New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-10-24
THE SEARLES WILL CONTEST.
GENERAL HUBBARD, THE DEAD woMAN.s
LAWYER, TESTIFIES
HE RELATES A CONVERSATION WITH MRS.
sEARLEs AT THE VICTORIA HOTEL-MoIE
ABOUT THE COMPREHENSIVE.
tBr TELEGRAPH TO TIE rRIBrSEI


Salem. Mass. oct. 23-T1crc was a break in the
monotony OF the Searles will contest in the Probate
Court to-day. After a short examination OF Mr..
Searles General Hubbard was put on the stand Mr..
Surles while on the stand asked whether he had
any information as to the contents OF his wifes will
before It was made or after. He replied IL had no
conversation knowledge OF it whatever. OF the
other earlier will l have no recollection Of II until
1t was called into court"
Mr.. Searles cntinued: "When Mr.. stillman came to
the house to draw this viii (the under contest,
they went up TO my library and Mrs. searles stated
TO Mr.. Stillman that she wished to make n will and
wished me to leave all my property to her and she
would leave all her property TO She said she
had provided for Timothy Hopkins during her lifetime.
She referred to giving him the MenlO Park property.
She said there things she would like to do, and
she said she would make a memorandum OF them. She
was willing to leave the things in my hands She said
would be more to Tim than she II it left
In my hands, Mr.. Seares said he never put any OF
his own stocks securities into the coparnershp be
cause Mrs seares never wished him to put any Of his
property into the concern said he: The agreement
only had reference to the property I had from Mrs.
Seares.'
The examination Of Mr. Searles closed after extend
ing over five days lie has made excellent witness,
never once getting nervous excited although often
cross -questioned sharply.
General Thomas II. Hubbard, Of NewYork in
answer to the questions OF Mr. Lincoln explained the
condition Of the Searles property. His acquaintance
with Mrs. seares began in 1887, when she came to
his law partner. Mr.. Stillman That was the time
when there was trouble with Cyrus W. Field The
Mall and Express" He said there were sixty patches
of stock in the Hopkins property forty different cor
porations and bonds OF some twenty more There
twenty different railroad corporations at first, but
now they were reduced to fifteen by consol-
idation. There the Southern Pacific Rail
ut al -
Sl16'OO0,0O0, controlled by four Huntington
Stanford, Croker and the Hopkins interest
and the Pacific Improvement Company, an offspring
OF the other The HOpkinsSearles estate was also in
terested in the Morgan Steamship Company the ORR
entail and Occidental Company. railroads in Vancouver
Guatemala, Mexico, Memphis and New-Oreans and
in Texas. The four above mentioned parties abso-
lutey controlled the most OF these roads but were not
harmonious. lie did not think the securities were in
bad condition, but upon the attention Of these four
owners and their harmonious action depended whether
they would be worth so cents 100 cents on dollar
The Central Pacific leased line and required the
utmost and attention. An outside estimate Of the
Searles property wocd be S20,OOOOOO. Their idea
In the management of the railway interest TO keep
it harmonious with the other three one of the
four had died in 1883 and the heirs had placed
his affairs in corporation which had not separated it
from the others in interest.
As to the formation Of the partnership, General
Hubbard said the agreement had been the subject Of
conversation between himself and Mrs. Seares before
it was drawn lie called her with Mr.. Stillman ut
the Victoria Hotel in June, 1888 and told her he
thought il well she should see him and he her be-
fore the closer business relations begun. She
told him she wanted one to manage her business
who would be near at hand. In May, $780, the
witness called on Mrs Searles. Most of the
money drawn on account Of the 90 per cent had
been drawn by Mr. Searles. lie wanted specific
instructions, he told her. about this, and that
while she was drawing little money Mr.. Searles
was drawing literally. "Is that not all rightl' she
asked. Yes answered Hubbard, IL You wish it
So" She said: Mr.. Searles pays all the bills. He
pays my bills and want he should She said she
did not TO keep a bank account or bother with
business matters. II they had any business matters
she wished they would call on Mr.. Searles about IL
Tho witness told her they wanted her 10 feel at liberty
to call them for any explanations. she replied
" l do not want 70 know anything about tho business
il il goes right II IL goes wrong want 10 know it.
" Were any changes made in the record title Of the
cOpartnership?" asked counsel.
!" Yes In the southern Pacific Company and the
Pacific Improvement Company. Both had been trans
ferred to the partnership, but had remained RECORD
in the name Of Mrs. Seares. l had suggested thai
change Of title record 10 the cOpartnershp. because
those two stocks controlled the two companies, the
election OF directors and appointment OF officials"
Witness said he had knowledge Of the will unit
It was made. lie then remarked that he thought #
would make trouble. Mrs. Searles not Of unsOund
mind. she impressed him as woman Of alert mind.
She had decided opinions The court here adjourned
until tomorrow.