The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-04-16
CURIOUS FACTS ABOUT WILLS.
pelay of Men Of IsopertS Legal -
pr..sions-A simple Will


min and Otherwise. would fill an in
tere,ling volume. Tie delay, too oil
men of property in making 'h'it Wis
fill they become mentally lncaPaDie. o'
death prevents their dong So a. u "
wer. executing a death warrant III
stead of settling "a simple business trans
action. Is 10 be regretted
Among numerous celebrated cases may
b. mentioned that at the great real prop
orty LAWYER. .he late Lord ~. Leon"rd7'
.-l... viii could not be- found. ana was
...i.i...d to have been buried hiddoh
Ion, n3 person. Other eminent law
,.r- boss. Jailed to appoint executors
ooi., tne date or some important
elan ID, word which has called Tor tn'
Intervention of the court and often r.
suited III dcprvinc persons oil WHAT 'i'e
te-tator intended them % have. io me
enriching of others, thus IN some in-
stance. going 10 prove that the 'nAH
who is his own lawyer has fool for
client" 4 man will seldom bc-tow the
same thought and care on his own aiiaI'
that ne will on those of other people.
For long time it WAS customary e.
heoin tie document In the name OF
God. amen. !. \. D., being OF sound
mind and body, and $50 ON, the n,'n-
ton evidently being 10 prevent questions
arising as To tine state Of the ie-ldlof
mind. undue influence. etc. hut ~ i5 ODE
vious that this mere statement. un-uP-
ported by evidence. could scarcely 'holi
Inv Then, again. men formerly gave
Lock their souls 10 their Maker once
came across the probate of Vii OF q
scafaing man, which ran "fltet
humbly bcQueath my soul % God, mf
Maker. hcsecching his gracious acceptance
and forgiveness of all my sins; my body
| give 10 tine earth or sea. as 10 snail
please him to order. My worldly affairs
| dispose of as follows.
Most lawyers. whilc properly r,sen'ms
interference with their province ''ret
tame. bv amateurs. often reap uch
harvest from the usual buuGlm- oi sucn
meddlers. remember a. case where
party had bis viii prepared, ana con
ell afterward indor-ed in proper legal
form Recurring "a second COLLECT. Do"
thought ii au easy matter to add DO hIi1-
self and thus save expense. lie wrote
+ IL all right. taking the previous one for
/ Guide. and called ln two "crcdlo.r per-
sons who affixed their names as ""l.-
ues~esr To ITS due execution. hut tae
te,tator had unfortunately mlttodto lm
il. and it doubtless formed mc. point
of law for the court 10 decide as to
whether. being written hv the tcStator
himself. combined. Of course. "ltn the
witnesses signature and testimony. D.
constituted execution 81 the cDucL
The term Int of with shilling ia-
become the subject Of % Stage play, anI
IT bears well known relation Co wills
| question however. whether there are
many authentic instances of is having
been actually employed in writing being.
porhans. more significant Il "a Father b
threat 10 au offending son dd hove
ever. come across "a genuine case 800 the
improved will Of father, written bF
himself IN q memorandum book n
which be said du'cr aliaI: Il give to my
son John one shilling, sterling, money OF
Great Britain"
The writer once prepared officially the
will of "a tradcsmau. of winch no one Lu.
he and myself knew the contents. lm-
aginc. therefore. my surprise wnrn ha
told me soon after that hc had been il-
formed that his will had been seen and
that the contents were common tails. j
assured him that it was mistake bul
he stated that It must be- true,
rs his informant had told him
some of It's provisions. IL tram
spired subsequently that the testatoi
had made a previous viii which Inc hao
DESTROYED. So far as tearing % up "a-
concerned, but it had been carele,sly
thrown in the ash pit and some work
men had been mean enough 70 pat it o..
cether and had posted it up I'M "a work
shop near by. 1t was ultimately fe
covered
| was intimately acquainted with
ldy. Of whose father IL was said, that
the family solicitor with the concuirenc,
of the widow, had procured execution
after death. and it Is said that previous d
the signing. " which was done by th
lawyer holding the dead man hand.
spider was placed in the deceased
mouth. which Is supposed To have con
stiuted life I'm the BODY
Some men ia making the most slmp'
wills giving their all to the wife, wishn.
TO b. sufficiently explicit and comHt
hensiye. have given her everything
possess in tins world.
1t frequently happens that persons ha
blanks Of wills and fill them up 20 saw
; lecal expense, bat il is a very unwi-epso
r cceiinc. and it IS not generally under
stool that wills not submitted for pro
: bate within a reasonable time aitcr th
death Of the testator renders the executor
81 liable to a penalty, which Is, however
, seldom enforced.
AsI am speaking cf documents ma
mention the case Of a lease oxemphiyln
bitter bit. " where a landlord prepare
for tenant the lease OF farm himself
and wishing to retain all rights OF sport
ing omitted an mention Of such. thc ro
suit being that those rights. not benz
) properly excepted or reserved. bocam
unquestionably and exclusively the ten
Detroit Free Press.