over
to the conductor-I ,don't 'spect you'd
say sich a man was n born statesman,
would you?"
WHO would be guilty of such era
Nv act?r --1 rom f-g.. -t.- >s,-... o.
why, my uncle done that very
thing. l was 4 lookin' at him dom il. -
Mr. Gubbett, since the beginning
of the world there, hasn't been such
another foolish man as your uncle. He
was a spendthrift. He should have
had a committee to take charge of his
estate. Now tell, had he strange re-
ligious opinions such as would render
him incapable of making a valid -will?''
Yes he had. Though ~hewas one of
the richest men in the church, never
heard him MAXIM long prayers He
never tried to run the preacher or the
congregation. r But the foolishest thing
he done was-to refuse to have his nam
on a stain-glass window that he gave to
the church. Refused point blank"
That will do, Mr.. Gubbett. IT'S a:
plain as day your uncle was a iunatic.
Not try to run the pastor, refuse to par
| ade his name before the whole congre
cation. Yes, sir, your uncle was
loohey. "
Counselor, let me, tell you anothe-
thing he done Just before he died. 1t
seems he once borrowed ten dollars
from a man in Vermont twenty years
ago, think. Well, he forgot all about
it until after his will was made, and
hang metif he didn't What he wanted
that man paid the ten dollars with legal
interest He had forgot or ed paid II
himself -"
Enough, enough, Mr.. Gubbett. A
man that would pay an outlawed debt
has not the shadow of chance of hav
ing his. will upheld. 1 never yet heard
of man SO crazy in all any professional
life. That'll do. Come on Monday
and I'll-fle allegations against his
will"
"Good day, Counselor"
i Good day, Mr.. Gubbett IN. Y.
4 TFOrld.