The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1891-09-25
A LEAP YEARS MARRIAGE
Searles Says Mrs. Hopkins Did
the Proposing.
HE MARRIED FOR LOVE AND MONEY.

Hut Love, He Says, Was the Principal
Reason why He welded n Woman who
Was . Score OF Years MS ssnior--The
Contest Commenced.
SALEM, Mass, Sept. 23.-Timothy Hop
kins, Of San Francisco, the adopted sou of
Mrs M F. s. Hopkins Searles, sat among
half dozen noted lawyers In the probate
court yesterday. He was ready to contest
the wealthy woman's will without regard
to cost Hs had refused, it Is said, to COM
promise the case for t2,5Oo,0Oo.
ssaries was on Hand.
married the widow Of Mark Hopkins, and
to whom the $50, ,O0O. 900 or more Of her prop.
erty was left, to the expressed seclusion OF
Timothy Hopkins, was on hand to stand
by the will. He had several pyominsnt
lawyers to aid him also. They were vii.
liam Allen Butler, Wilhelminus Mynder.
see, Genevnl T. II. Hubbard aud Thomas
e. Stillman, Of New York; Colonel Solo.
mon Lincoln, Of Boston, and Richard
Dodge, Of Cambridge. Judge Rollin X.
Harmon sat on the bench when the court
opened. The witnesses to the will, Msssrs.
Dodge. Thornton and NoAis. were called
to the stand by Colonel Lincoln.
The widowsr Tsst'ass.
"Was Mrs. Ssarles OF sound and dispos.
ing mind, Mr.. Dodgei" asked Colonel Lin.
coin.
Before the witness could answer, Mr..
Burley, counsel for Timothy Hopkins,
called for the will made prior to the one in
dispute and dated Nov. 8, 1887. Counsel
for Searles objected, but Judge Harmon
ordered it produced It was made on the
date Of the marriage Of Mr.. Searles and
Mrs. Hopkins, and gave half OF Mrs.
Searlss' estate to her husband and the
other half to Timothy Hopkins. Mr..
Searles was then put upon the stand. He
told his life history. which has a tinge OF
romance. He was born In Methuen, Mass,
| fifty years before July last. lle lived
there off and on until 1884,
She Proposed to Him.
In the spring OF 1888 he met Mrs. Hop
kins In San Francisco. He went to her
with letter of introduction, asking per.
mission to view her house, On numerous
occasions thereafter he met her in the east
and west by invitation.
Mrs. Hopkins had told him that she was
| twenty years his senior. When the mar
riage was proposed Mrs. Hopkins consulted
| her adopted son. Mr.. Searles did not know
| what Timothy said, but he objected.
"When was the proposition Of marriage
| first madew
"In the autumn OF 1889, but not by me. "
"She proposed to you, then, did sho'"
"She did, SIR"
"when did you make the proposition to
her"
I'm 1884. The marriage was agreed upon
in September OF 1897 in the early part OF
the month, at New York"
Love and for Money.
"Will you tell me why you entered into
. marriage contract with . woman TWEEN.
ty-one years older than yourself,"
II married for all that she was, love
love and money both"
(which was the stronger motive, love OF
moneyr
II don't believe am obliged to answer
that question"
Judge Harmon ruled that the question
was competent, and Mr.. Searlss answered,
Love-"
"Did you have any talk about the dis.
position Of her property prior to mar.
riagsw
mo, SIR"
He Gave Her Three Years to Think.
In the course of his testimony Mr..
Searles said that while in California he
went ON several excursions into the coun-
| try with Mrs. Hopkins and her daughter
in-law. He did not assent to Mrs. Hop.
kins' proposal OF marriage for three years,
in order to give her u chance to be sure
| that she was satisfied He had never pre-
viously proposed marriage to any one.