Los Angeles herald., 1890-03-27
THE CONNOLLY CASE.
1t is Found Necessary to Amend the
Complaint Materially.

The case of a half dozen of the blood
relations of the late Mary Connolly
against her brother Patrick, to set aside
a deed made by her for all her property
and in his favor, again occupied the
whole day in Department 3, before Judge
Wade. The plaintiffs attorneys put on
several witnesses, some OF them physi-
clans, to show by the laymen what the
relations between the two had been,
and by the professional people
what the effects of the medicines
and injuries would be likely to
to be on the mind of the patient. 1t
would not seem as if much headway had
been made in the case by the testimony
adduced. The doctors testimony was
nearly all in the way of conjecture as to
hypothetical cases, and the laymen did
not show that the relations between the
people were hostile.
Mr.. Henley found it necessary to
radically amend the complaint to keep
his case in court at all, and this necessi-
tated the preparation of an amended
answer. The chief additions made to
the complaint were to raise the alleged
value of the property from $50, 900 or
100000 to $500 straight to allegs
that the deed had actually been made,
executed and delivered; that the parties
plaintiff to this suit were defrauded by
the deed in question; that the deceased
had not independent advice to enable
her to. act wisely in the disposition OF
her property and as second cause for
action the allegations are made that
Mary Connolly came to America from
Ireland in 1856, met her brother Patrick
in San Francisco and went with him to
his mines in the mountains, then came
with him to Benicia, and from there to
Los Angeles, so that she was living all
that time with him almost alone,
and that by reason of his strong will,
hot temper and cruelty, he had subdued
her to his will and acquired over her a
control which enabled him to exercise
undue influence over her.
The court, rather plainly intimated
that these plaintiffs had no interest in
this suit as the cid complaint stood. He
said if there were any cause OF action
existing it was in Mary Connolly while
alive, and in her administrator after her
death. Still the case is allowed to go
on under the amended complaint, to
which an amended answer was filed late
in the afternoon, which consists for the
most part of a general denial of the allie
cations in the complaint. The last witness
put on the stand yesterday was r. N.
Bul1a, Esq, who told about his visit to
the ranch the day the deed was made.
He and Judge Bicknell went. At the
house they were met by Pat, He and
Mr.. Bulla took look about the prem
ises, while Judge Bicknell went into the
house. After half ali hour he came out
and called Bulla to him. They went
into the house and the latter made out
the papers at Judge Bicknell's directions
and took the acknowledgment of the
sick woman. The documents were read
over to her; she understood their con-
tents; she affixed her signature to them !;
her voice was weak, but her converse
ton was coherent and consecutive all
through.
The case is to go on again today.
Kaspar Kohn was one of the witnesses
yesterday He knew the Connollys for
fifteen years, and did a great deal of
business with them. They had an open
account with the firm all this time which
is not closed yet. Their money re-