Los Angeles herald., 1891-09-25
HOPKINS--SBARLES.
Third Day of the Great Will
Contest.
The Examination of Mr.. SearleS
Continued.
Many Interesting Disclosures Made
By the Witness.
He Did Not Like Co Have Timothy's De-
tectives on His Track = Mrss
searles Treated by Chris
tian Scientists. ~
Associated Press Dispatches.

The examination of Mr.. Searles was con-
tinued. Witness said he had owned the
estate in Methuen twenty-one years.
Neither this estate nor the Great Barr
rington property ever went into the CO.
partnership assets. The Great Barring
ton property was transferred by deed to
witness, but the deed was never re-
corded. The deed was dated February
%, 1888. The transferwas made through
Mr.. Stillman, and was executed in
Europe. Neither of the deeds was ever
recorded. Witness did not know ofany
transfer of the San Francisco homestead.
Burleigh then produced deeds of San
Francisco, Sacramento and Summit
Soda Springs property, in California,
from Mrs. Searles through Stillman, to
witness. Witness said he had, even
after these transfers, considered him
self and wife equally interested in the
property.
The deeds of the Menlo Park property
were also put in. None of these had
been recorded. There was also deed
of 1900 acres of timber land in Califor-
MIA. A deed was put in CO nveying alb
solutely 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
property stands in witnesses name. The
Fifth avenue house was purchased in
witnesses name. These deeds were
recorded. Witness understood that the
title did not pass until the deeds were
recorded. No one suggested that these
be kept from the records SO that neither
Timothy Hopkins nor any of his wife's
relations should know OF them. No Que
gave reasons for so doing. EH
Another long schedule of stocks trans
ferred from MRS. Searles TO the coEart-
nership of Searles, Stillman q Hubbard
was put in. 49,
A telegram from Mrs. Hopkins to
Timothy at San Francisco three days
before the marriage was read. 1t said:
Marriage proposed and refused four
years ago consummated November Sth,
at IL am. If possible let E. T. S. and
myself receive your congratulations.
Am writing you. Do not sail before
18TH"
Witness did not recall hearing the
telegram before. He had heard before
the marriage that Timothy Hopkins had
detectives following him. He did not
like it, but still had no unfriendly feel
ings for Timothy. Timothy had said in
the presence of his mother that he had
employed them, as he was desirous of
knowing the character of the man his
mother was to marry.
At the afternoon session will OF Mary
Searles, dated November %, 1887, with q
codici! dated June 16, 1888, was pro-
duced. Witness (Searles) said he knew
of the will, but did not know OF its con-
tents until his wife's death. This will
gave $4,000 to John Harwood, a former
coachman. and the residue was
left in trust to Edward Il.
Searles, Timothy Hopkins and Thomas
Stillman, to pay the income in equal
thy Hopkins during their life time, and
designate by will, or failing will, to
pay it to their next Of kin. The ex-
ecutors were the same as the trustees.
The codicil dated June l6, 1888, sub
stituted the name of Thomas Hubbard for
that of Timothy Hopkins, as trustee and
executor, but otherwise confirmed the
will.
Witness had understood that all the
real estate exceptthe homesteads in San
Francisco, Great Darlington and Meth
uen were placed in the copartnership.
Witness supposed the titles to the estate
conveyed by the unrecorded deeds,
rested in hin 'ntil something occurred
to disturb 4. He did not under
stand that t. we're step toward plac-
ing them in the assets of the copartner-
ship. They were placed in his name 70
protect the property. He had heard
Mrs. Searles say before her marriage
that she had made previous wills. She
never told witness she had promised her
first husband to hold her entire prop
erty in trust for Timothy. He never
heard Mrs. Searles say when she first
saw her little granddaughter: "Here
comes the little heiress."
Witness acknowledged that he had de-
stroyed some letters within few weeks,
but none from Mr.. Stillman or his firm.
He had destroyed some letters written
bv witness to the lady who was to be
his wife, as he thought them too stupid
to keep.
He had known John Parcher some
twenty-five years, and he had visited at
his house. He was q costumer in Bos-
ton, and had since been in England.
He never knew of Mrs. Searles being
i'll hardly day, except her last sick
ness, which began in May last. There
was a Christian scientist, Mrs. Morse,
an aquaintarce, called in by Mrs.
SearIes in 1890, to treat her, and she
treated witness for indigestion. There
was another Christian scientist called in
about the first OF July-Mrs. Day,
of New York. No other Chris
tian scientists or irregular prac-
titioners were called. He request
ed that there should be no mention of
| their being called; he did not care
about the fact being hawked about. He
did not learn that Mrs. Searles' illness
was considered critical until two weeks
of her death. There were no kindred to
be notified who could be reached, TIM
| othv heing in Iapan. DR.. Baker and