The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-07-25
It Bequeaths tho Bulk Of the
Estate to ]. A. Davis. q
Brother.
Maintenanoe for Life Awarded . Former
Mistress and Her Two Illegiti.
mate Children.

dated Van Buren, county, lowe, July 20,
1s66, and gives all of the vast estate of the
deceased, save life annuities to two illegiti
mate children and their mother in Iowa, te
John A. Davis, his brother. The will wal
annexed to the petition Of John A Davis,
asking to be appointed. administrator upon
his brothers. estate. It will be remembered
that Davis died March % last, leaving an
estate valued at $1,000, 600, and. as was sup
posed, without leaving will. The fight at
once commenced for the positition of ad
ministrator, and an interesting legal contest
followed which resulted in the ap-
pointment of John A. Davis by the local
court. The case was promptly appealed to
the supreme court where the hearing comes
off tomorrow. Meanwhile. according to
the story, this will 10 discovered among
some old papers left by deceased when he
left Iowa to come west nearly century ago.
It comes into the hands of John A. Davis
about July LIST, and was held to be sprung
the day before the hearing in the supreme
court as a bomb shell in the camp of the
opposition. The document bears the marks
of age and experts who have been thorough
ly conversant with the signature Of de-
O0dboN cAy VucIo Gull O0 AO uOuOt VI Uu0 Okl0
attached to this being genuine. The fol
lowing is the full text of the document des-
tined to play 80 important part in this
great case:
"Know ali men by these presents that I,
A. j. Davis, of the county of Van Buren,,
state of Iowa, being of good health, Of
sound and disposing mind and memory, do
make and publish this my last will and
testament, and as to my worldly estate and
all the property, real, personal or mixed, OF
which shall die seized and possessed, or to
which shall be entitled at the time Of my
decease, devise, bequeath and dispose
My will is that l give and bequeath to
Thomas jefferson Davis and Pet Davis and
her mother, Miss Bridget, all three of Van
Buren, county, Iowa, lifetime mainte-
nance. That is to say, they shall have the
necessaries of life ont of my estate
of annuity to be set apart by
my executors, hereafter named, and the
judgment of my executors as to the amount
necessary to be set apart for the support of
the above named persons shall be final.
give, devise and bequeath to my beloved
brother, John A. Davis, reversion of the
remainder of my property, whether real,
personal or mixed, to have and to hold the
same forever, together with all the profits
and income thereof, to the said John A.
Davis, his heirs, administrators or assigns,
to his and their use and benefit forever.
And, lastly, I do nominate and appoint
James Davis and Job Davis, of Davis
county, and state of Iowa, to be the execu-
tors of this, my last will and testament.
In testimony whereof /, the said A. j,
Davis. have, to this my last will and testa-
ment, contained on one sheet of paper,
have subscribed my name and affixed my
seal this. tho twentieth day Of July, in the
VAR Of (lur lord Eioh&ean Hnndrod md
Sixty-six.
(Signed) IA. j. DAVIS.
"Signed, sealed and published and die
tated by the said A. j. Davis as and for the
last will and testament in the presence of
US who at his request and in his presence
and the presence of each other have
subscribed our names as witnesses thereto.
u. @. SCoNCE,
"JAMEs DAVIS,
''JoB DAv1s.''
As set forth in the petition for letters of
administration both executors named are
long since dead and as only one witness,
(Sconce) is supposed to be alive the proving
of the will may be difficult matter. It
will come up for proving and the petition
for hearing August next. The springing
of the will has created great sensation in
this city to-day and speculation is rife as to
the result it may have upon the case. Some
are of the opinion that it will end litiRa-
tion, while others think it will but add fuel
to the fame and lawsuit will result, the
the northwest. Meanwhile the innocent
looking document which may represent so
much money is safely locked in the vault of
Hoge d Brownlee's bank, subject to the or
der of the court or its officials alone.