The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-09-22
THE SEARLES WILL CONTEST
r,cur FOR MARK HOPKINS'S MIL
LIONS TO EB BEGIN To-DAT.

IVDNS ~ hsD S'<s"As'
-. p.op,e OF Great Harrington IN Fnii
.--,,thy with the Contestant - Mr..
s..r,e,.s Exeiusiveness una tho Change
rn,, Cnmo Over tho widow Hopkins
.o.r He Married Her-was II . Love
u.,.b,- Tho Fairy Castle Buiit at n
r.., or Is 900 900, and Surrounded with
a..u,,fui Grounds, shut or from Public
r,.v sy High stono Walls and =
rs,ek Growth OF 1fmber.
Rosroy, Sept 21.-To-morrow. ut Salem. tho
,,i., ~ the Hopkins -Searlcs will case will bc-
I'm, In point of tho number OF millions In
,olyed and the unique grounds Of contest, tho
..s will no doubt, take the foremost place in
surrent American jurisprudcnce. Mrs. Hop
Inns at the ago Of 73. married Mr. Scarlcs.
vhen he ives 90. After her marriage hor style
oiuie materially changed. She. who had boon
,s,v fond ~ society. became almost n recluse
when she died abe left her whole fortune to hcr
husband. having already given her adopted son
100000 and place worth 100000 year. All
.,ts Of wild statements have boon printed
About the value Of tho property In controversy
updcr the will There is the best authority
ior ssyIng ttat tho current market value, con-
,ar,tiycly estimated OF tho stocks. bonds. real
state &C. comprising tho estate. Is rather less
than $20,0tO.OOO.
There ia nothing to show that the marriage
dMrs. Hopkins and Mr.. Searles was not love
Nett.l. But 1t is useless to deny that Mr..
sesrcs's personality IL to a remarkable de-
e,e. fascinating Although dozens OF report
eshavc tried to interview Mr.. Scarles. not one
hu actually had talk with him until tho
writer had long conversation with him last
Friday. IIe had not listened to him for
hree minutes without acknowledging
tho singular charm Of his presence Mr..
sesrles received him with great courtesy.
but said that he had no statement to
make to the public Since the newspapers had
begun to treat his privnte affairs without re-
esrt for truth. they might continue az they
lad begun. He would neither pander to the
vulgar curiosity OF the mob. nor would no assist
the newspapers to make capital out Of
his private affairs Mr.. Searles talked quito
freely. but requested that his conversation
should not be printed. It Is easy to under
stand after talking with him. that Mr.. Searles
would need no artificial aid to captivate a
xomsns heart. The match. at least on Mrs.
HcpkIns's part. was probably love match.
Asto the charge that he used undue infiu-
erthat he forged the will or what, not, II Mrs:
trusted him implicitly while aliye. what Is
4 she should liver It is ridiculous to conclude
that because person does not found or en-
library, he is Of unsound mind or has been
"unduly Influenced" Just because q woman
doee not leave by will an amount Of money to
IN MtS %stsr spsu Hs
I'm the mouths q War and Peace. it Is hard
blair 70 suppose that there Is underhand work
Considering that Timothy Hopkins OK
cpd marriage It seems hardly unnatural that
b the lman she loved In, order that Timothy
@ @ nj En- sec so{h how eas h 1SSSk r.
esrs 9resd Tor wealth. It Il not likely that
IN. Hopkins would tolerate the criticism OF 8
~ for whom she had done everything, and
asSum % sSs sa
WIZ Xii IT, ssss a Sn met Mrs. Hopkins he was
paper 6anser The that he got as control mt
her to drink are improbable for this reason. II
., 10 other. that he had no need OF resorting
III, IT, q = Ss. HS + the
grounded Mn. searles during the last year
A that Mrs Hopkins was al heE lits long AZ
nm Il San Fran S SEQ was eetireiy OPEN poi .o
Greater contrast between It and the house at
ny SsMthus H. where she died. can hardly Be mag
few iset q the road. Is entireIyk inyslbie
from Il. The Sun reporter had not
ths iaintest idea in what part 81
and Sen !, kss V within n i've ws seen nn
YAK. Mr. Searles is consistent In his privacy.
GxeHer There was no more secrecy during
ny Exporter talked. said:
III yop can find out anything about Mr..
Ss T:s,ni ne YOU win 90 more than any one IN
sn omn n Affairs d and won't let nobody else mind
mel. mere all day the time sho died. and when he
aT st rs sh ssS @a se d sn tfHe III s h R%a%
wei sseh she died nor how she died. nor when they
SsT s. going to haye tho funeral. nor anything.
r. who work for him. and they have no more
SGin rom one day to another what they are
s SenrF. 70 40 than you have Last spring Mr..
and sSl when they began 70 hing. Ills gardener.
Rassd 4 could BE-. IT, scaTles had thl4y
new an ri h,s about ss RH!y ono or two Of
1ns man was the only person whom tho re-
p ~ came across who wanted Mr.. Senries to
sM ne suit At Grcat harrington every one
nv, NIsnt3 mr.. Hopkins To win. A good many think
s s% Mrs. Hopkins intended her place here
NJ I,osauttually to become great public benefac-
. .h"m e the town. musical conservatory that
nd Which, ef eaua to any n the World
lbnd pupils to Great Darlington. Thcy say
y . sno often announced this as her intention
y regard to the place. and they feel that
I, the balefnl influence Of Mr. Searles alone Ia
iHJs W. he fact that she did not. Although
o,i. IL the view OF tho case hold by the ma
o o,my; 9na lady. who WINS Mrs. Hopkins's lifo-
i sns y fend says that this was not her inten.
S sr ~ az. II Dir searles wins the suit Great
lin. H. peopls do not Sxyect much from
AInEs. either that he viii carry out Mrs Hep.
nun lntentons or that. at least he will take
w the board from the wall surrounding the
rsn fsn and "a allow them to peek through tho
s timothy ,gtthiy moreovrr. Is personally popular
n wIill" Mr. bcarlcs Ia. as they shy. too
omaI stuck up" When Timothy Hopkins
~! y sane cordIality that no would use, II he
SLn re always thought was a hang dog air. |
acSy 90 not believe In a dignity which needs |
WI sedulous care to preserve II.
rn,SI ne boards on top Of tho wall which have
mi. n thS last straw 70 many Great Barring
na hn ms they were willing to allow that every |
se maa right to manage his own Affairs: and
ID nnt "a as much privacy as he wanted. They
" e. Wal which replaced it: but when ii came
no aaaMseninG ugly black boards Con tho wall In |
y, ~ Wo places where ono could look over IL WAS