Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1893-10-12

the court and Jury. remarks that the
case is most singular one. and Will be
found full of startling incidents. lie is
quite ready TO admit that the plaintiI,
Mr.. Grounding, has been quite lucky
to be remembered SO generously by
Major Nordrum, but he thinks before
the case shall end Mr.. Groanawig vii
learn, and SO will the public at large,
grateful parent the making Of such a
will would prove him to be.
/ While there are many strange and
| thrilling events connected with the al
legged and mysterious making of this
. Will. he expects TO provo to the
entire satisfaction OF court and
| jury that they are part and parcel
J of deep laid plot-yes, a foul AMI
| fiendish conspiracy to chco't, defr -
and swindle the young, bright, and
vivacious Mary Nordruln out of the
! fortune left by her father, and designed
| for his child and for her only, upon the
/ event of his death,
Major Nordrum loved his daughter
as he loved his life.
i Her mother, dying when Mary was a
wee child, the father had become pas
sionately devoted to her welfare and
/ happiness, and he had been heard to
say q hundred times that the only
! pleasure he had in making money was
! that his daughter might enjoy it, and
| he might feel that when the time came
he could no longer care for her she
would in nowise be dependent on her
own labor for support.
After the war Major Nordrum came
West and brought with him the say
ings generous country had dealt out
to him for services rendered. and while
he cultivated the soil and gathered his
harvests, he was fortunate in his in
vestments and successful in certain
speculatiOns, 50 that before he reached
middle age he had accumulated large
fortune. Major Nordrum died. A
motherless child was his only heir.
There was no other relative living to
claim the smallest share of the estate.
Andrew Nordrum LEFT NO WILL.
of the jury" proceeded the lawyer,
Il repeat it, and am ready to repeat
it again and again, Andrew Nordrum
LEFT NO WILL.
HE had frequently discussed the
subject with his lawyer, and upon be-
ing informed that his daughter would
| inherit, under the law. all his posses
sions, the same as she would under his
will, he concluded that the latter was
not necessary The doWment, if the
court please, and gentlemen of the
jury, now submitted to this court, and
claimed by Grounding to be the last
will and testament OF Major Nordrum,
! is a base and wicked forgery. The
plot is deep laid one. The conspira-
tors have done their work we'll.
! With the most cOnsummate skill. with
ingenuity worthy of the best brain of
the land, with the most wonderful
| ability to conceal facts and events. the
! ploters have SO completely drafted, per-
| fected and executed this document, that
! not until the attorneys were far along
in this investigation did they become
satisfied that the document was q for
gerry.
mot only is the late Major Nor
drums property at stake, but his repu-
tatlon for integrity, truth, and honor,
are in the scales. For him to disown
the child he loved and adored, and to
! bequeath to her only a small home
stead and the few things belonging to
it, and give to an old army comrade, if
army comrade he was, because he had
! simply performed all act that all brave
I SolulCIS Cidlul U11C IIS1U 10 pcfiOriu
| without hope or expectation of com
| pensation, the great bulk of his large
estate, was an act that would stamp
Major NOrdrum as a villain whose
memory deserved universal execratiOn.
| ''Major NOrdrum was no villain. The
| evidence will prove that he was an
| honest man."
! While by no means intended, Law
! yer Lewinsohn's remarks produced a
| profound sensation throughout the
| court room, and for q moment Or two a
| buzz went round the audience as though
| every one was expressing an opinion
upon its merits.
THE document offered in evidence"
said the court, las the last will and
| testament of Major Nordrum, seems to
have been properly proven, and is in
conformity with the statutes of the
state in such case made and provided.
Before proceeding with the testimony,
the court will pass upon the motion to
exclude this document because it has
been prepared by typewriting ma
chine. and hence is not in compliance
with the law which provides that wills
must be in writing The court is
clearly OF the opinion that to all iu-
| tents and purposes the will is in writ
ing. The motion is overruled."
[TO BE CONTINUED.