The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-10-02

to California to meet her husband, Pat
rick Collins of Augusta, Me-, who had
gone to the land of gold before her, but
who died before his wife and son reach
cd the FL Dorado. Mrs. Collins entered
the service of Mr.. Hopkins, and upon
her death her boy Timothy was legally
adopted, and was given the name of
Timothy Hopkins.
That son was the manager of his new
mothers property, her confidential
friend, and, largely, her business mana
ger after her husbands death.
On November Sth, 1887, Mrs. Hopkins
married Edward f. Searles of Methuen,
and upon her death about two months
since, Mr.. Searles offered for probate
will, giving him all her property vari-
ously estimated at from $4,000, 900 to
s7O,OOO,OOO. The latter sum is probably
an exaggerated estimate. She mention
ed Timothy Hopkins in the will, but on
ly for the purpose of stating that she had
purpoaely omitted him from her list of
beneticaries.
Timothy Hopkins contested the will,
and in this he was joined by some other
relatives.
The grounds of the contest were these:
Lack of proper attestatlon, undue infu-
ence and fraud on the part of the hus-
band, Mr.. Searles, and unsoundness of
mind on the part of the testator.
The witnesses to the will were the
first persons sworn, and they identified
the will. They all swore. that Mrs.
Searles was of sound mind as far as they
knew. Mr.. Searles was sworn and iden-
titled the will as the one Mrs. Searles
made in 1887, the one in contest. He
first met Mrs. Hopkins in San Francisco
in March, 1888. He visited her house in
response to communication from her.
She invited him to dine with her next
day, which he did, and to make excur-
sions into the country with the family.
He said Mrs. Hopkins made the first
proposition of marriage in 1888, but he
did not accept it. A year later he pro
posed to her and was accepted. They
went to Europe on wedding trip. Pre-
vious to starting Mrs. Searles secured the
funds for the trip, about 100000. The
trip lasted about six months. Witness
denied that Spiritualist Slade and Chris
tian Scientist Bolles accompanied them.
He told of certain spiritualistic scenes at
his house for amusement. He told how
Mrs. Searles decided some valuable prop
erty to him while they were in Nice,
Italy, on their wedding trip. Friday af-
ternoon the case was adjourned to Octo-
Der 18th.
1t is now stated that the contest is not
likely to be resumed on the adjourned
day. This means that a compromise
may be made.
The contestants are understood to
realize that they have not found any le-
gal flaws in the business transactions, for
the papers appear to have been drawn
with great care. At the same time they
believe, and the executors are said to
realize, that the testimony has gone a
long way to create public sentiment
that the marriage was money marriage
and that even if what the courts would
construe as undue influence was not
used, nevertheless there was some at
tempt to keep the estate intact. 1t is
we'll known that the railroads with
which the estate was so largely concern
ed are anxious to keep the property in
the hands of one person. Mr. Hopkins
kept it unbroken by giving the whole to
his wife, and she kept it intact after her
marriage to Searles by devising it to
him. He, in turn, had made will in
her favor.