The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-08-26

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All society eyes were now turned on the
young widow, who it was supposed
would Inherit the whole estate. But
wills Oft bring surprises, and the
VIII OF Louis c. Hamsrsley, Jr..
was the yeriest bombshell that has ever
Deen thrown into New York society, It
was found that the estate was put in the
hands or trustees, who were directed to pay
the tn whole income of the property to Mrs.
Hamersiey during her life. Then followed
tins remarkable clause:
In the event that no issue of mine shall
survive my said wife, then on her decease |
give my said estate, real and personal. to
Ine maze Issue OF my cousin, j. Hooker
Hamersley, then living, and TO the male
issue OF such of them as shall have pre-
vlouSIy died leaving issue. In the event,
however, that my said cousin shall die
WITHOUT leaving male issue him surviving
or surviving my wife, then, on the decease
OF my wife, give the whole Of my said
estate to such charitable and bene VIOLENT
corporations located In the state of New
York, and in such shares and proportions
as my dear wife shall, by her last will and
tes ament, etc.. Designate
The three trustees were George s. Will
Jams, Jacob Lockman and Mrs. Hamerslev.
Immediate inquiry was made as to the fair
widows religious belief, and when it was
announced that she was an Episcopalian
those interested in the charitable institu-
tons OF that church looked upon her with
much favor. But a cloud appeared upon
the horizon of their hopes. 1t was known
that j. Hooker Hamersley, although a
pacneIor OF uncertain age, was much adj
dlcted to the writing of poetry and TO the
driving OF maidens fair in his handsome
T-cart. Then, too, if the will should not
a a. I'd -
would receive her widows dover, amount
ing to something like S1,35O,000 in fee
simple instead Of the mere income. A con-
test was soon instituted, headed by John
W. hamorsly, paternal uncle of the tesla
tor, by Mrs. Mary Mason Jones, a great
aunt, and by all the little Joneses and
Masons, cousins of the testator and grand
children Of Mrs. Hamersley. IL was claimed
that the young widow had come,
as it were, like a fair Lochinvar
out OF Troy and welded MIR. Ham,
ersley, and that shehad remark
ably strong mind and will, which COM
pletely dominated those of her late hus-
band, which, it was also claimed, were not
particularly strong. Bushels of evidence
were produced, and the faithful Becky
Jones an old and tried servant, was con-
lined in Ludlow street Jail, a martyr to her
unswerving fidelity to her late masters in
structions, which were summed up in the
words: Becky, hold your tongue.n
The decision was finally handed down
by Surrogate Rollins. 1t sustained the
will. Among other things the surrogate
said:
ANY man is competent to make a will
who Is capable of sufficient thought, rehec-
ton and Judgment to know what property
he mas; to call to mind the persons who
because Of the claims of kinship or for
other causes, might naturally expect to be
included among the objects of his bounty
and to form an intelligent purpose as tC
whom he will make and whom lie will re
fuse to make his testamentary beneficial
riesn
The heart Of the whole case was thus sci
out:
That the mere influence of affection
and regard cannot suffice to invahdate {
testamentary paper is a proposition tina
seems to me to find nowhere such secur,
foundation as in the statute of wills itself
ut is manlfestly one of the paramou a
objects Of that statute to afford full anC
free opportunity for the influence of affec
ton and regard TO display themselves. L
the very existence of these motives to thu
bestowal of testamentary bounty must b.
held to make such bestowal illegal and in
pFeposterous.
Mrs. Hamersley's friends congratulate,
her. Mgr. Capel, then in the heyday of hi
fame in New York, tried to convert her t.
Catholicism, and j. Hooker Hamersley. Oh
whom the family's hopes were fixed, wen
on writing poetry, driving maidens fair il
his T-cart and being, as one of his relative
remarked, ''too darned general in his atten
tions." The period of mourning passeC
away. Mrs. Hamersley threw off he
weeds, took an opera box and became one o
the leading figures of the winter socia
season. Then came the owner o
Blenheim, the noted and notoriou
Duke of Marlborough, to these shores. H,
gazed upon the widows beauty, h,
learned of her estate, and returned hom
only to come back and carry her off il
triumph to his ancestral home. The wed
ding, at which the then Mayor Hewitt of
ficiated and kissed the bride, the wedding
breakfast at Delmonico's, the chase of tn,
reporters the departure Of the pair, theil
arrival in England, the reception of tn,
new duchess, at first cold, but now, largely
due to her own personal influence anC
charms, pleasant one--have not these beer
written in the daily prints for many
months past?
The will case was passing into history
ana Une cnarlUaDlo INSTITUTIONS had SettIeC
down into a reasonable hope of future
benefits upon the deceass of the duchess
when once more boUbshell was thrown
into society bv the announcement of the en-.
gagement of j. Hooker Hamersley to Miss
Margaret Chisholm. The wedding soon
followed, and society has closely watched
the social register, which duly records all
births, marriages and deaths, since that
time A month ago the report was current
that son and heir had been born to Mr..
and Mrs. Hamersley, but to World re-
porter who journeYed to their villa at Col
lege Point Mr.. Hamersley smilingly said,
"The announcement is premature" On
Tuesday, however, ap infant Hamersley
saw the light, but, as the Irishman re-
marked, "the first boy was girl"
Once more the charitable institutions
breathe easy aud once more the Duchess OF
Marlborough may, in pleasing fancy, con.
template the list Of chart les in New York
state to which she still has a chance of
becoming, at her death, Lady Bountiful.
Meanwhile the infant girl will kick and
crow as Justify as if she had not put any
ones nose out of joint. The proud father
will tell of her charms to admiring friends,
and another chapter in the famous Hamer-
sIey will case comes to an end