The Portland daily press., 1892-11-23


His Own Hands Although the Will is Not
Yet Sustained.
The Elizabeth Woodman will case, now
going on in the supreme court room be-
fore Judges Virgin and Haskells as
referees, is developing into hard Tough
case. The contestants are very deter
mined and the counsel are all men who
add experiences in the battles of politics
to knowledge of the law. For sustaining
the will Governor-elect Henry B. Cleaves
is associated with George II. Haley, the
most daring fighter of the Biddeford
ring; and for breaking the will the I'M
conquered Simon S. Brown of the Water
vile Democracy fights shoulder to
shoulder with Augustus F. Moulton, who
graduated from that great fitting school
of Democracy, the town of Scarboro.
Elizabeth Woodmau was an old lady Of
Hollis, who for many years lived with
her brother William, in Hollis. In Feb
ruary, 1891, the brother died. Prior to
his decease, as stated yesterday, J. w.
Harmon, nephew, who, it is said had
not visited the old couple for long time,
came to the house and helped take care
of the brother in his last sickness. Har-
mon remained after the brother was
buried and on the 18th of the following
April Miss Woodman made will in his
favor, giving him substantially all her
| property, consisting of the farm and
several thousand dollars deposited in the
two savings banks in Portland.
| When the relatives heard about this
will they set about breaking it, beginning
in the probate court at Saco. The leading
contestants are Mrs. Eudoxia Eaton, of
Hollis, niece, Elizabeth Woodman, of
Houlton, niece, Ruel w. Woodman, of
Westbrook, a nephew, and Mrs. Mary
Deering, of Buxton, sister of John
Harmon, but one of the most active of
the contestants.
Yesterday forenoon was taken up by
the testimony of witnesses for the APP
pellants. There were Harriet A. Tyler,
Oscar F. Deering, Ruel W. Woodman
Mrs. Ruel W. Woodman, all OF whom
testified that in their opinion Elizabeth
Woodman was of unsound mind. Points
of their testimony were that she was drop
steal, didn't recognize people, was gener-
ally incapable of making will. They
alleged that Harmon had given instruc-
tions that her relatives should be kept
away from hor. Mrs. Deering, in her
testimony Tuesday had said that Harmon
kept lowering about while Elizabeth was
sick, and in the absence of the hired girl
he slept in her room SO as to hear all that
went on in Elizabeth's room during her
sickness.
Messrs. Edwin A. Noyes and Alpheus
g. Rogers testified as to the drawing of
money from the Portland and Maine
Savings banks by Harmon.
In the afternoon the witnesses for the
will came on. They were Ella Harmon,
Mary E. Palmer, Mary Colclough, Dr.
CharlessH. bennett, DR.. James Haines,
and John w. Harmon, in whose favor
the will was made. These witnesses tes-
titled that in their opinion Elizabeth
Woodman was in good mental condition,
although physically weak. They related
that she had said that it was an agree
ment between herself and her brother
William that their property should 60 to
the relative who came to care for them.
They also related that she had several
times remarked before her death that
she did not know what she should have
done if John Harmon had not come to
her house.
John W. Harmon of Bar Mills, former
ly blacksmith there, but now living on
the Elizabeth Woodman place, was called
to tell why the will was made in his be-
half. About two weeks before the broth
er died, he heard they were sick and
went up to his uncle's house. His aunt
Elizabeth asked him to come up and
help them. lie did. After his uncle
William died his Aunt Elizabeth asked
him to remain awhile. 1t was in April,
'91, after January when he came, tina
his Aunt Elizabeth asked him to tel
Squire Bradbury to come up. He did SO
She was alone with Squire Bradbury and
two of the neighbors for some time. He
did not know what they were doing. AT
forwards she gave him an envelope to
give to Squire Wells. This contained
the will. In May she told him to go to
Portland and draw out S17OO which
had been his Uncle Williams money,
and deposit it less $3.50 which she took in
Biddeford so that either he or she could
draw on it, In August by her direction
he drew$19O0 more from Portland and
carried it to her. 1t was kept at the
house three or four days, and then by her
direction hescarried it back to Portland
and deposited to be drawn either by
himself or by her.
The day after her funeral, the 4th of
last May, he drew out the $1,000 payable
to either in the Portland bank. I'm
mediately after he drew the money from
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