The record-union., 1891-10-23
Continuation of Searles' Testimony
in the Will Contest.
GIVES AN ACCOUNT OF HIS FIRST
VISIT TO CALIFORNIA.
Full Details of the Capture of the
Southern Pacific Train Robbers
Near Grierson Springs, Texas-A
Running Fire With One of the Party
for a Distance of Ten Miles, Re-
sulting in the Fugitive's Death.
Special to the REcoRD-UN1oN.

oALEA (AIdSS.) J, CcG. ZZ.-lno SeCOnCi
day of the adjourned hearing in the
Searles will case began to-day with the
same crowd as heretofore. Another lot OF
business letters from Stillman and Hub
bard to Mrs. Searles were read. They
enclosed the form of a note to Hunting
ton, IN which Mrs. Searles says she must
repudiate the agreement signed by Timo-
thy Hopkins until she knows what it is.
The other letters were Of no present
importance. BurIey then asked for the
letters from Mr.. and Mrs. Searles to
Hubbard & Stillman. They were read,
and showed deposits to Mrs. Searles'
credit III the banks to the amount of $240,-
coo i'll three months. The last telegram
announced Mrs. Searles' death.
After the reading Of the letters, Mr..
Burley asked for the journal kept by
Mrs. Searles while abroad, and it was
given him for examination. Mr. Burley
then called for all the books of accounts
OF the partnership, but Mr.. Butler OBJ
Jected, and Burley finally called Mr.
Searles and interrogated him in regard
10 the books, but the witness stated that
ne did not know anything as to the con-
tents of the books. Letters signed ''per
<. L." were written by Edith Littlefield,
who did some writing for him. Witness
did not know where the suggestion came
from to drop Timothy's name from the
executors of Mrs. Searles' codicil of June
Is, 1883. Witness never knew phySi-
! clan by the name of Hayward, and never
attended lectures on mesmerism, or
made it a study. He thought there were
! copies kept of some letters sent to Mrs.
| Timothy Hopkins by Mrs. Searles. Mr..
! Searles had not had any direct CORE
| spOndence with Timothy since his mar
riage.
| Mr.. Stillman visited Methuen about a
week before the execution of the last Will,
| by request of Mrs. Searles and through
| witness. His coming had nothing to do
with the information that Timothy was
about to start East. Witness would not
say whether he gave any directions as to
his will at that time, but believed that 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 Darlington to look after
the work, and went.
Witness learned that Timothy had
managed his mothers affairs for num-
Der OF years, but never heard any discus
sion as to whether he had received COM
pensation or not. There was no secrecy
| about the partnership. He never
heard his wife, between June 1 and July
| I6, 1888, express any wish as to the dis
| position Of any part Of her property.
At the afternoon session Mr.. Burley
called for the check books of the co-part-
| nership. The court ruled that they need
| not be produced, except the special
checks. The diaries kept by Mrs. Searles
on her trips abroad in 1SS7-SS were read.
| The first entry in the first was NoVem-
Der Sth, Married at Trinity Chapel. -
! The second diary was mostly filled with
personal matters and descriptions of the
trip. January IL, 1885, there is an entry :
Il thought myself of secondary consider
alton, and expressing it, found it so. This
is experience No. l."
The rebuttal then begun. Searles testi-
lied that when he left his employment in
1882, he had been in receipt of from $780,
600 to say 600 year, and was worth
from 100000 to $50, ,000-S50, 900 cash and
the balance in real estate and stocks. He
LETT business on account of his health and
TO live at home with his mother. The
| firm had done work on the Hopkins
mansion in California, and he was going
! West for his health and to look after his
mining property. He got a letter from
Mr.. Baumgarten, the foreman. to induce
him to look over the house. He pre-
sented the letter, and was invited by
| Timothy hopkins to come that evening.
He was told while there 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 accom-
pany him to Menlo Park. At the depot
| Timothy was unable TO 90 and he was
asked to escort the ladies, which he did
They visited Sherwood Hall, and Mrs.
Hopkins subsequently purchased it and
gave it to Timothy. 1t was large place.
about $50 acres, with mansion, but out
Ofrepair, and said to have cost million.
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 affairs at
Great harrington, asking if he would as
sist her.
In 1883 he went to Great harrington to
meet Mrs. Hopkins, and registered at
the Berkshire House. When he was
going out TO supper, q servant came in 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 luggage to her house without
his knowledge. Mrs. Hopkins gave him
a commission to furnish the chapel at
cost of about $4,000, and he gave it to
his former employers, and received 10
per cent. commission. In 1854 Mrs
Hopkins decided to have him build a
house Great harrington. He supposed
he would be paid as usual, but learned
later that he would not. 81 thought I
would be in the end some way,' re-
marked witness. ''In the fall of 1887
Mrs. Hopkins said she had letters from
Timothy that her 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 adjourned.
TAKEN BY SURPRISE.