The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-09-25
sEARLEs WILL CASE.
MIR. scarlos Still on tho stand-Thc Alleged
Crooked Records.

Crooked Records.
SALEM, MASS, Sept. "a. Another
crowd at court greeted the opening OF
the third day OF the Searles will contest.
The examination of Mr.. searles was
continued.
Witness had owned IN estate in
AIethuen twenty.one years. Neither
this estate nor the Great Darlington
property ever went into the co-partner-
ship assets; the Great Darlington prop
erty was transferred by deed to witness,
but the deed was never recorded. The
deed was dated February %, 1888, but
pencil marks on itindicated February 8,
1890. This was said to have been done
by the copyists to give the date for an
other decd. The transfer was made
through Mr.. Simmer, was executed in
Europe. Neither Of the deeds were
recorded.
There was also deed OF 1900 acres OF
timber land in California. A deed was
put in conveying absolutely to witness
the same property conveyed to witness
by the marriage settlement. This was
made six months after the marriage and
was executed in Europe. The title OF
the Block Island propertystands in wit
ness name. The Fifth avenue house
was purchased in witness name. These
deeds were recorded.
No one suggested that these be kept
from the records SO that neither limo
thy Hopkins nor any Of his wite's rela-
tives should know OF them.
At the afternoon session the will OF
Mary F. Searles, dated November 22,
1887, with a codicil dated June l6, 1888,
was produced. Witness knew OF the
will, but did not know OF its contents
until since his wife's death. This will
gave $4,000 to John Harwood, o former
coachman, and the residue was left in
trust to Edward F. Searles, Timothy
Hopkins and Thomas L. Stillman to pay
the income in equal shares to
Edward +. Searles and Timothy
Hopkins during their lie time, and on
their death to whosoever they might
designate by will, or failing to make a
will, to pay to their next OF kin. Had
heard Mrs. Searles say that before her
marriage she had made previous wills.
She had never told witness that she
had promised her first husband to hold
her entire property in trust for Timothy.
Never heard Mrs. Searles say when she
first saw her little granddaughter:
"Here comes the little heiress." Had
destroyed some letters within a few
weeks but none from Mr.. Stillman or
his firm. Had destroyed some letters
written by witness to the lady who was
TO be his wife as he thought them "too
stupid to keep" :,
Never knew Of Mrs. searles being i'll
hardly day, except her last sickness,
which began in May last. There was u
Christian Scientist, Mrs. Morse, an ac-
Quaintance, called in by Mrs. Searles in
lS9O to treat her and she also treated
witness for Indigestion. There was an
other Christian Scientest about the first
Of July, 1901, Mrs. Day, of New York.
There was no other Christian Scientists
or irregular practitioners called in. He
requested that they should not be mon
toned as he did not care about tho fact
being hawked about.
At the close of the hearing Mr.. Bur-
lev called for all letters from Mr.. Still
man or Mr.. Hubbard to either MIR. or
Mrs. Searles, or from them to the firm,
and also the cash and check book OF
Mr.. Searles to be produced Mt the ad-
iourned hearing OF the l4th.