The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-10-23
MRS. SEARLES' DIARY.
1t Is Read i'm the COURTROOM at
Methuen.
WsEARLEs MET MRS. HOPKINS
Timothy Was Given . Million DOLLAR
Estate, Which Went to Decay
Revelation of Family Affairs.

SALEM, Mass, Oct. 22-The second day of the
adjourned hearing in the Searles win case began
today with the same crowd as heretofore
Another lot OF business letters from Stillman
ana HUBBARD TO Mrs Searles were read. One of
october III, 1887, enclosed the form of a note to
Huntington, in which Mrs Searles saws she
must repudiate the agreement signed by Tim
othy Hopkins until she knows what it is The
otner letters were of no present importance
buriey then asked for letters from Mr.. and
Mrs. Searles to Hubbard and Stillman. They
were read and showed deposits 70 Mrs. Searles'
credit In the banks to the amount of s240, 900 in
three months.
The last telegram announced Mrs SearIes,
death.
After reading the letters Mr.. Burley asked for
the journal kept by Mrs. Searles while abroad,
ana 1t was given him for examination. Mr.
Burley then called for all the books OF accounts
OF co-partnership. Mr.. Butler objected, and
Burnley finally called Mr.. searles and
INTERCEPTED him in regard to the
books, but witness stated that he did
not know anything as to the contents
OF the books. The letters signed "Per E. L."
were written by Edith Mttlefeld, who did some
writing for him. Witness does not know where
the suggestion came from to drop Timothy's
name from the executors of Mrs. Searles'
codicil of June Is, 1855. Witness never knew a
physician by the name of Hayward. He never
attended lectures on mesmerism or made it a
study. There were copies OF some letters sent
to Mrs. Timothy Hopkins by Mrs. Searles.
Mrs. searles had not had any d.
rect correspondence with Timothy since
his marriage. Mr.. Stillman visited Methuen
about week before the execution of the last
win by request of Mrs. searles and witness
His coming had nothing to do with the infor-
nation that Timothy was about TO start East.
Witness would not say whether he gave any
40 RI, hio ~ %5,o% 10
lieved he did. When Timothy arrived witness
had already made arrangements to go away, but
delayed in order to welcome him, and witness
then told Timothy that he had to go to Barring
ton to look after work, and he went. Witness
learned that Timothy had managed his mothers
affairs for number of years, but had never
heard any discussion as to whether he had re-
ceived compensation or not. There was no
secrecy about the co-partnership. Never heard
his wife, between June IL and July 16, 1888. ex-
press any wish to dispose of any part of her
property.
At the afternoon session Mr.. Burley called for
the check books of the co-partnership. The
court ruled that they need not be produced, ex-
cept the special checks. The diaries kept by
Mrs. Searles on her trips abroad in 1887 and 1888
were read. The first entry in the first was on
November s: 'Married at Trinity chapel"
The diaries were mostly filled with personal
matters and description of the trip. On Janu-
airy H. 1883, there is the entry: 81 thought my
self, on secondary consideration, and expressing
it, found it so. This is experience No. l."
The rebuttal then began. Searles testified
that when he left his employmentin 1882 he had
been in receipt of $4,000 year, and was worth
from 100000 to s150,000; $4,000 in cash and the
balance in real estate and stocks. He left bust
ness on account of his health and to live at
home with his mother. His firm had done the
work on the Hopkins mansion in California,
and he was going West for his health and to
look after mining property. He got a
letter from Mr.. Baumgarten, the fore
man. to induce him to look over the
house. He visited the house, presented his let
tiers, and was invited by Timothy Hopkins to
come with the family that evening to supper.
He was told while there that if he would call in
the evening he would be shown over the house.
He went and looked over the house. The next
time he met Mrs. Hopkins was when Timothy
asked them to accompany him to Menlo park.
At the depot Timothy was unable to go, and he
was asked to escort the ladies, which
he did. They visited Sherwood hall,
which Mrs. Hopkins subsequently pur-
chased and gave to Timothy. 1t was
a large place, about $50 acres, with mansion but
out of repair, and said to have cost 81 900 600
He also visited Stanford's ranch. He dined
once more with Mrs. Hopkins by invitation
during his four weeks stay in California That
fall he received word from Timothy that Mrs.
Hopkins was coming East to attend to her af-
fairs at Great Darlington and asking If he would
assist her. In 1888 he went to Great Darlington to
meet Mrs Hopkins, and registered at the Berk-
shire house. When he was going out to
supper a servant came and said Mrs. Hopkins
expected him at the house. He said he would
stay where he was, but while he was at supper
a servant took his baggage to her house without
his knowledge Mrs. Hopkins gave him a COM
mission to furnish chapel at a cost of about
$4,000, and he gave 1T to his former employers
and received 10 per cent commission In 1884
Mrs. Hopkins decided to have him build house
at Great Darlington. He supposed he would be
paid as usual, but learned later that he would
not. In the fall of 1887 Mrs Hopkins said she
had letters from Timothy that the railroad
property was in peril and thought she ought to
know how much she had to spend before going
farther Three letters from Timothy to his
mother to this effect were read, and the court