St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-12-29
MRS. STONES MILLIONS.
The Jury Disagrees on the Question Of
Dominic Wilcox's Influence.
lspeeial Telegram 10 lie Gl.oe.

special Telegram to the GlCOe.l
Boston, Dec. 2S.-The contest Of the wiz
Of Mrs. yaleria G. Stone, Of Maiden, ended
yesterday in the supreme court, with dis
agreement, and thus the will was practically
upheld. Mrs. Stone is widely known as the
giver of $1,000, 600 to various educational
institutions east aud west, but, as will be seen
further on, the breaking Of her will would
not have affected the donations of
this sort, which have already 6een
paid. Mrs. Stones husband, who
had lived simply and had not been supposed
TO be possessed 81 great wealth, died in 1879.
leaving to his widow 2,lOO,O 600. he gave
her this vast sum Internationally, simply
recommending the distribution OF the bulk
OF IL among charitable institutions. Mrs.
Stone, an old woman, thus found herself the
almcner Of millions, and being utterly uuAc-
Quainted even with the details OF ordinary
business, set about in search for an advisor.
She soon hit upon William II.
Wilcox, pastor Of the Congregational church
in the neighboring town OF Reading, who
was one Of the three executors. Then be =
gan the cominie's sun 10 rise. He resigned
his pulpit, moved into a house in Walden.
which Mrs. Stone built for him, and at once
assumed uninterrupted control OF the old
BOYS wealth.
The counsel for the contestants in the
present suit labOred diligently to prove that
Wilcox, like the rat in the fable, ate his way
into the cheese and thrived on
the contents thereof. Being Con-
gregstionalist, he had no difficulty in
directing the streams OF bounty in the direc-
ton Of that denomination. The recommen-
dstion OF Mr.. Stone that charitable institu-
tons be favored was lost sight Of, and instead
colleges, mission stations, etc, received more
than Si,00O,O00. DR.. Wilcox, who is a man
OF sixty years, with sloping shoulders and
heavy eyebrows, testified that Mrs. stones
gifts 70 himself and the members Of his fam
ily amounted to s239, O11, including a siipu-
lated compensation Of sis, 900 year. Much
time was consumed ON the trial in
showing the absolute character OF the control
which DIR. Wilcox exercised over the lady's
purse strings. It appears that she did nothing
but sign orders for donations. de allowed
her to see none OF the myriads of begging
letters, while he sent to her only those with
whose writers he was in sympathy, and
among the witnesses were several repre-
seDtztiyes of local charities who thought
their claims fully as good as that Of far west
ern colleges, but who could not get the ear
Of the benevolent Mrs. Stone.
Last year Mrs. Stones career was cut
short by death. Counsel put il rather strongly
il saying thst she died 4 pzuper, but prae-
tcally she had but about ., 600 OF the 2, IO0,-
600 left She had given Der relatives about
5000 200, the Wilcox family $3.50, 600. the
colleges $l.O6S, 900, and had transferred the
balance to Wilcox in trust to be distributed
as he saw it. Tie viii appointed Wilcox
sole executor without bonds aud without
restrictions. He swore In the probate
court that be had not seen the document, but
in this trial he testified that ne did not see its
contents but had them read to him. The
executors of the husbands viii had long be-
fore the wife's death ceased to exercise the
duties of their Office, and both Of them,
Aessrs- Page aud Cutler, testified to their
suspicion OF Wilcox's motives, and repeated
to the jury the hard names they had called
him.
great number Of witnesses gave evidence
tending TO show undue influence within the
meaning Of the statues. Frequent epileptic
hts and loss Of memory were sdduced as evil