Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-08-10
ADDISON COUNTY COURT.

The Couroe Will Case Occupying Atten-
tion Mt the Adjourned Term.
The adjourned June term of the Addison
County Court was convened at Middebury
bit 1915 o'clock Tuesday, August |, with
on. James NJ. t. Ter OF Brattleboro again
presiding. There were two liquor cases
standing on the docket for trial, State VS..
B1ynton and State vs.. Steele. A molten
fer continuance was made in each case
The Steele case was readily continued with
tut the opposition of the States attorney,
put he did strenuously object to the con
inuance of the other one, in which it was
claimed that the respondent, who was in
Rut and, was too i'll to appear in court.
-ater in tho day the continuance was
granted, but only to August TO- not to the
hext term.
The case which the court practically had
eassembled to try, namely, The First Epis-
fopal society of Addison county vs. Isaac
!. Eels, ct al, was then called on and a
ury was then empanelled, every one OF the
rst j. jurors called being accepted. This
fase was tried last December with the result
hat the jury disagreed the trial having
asted eight days aud every inch Of ground
paving been stoutly contested by able coun-
|el. Briefly, the important points in the
ase these: Mrs. Lydia L. Conroe, a
widow, aged 81 years. died in Middlebury
June, 1891, worth about Sl5, 900 in real
state, bank stock and government bonds.
She had been lifelong member of St.
Stephens Episcopal church, which is identi-
al with the First Episcopal soci,ty of
addison county. lu November, 1888,
Mrs. Conroe made Il will In which, it is
damned by the proponents, she gave
ONE part of her property to the church.
subsequently, Mrs. Conroe having become
eeble and inhrm, had her nephew and
ece, Isaac L.. Ees and Mrs. Albert Ii.
Bperry OF Cornwall come and live With her
n the understanding that if they took care
+ her during her life time they should have
er property after her decease. In 1890
he surrendered to MIR. Eells a note for
1870 which she held against him, and to
Mrs. Sperry mortgage for $1,000 which
be held on some of her property. Later
till sne decided her real estate to these par
les and in February. 1891, four month.
rior to her death, she sent to the probate
flee for the will OF 1888 it having btsn
eft there for safe keeping. MIR. Eels went
fter the will on Mrs. Conroe's order, got
he will, brought it to her and on Feb. l.
urned by her direction and in her presen ce.
The Episcopal society people claim that in
his burnel will Mrs. Conroe had made q
Pequest to the church. that when the will
was destroy ed the old lady was mental y
incapable of ordering the destruction OF the
Vlll or doing any other business. They
eek to prove the contents Of the will by ora
violence, and that such bsquest was m ads
O the church in the last will Mrs Como,
made when she was capable of making one
Jounsel for each side made opening state
hents to the jury, embodying the dfferen
laims Of the parties before the noon recess ,
nd In the afternoon the testimony for tn
proponents of the burned will was begun
iassrs Stewart and Wilds AMI W. Ii
Bliss of Middebury and Hon. E. X. Hard o
Burlington appear for the church, while Hon
seneca Haseton Of Burlington and Hon
DEL c. Baker Of Rutland represent the de-
ence.
MInDLEBURY, Aug. 3.-Court has bee
teadily engaged yesterday and to day i
Feceving the evidence for the proponents {
he burned Conroe will In the case of til
vardens, etc, OF the First Episcopal C lurc
Addison county, appellants, VS.. Isaac
Cells ct al.
Ono more divorce case has been heard
oseph Bushnell vs.. Alma Gordon Bushne
II Weybridge. Judge Tyler prompt
granted divorce on the ground of Wilt,
teserton. w. II. Bliss represented the hui
land and there was no defense