Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-03-21
DIAMONDJO'S WILL.
A Document Drafted on His
Death Bed.
SIGNED WITH A DYING sCRAWL

Determined to Show His Appreciation of
Faithful service He Insists on One of
the Beneficiaries Drawing Up the
Paper and VIII Take No DeniaI-LaI se
Requests To His Trusted Employees IA d
Boys Training School Prov ided fer
His Wishes to BE Observed.
CHICAGO. March 2l.-An inventory OF
the estate of Diamond Jo' ReynolGs,
who died short time ago in a tent on
one of his mining claims in Arizona. is
being prepared in this city and is about
completed. The inventory shows the
estate to exceed sSOO0,0 OO and TO reach
almost to $1,000, 900. Diamond 10" died
before he had time to sign his will, but
his wife will carry out his dying wishee
He leaves $4,000 apiece to six or seven of
his trusted employees, and a large sum to
found magnificent training school for
boys.
4 Good Man to Work For
Before going went west Mr.. Reynolds
had indicated some points around which
a will was to be drawn. He was SOLICITORS
particu larly that the men whom he had
especially trusted-the half dozen men
he regarded as his confidential lieutenants
Richardson, for instance, of the Green
hne; Pierce, in charge of his mining prop.
critics; Dickey, manager of finances, and a
few others, should be remembered hand
somely. Then he contemplated "A magnifi-
cent training school. When he was over
taken with his fatal sickness in his tent at
the mires, app"ehensive of the rapid fate
which overlook him, the messenger who
was hurried of for physician was also
instructed TO bring "a lawyer Neither
doctor nor lawyer reached the old man in
time. lie had been dead thirty hours
when they arrived.
Did the Best He Could
As the hours passed during that lorc
wait and as his strength waned he lie.
came more impatient. Finally feeling
that he had but little strength or time
left, lie determined TO wait no longer. He
then made an effort to draft a will. II
was too late. The strength was wanting.
He direc eG one OF his men to write-oue
OF the men to whom he was most at
tached and whom he wished especially re
membered. The man refused to take so
equivocal part. Diamond 10" in
sisted. y will was then drawn as the
dying man desired He seized the pen to
sign it, but he was too weak The name
was nothing more than a scrawi
WI! Garry Out His Wishes
Then he called out 10 those around him
that the document was his last testament
The widow proposes to carry out "Dia-
mond JOS dying as well as living sug-
geStIons. Mrs. Reynolds. the widow, is a
delicate old lady, who lives in Aurora
She IS 6S Years of age, and as unlearned in
worldly ways as child. In stating her
wishes to her advisors she has told how
her sole desire now Is to carry out the
plans which her husband used to discuss,
but which, oYegestimating his vigor, he
left uniformed. To each of the men named
by her husband she will give $50, 600
Entirely Free from Debt.
The Diamond Jo' estate comprises real
estate, steam packets. grain elevators, the
railroad from Malvern to Hot Springs,
Ark, and some of the best mining prop.
erty in the country, distributed over
Colorado, Arizona, Iowa, Missouri, Kan
sas and Illinois. Although Diamond 10"
died miles away from the center of his
activity, with no means of preparation on
his part for his end, the estate was found
to owe not "a single dollar.