The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-02-20
FAYERWEATHER'S WILL.
. Rig LEGAL FIGHT TO HAVE IT
SET ASIDE.


IS 70 Motive.
NJ, case of recent years has drawn SO
INV men Of emInence into the courtroom
:. counsel in this city as the Fayerweather
I'll contest which is now progressing, says
. Nav York special to the Philadelphia
prsss of Feb. 5. And it may be said that
,robably the scene which took place in the
sryrogate's court to-day, quiet, undemon-
s4rstiye though it was to outward seeming,
uss unprecedented in the annals of our
oorrts. For one of our ablest lawyers, a
man of wide professional reputation, and at
one time of great repute as a republican,
VAS by the most delicate, subtle, and yet
cutting and awful suggestion. impeaching or
attempting to impeach the professional
.onor of one of the most distinguished
AIMS that practices at the New York bar.
The story of Fayerweather, his enormous
hocnssts to colleges, the extraordinary
scsne which took place at his death-bed.
liam with almost unconscious hand, being
nractically in articulo mortis, he signed a
ppodiciI which may, if the three beneticiaries
remed in il so choose, and the court sustains
II beoueath to each of them something like
a million dollars apiece, has already been
told.
from which even q clergyman was excluded,
came 10 the knowledge OF Mrs Fayer-
weather and the other heirs. they decided
10 contest the will and they went to
Frederick r. Coudert, who is so distin-
gnished that he has been chosen as president
of the bar association and would have been
nominated by President Cleveland as chief
instice. but for the fact that it was deemed
wise not to appoint for that bench from
New York city.
THE SCENE IN COURT.
The contest began late on Monday, was
adjourned until this morning, and is now at
white heat and bids fair to last for several
DAYS. See what a distinguished array of
counsel faced a distinguished lawyer and
politician, who took the witness chair.
First of all there was Mr.. Coudert himself
a remarkable man, ranking with the first
four lawyers at the New York bar, of a
most enviable fame throughout the country,
and possessing the unique reputation of
being the most polite man in New York
city. He is a small man, and not until he
arises and addresses court or audience do
his exquisite charm of manner, his grace as
an orator and his clearness of thought be-
come apparent.
II seen upon the street by those who did
not know him he would pass as one of
throng; his face is small, his head peculiarly
shaped, and the most massive thing abont
him seems to be his thick and black beard,
which is worn after the style known as 'the
Burnside cut"
During the proceedings to-day he was
silent, excepting on one occasion. Then he
arose to defend question which one of his
associates had put to the witness. He spoke
for about five minutes, and with what
lucidity, what charm of eloquence, and yet
of speech, the riveted attention
OF the vast throng in the courtroom most
clearly demonstrated.
Mr. Coudert has wit and humor, and in
closing his speech be gave full play to these
qualities. so that the severe strain in the
court room was relaxed, and for the first
time court, witness, contestants and propo-
nentS and audience were almost convulsed
with laughter
ONE OF THE GREATEST LAWYERS.
Seated beside Mr.. Coudert was that law
yer whose boast it is that he has the finest
practice of any man at the English speak
ing bar-John E. Parsons. A good many
lawyers think that Mr.. Parsons does
not exaggerate when he thus charac-
terizes his practice. His fee from
probably the largest fee ever paid in this
country-and yet the service which Mr..
Parsons performed in return for that fee
the creating of the sugar trust was fail
ure, as our courts dissolved the trust and
declared it illegal. Mr.. Parsons looks as
Ralph Waldo Emerson looked when he was
about 90 years of age; he has the tall, atten-
uated figure of Emerson. his head Is shaped
like the philosophers, the contour of his
profile may easily pass for that Of Emerson,
and he wears his beard as the sage did his
scanty hirsute adornment.
Mr.. Parsons said not one word during the
entire proceedings, but he heard everything,
and though he made no notes, he did not
need to, as he has trained his memory so
hat 1t is the best tablet he can depend upon.
lie showed that it was possible for him to
DO two things at once, as he listened with an
attentive ear to the cross-examination. and
at the same time ate frugal lunch of sand
witches and crackers, and such dry eating
was it that it seemed to make ex-Judge
Dan" Rollins thirsty, as he drank copious
glasses of water.
ROLLINS, THE CRoss-ExAMINER.
Another distinguished counsel was Daniel
IT, Rollins, known TO every one in New York
as Dan" Twenty years ago. when he was
q young man, he seemed to have a great
future before him in politics. Gen. Arthur
esteemed him as perhaps the ablest of that
hu noer OF young republicans VINO came
20 New York to practice law and to take
an interest in political affairs.
As Rollins found, however, that politics.
while 1t yielded honor, did not bring fortune,
: and, as he needed fortune more than fame,
II Ne gradually retired from political activity.
republican though he was, he was elected
surrogate, and was the immediate prede-
cessor on the bench Of MIR. Ransom, the
present surrogate.
AS Rollins grows older he more and more
suggests Ben Butler to every one who sees
Alin excepting that he is freed from the
peculiar cast of eye which the caricaturists
nave made so much of in their pictures of
ID de was the cross-examiner to-day,
=, men there were ex-Judge Armour, Henry
pGoodard Of Connecticut, a brother-in-law
4I ex-Congressman Gillette, who represents
ale College, and half dozen other lawyers
VINO appeared for different institutions
named in Mr.. Fayerweether's will
A DISTINGUISHED WITNESS.
", In the witness chair Gen. Stewart L
Hoodtord appeared, and there he sat all
Jay Woodford has not been heard from
20 frequently of late as he was for fifteen
years after the war. There was a time
wnen 1t seemed that he was straight on the
road for the presidency. He was the pet of
tne Republican party, and was elected lieu
tenant governor of New York, and was its
candidate for governor.
10 1850 1t was an almost Hobson's choice
Mnether New York should present his name
VI mat of Gen. Arthur as Vice President
WIN Gen. Garfield, and had Woodford
oeen little more anxious and his friends