Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-10-28
THE sEARLES WILL CASE.
Court Legal Proceedings to Follow.
New York SUM-


The will of Mrs. Hopkins-Searles has
been sustained by the Massachusetts
Probate Court, no evidence having been
produced by the contestants which af-
forded any reasonable ground for ex-
pecting different result. But, OF
course, this is only the first step in long
legal proceedings to overthrow the will
which are to follow.
Here was lady, the possessor OF q
vast fortune inherited from her hus.
band, who married for second time,
choosing for her mate man much
younger than herself. However it may
have been with Mr.. Searles. there is no
doubt that Mrs. Hopkins was influenced
in making the marriage by affection
alone, and it is not extraordinary that
she preferred for her husband man in
the very prime OF life rather than man
who was in its decline, as he would have
been if he had been her equal in age or
her senior. Nor is it improbable that,
as Mr.. Searles testifies, the first propo-
sition of marriage came from her. III
she wished to marry again, and to wed a
man 30 much her junior, she would al
most as matter of course have to make
the advances.
II is reasonable. too, to assume that
such a husband would have great in
fiuence over her. Every wife who loves
and respects her husband is influenced
powerfully by him, and the whole
theory OF marriage il thai she should
render such submission to his judgment
and such affectionate consideration for
his interests. Yet in this Searles case,
and in other win cases which are analo-
gous, this influence is described as I'M
due, and the yielding to it as evil
dence of mental iDcapacity. If Mrs.
Searles had had little fortune
OF FIVE thousand dollars and had
left il all to her husband, the will would
have been taken as matter OF course.
She would only have done as good and
loving wife would be expected to do.
Because she had thirty millions to leave
to her husband she was not less likely to
leave it to him, she being childless
woman. 1t was reasonable to assume
that she would make such O will. Ii
anybody was to have superior influence
over her, il was her husband. II he had
not had il they would have been an Ill
mated pair.
The journal OF Mrs. Searles during
her trip abroad shows that she was su-
premely happy in her new marriage.
Her course as to the management and
disposition IL her property proved that
she was anxious in every way to honor
her husband and make manifest her con-
hdence in him and her unbounded af-
lection for him. She was wife devoted
to her husband, profoundly respectful
OF him, and grateful to him for the hap.
piness their marriage had brought to
her. II was inevitable that it should
be SO when she married him, pro-
yided he did not break her heart with
neglect, but bore himself toward her
With proper consideration. So content
were MIR. and Mrs. Searles in matrimony
that they cared little for other society
than they found in their own compan-
ionship, and that disposition WAS sub
ject Of remark wherever they lived. An
adopted son, who was OF NO kin to her,
and whom she had already raised 10
comfort and luxury by her beneiactions.
could have had no influence with her
comparable with that rightfully and natu-
rally exercised by her husband, and be
ought to have had it.
The contest OF this viii is only al
other Ct many cases where attempts are
made TO get money from great estates on
vronnds which have no basis in reason or
justice, but which are often 20 far sue
cessiul that they ended with COM
promise in the nature OF forced contri-
button 70 buy off the contestants in order
70 avoid further annoyance and embar-
rassment.