Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1888-04-26
C ABOUT WILLS.



the trouble and litigation which haze
arisen from the doubtful expression
and intention Of testat0rs. omissions.
loss II the document. their destruction
D. vcrmin and otherwise. would I'LL nm
Interesting volume. The delay. too.
81 men Of property in making their
wills till they become mentally i'm
capable. or death prevents their doing
sN. - If it were executing q death
warrant. instead of settling n simple
business transaction. is to DO re-.
greeted.
Among numerous celebrated case.
may be mentioned that 4 the great
real property lawyer. the late Lord -.
Lconar,ls. whose will could not T.
found. and was supposed 20 have been
buried hidden about his person Other
eminent lawyers have failed to APP
point executors. omitted tho date ~
some important clause or word which
has called for the intervention of the
court and often resulted ia dopriving
persons Of what the tcstator intended
them 10 have. to the curiching If
others. thus IN some instances going
10 prove that the man who is his own
lawyer has a fool for a client"
y man Will seldom bcstlw the same
thought aai care ON his own aff ttrs
thai he viii on those Of other people.
Through n clerical error | have seem
martial control written ''martiall'i
For q long time it was Customary
to begin the document: In tho
name Of God. amen, L y. b. being Of
sound mind afd body" and so on.
the Intention evidently being 10 pre.
vent questions arising rs to the state
II the testatpr's mind. undu, influ-
ence. etc, but It IS obvious that thi,
mere statement. unsupported bv evil
denee, could scarcely hold law"
Ihca. again. men formerly gave back
their souls to their Maker. | ouca
came across the probate Of q will Of \
sea-fIring man. which ran: '.Fir.t,
/ humblY %bequcath my soul 10 God.
my Maker, %besecching His gracious
acceptance and forgiveness Of al my
sins; my body / give to tho earth OF
sea. as It shall please Him to order.
Ny worldly affairs | dispose Of as fol-
iows:'
Most lawyers. while properly resent
ing interference with their province.
red tape" by amateurs" often
reap a rich harvest from the usual
bunsiiug Of such me,ldlers. Iremem-
Der a case where a party hail his will
prepared. and n codicil afterwards in.
dorsed in proper legal form. Requir-
ing a second c6dicil. he thought il an
easy matter 10 add IL himself and TINS
save expense. He wrote it all right.
taking the previous one for a guide.
and called in " credible persons.
who affixed their names as witnesses"
10 its due execution. But the ties.
tator had unfortunately omitted 10
.gu il. and IL doubtless formed a mic.
point Of law for the court TO decide a.
to whether being written by the testa-
himself o mbined. Of course with
the witnesses signatures anil testi.
mony. it constituted execution Of
the codieiL.
The term Cut of with a shiIline"
has become the subject of a stage play.
and it bears a weIl-kuown relation t.
wills. / question. however. whether
There are many authentic Instances Of
- having been actually cmpIove,I
Ia writing. being perhaps more sig-
H1leaut Of a father threat To an Of.
Tending sou. | did. however. come
across a genuine ease in the improved
VIII Of n farmer. written by himself
IN a memorandum book. in which he
said ttHter atja). Il give to nv son
John II shilling. sterling. money oi
Great Britain"
The writer once prepared of1iciaItv
the viii of a tralesman OF which no
one but he and myself knew the con-
tents Imagine. therefore. my s,Ir-
prise when he told me o after that
he had been informed that his will hail
bsen seen and that the content, were
common tall ! assured him that II
was 4 mistake. but he stated that If
must be true. A. his informant hal told
him some Of it, provisions. Il tran
sPired subsequently that the testator
had male a previous will. which he
hal destroyed. so far ~ tearing il un
was concerned. but it hal been caro-
ies-ly thrown in the ash pit. and some
worsmen had been mean enough to
pat It together. and had posted il M
Ia a workshop neal by. II wa. ultf-
tnately recovered.
was Intimately acquainted with a
Lady. Of whose father il was said thar
the family solicitor. with tn, concur.
renee Of the widow. hal procured .ey-
ecution' after death. anil it is said
that previous % the signing. which
was done by the lawyer holding the
dead mans hand. a spider was placed
IN the deceased 5 mouth. which i sun
rosed to have constituted life in the
bo,ly.'
Some men in making the most SIM
pie wills giving their all 10 the wife.
wishing to be sufficiently explicit and
comprehensive. nave given her every
thing | possess in this world"
l. frequently happens that persons
buy blanks Of wills aud all them up 10
save legal expense. bat IL Is a very
unwise proceeding. and It Is not gem
orally understood that wills MOI sub
mitted for probate within n rcason.-
bic time after the death II -4le
tesiator renders the executors liable
10 a penalty. which j., however SCI.
iom enforced.
As j am speaking Of documents /
NAV mentiOn tho casa ~ q L..