The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1893-10-31

Mrs. Ann Rudderow, of Riverton. Mr.
Rudderow is one of the administrators c
f the estate, and she has declined to joil
f with the other administrators IN filing al
f account with the Prerogative Court, a
Trenton, giving as reason therefor tina
she believed there was a will in exist
ence, and that it would be found befor
long. Her reason for this belief wa
based on the discovery of key among
her brothers effects, which she believes
belongs to missing TIN box in which h'
kept his will and other papers. Her sor
has also filed a claim of $4,000 against the
estate for services rendered, which it hai
declined to pay. This will prevent any
distribution of the funds among the heirt
for some time, and meanwhile Mrs. Rud
derow hopes to find the missing will.
So impressed is Mrs. Rudderow with
the idea that Wallace left will that,
with the hope of finding the box which
she thinks contains the will, she has adj
vertised as follows;
Important Notice.-Any person who
may have in their possession tin box,
with brass paddock on the same, book
account, will and other important papers
of Josiah Wallace, ST., deceased, late OF
Palmyra, New Jersey, will please notify
his sister, Ann S. Rudderow, one OF the
administrators to the estate. Address
ANN S. RUDDERow, Riverton, Burlington
county, N. j., P. o. Box l01."
Josiah Wallace was wealthy and &C.
centric recluse, who spent nearly all OF
the 80 years of his life in the neighbor-
hood of Palmyra. He was bachelor and
had eight brothers and sisters. One Of
these died without issue, leaving seven
families with claims to equal shares of the
estate. Mrs. Rudderow is the only one
of the original family living.
On the afternoon of May II, 1891, Wal
lace had stroke of apoplexy as he was
going through field near the house of
William F. Morgan, with whom he
boarded. He died instantly and was
found shortly afterwards. Mrs Rud-
derow was the only one of his brothers or
sisters living, but he left twenty-seven
nephews and nieces among whom his es-
tate would be divided. Mrs. Rudderow
William r. Lippincott, Albert G. Heullngs.
and Israel Roberts, were appointed adj
ministrators of the estate.
No will was found among his effects,
although the general impression was that
such a document existed. Mrs. Rudde-
row is confident that her brother made a
will, for, while he never told her so, his
a matter of fact. Only three days before
he died he said that if anything happen
ed to him all his effects would be found
in perfect order, and there would be no
trouble in settling his estate. Mrs. Rud-
derow never saw the missing tin box, but
she knows her brother had such box in
which he kept his papers.
A friend of Wallace, who has since
died, once saw this box and told Mrs.
Rudderow of it. William r. Howell, a
stock broker at 315 Walnut street, Phil
adelphia, transacted Wallace's business
for great many years and was close
friend to the old recluse. Mr.. Howell
said, on Friday, that he once asked Wal
lace if he had made will and Wallace
replied that he had. Nothing further was
said on the subject, but Mr. Howell said
that he believed his friend had made a
will and, further, that it would come to
light if the tin box could only be found
Mr.. Howell knew of certainty that
Wallace had such box, for he once kept
it in the Bank of North America and
had often talked about it and the secu-
rites it contained. Later he placed his
securities in vault of the Guarantee
Trust and Safe Deposit Company, and Mr..
Howell does not know what became of
the box, although be often saw the key
after that in Wallace's possession. A
strange fact in connection with the case is
that no one could ever be found who
wrote or witnessed the will, if such a doc
ument was drawn up, but as the old man
had an aversion to lawyers, his friends do
not consider this strange.
While the estate was being settled up,
George D. O'Neill, Pittsburg printer, APP
peared and laid claim to the estate on the
ground that he was a grandson of Josiah
Wallace This claim led to a lawsuit
which was decided against O'Neill, and
the court ordered that the estate be d.
vided among the twenty-seven nephews
and nieces and the surviving sister. This
division was about to be made, but Mrs.
Rudderow's action will delay the settle
ment for some time. She cannot say that
she expected to fare better in case her
brother left a will, but she is confident
that he made will and she wants to find
it. The other heirs seem to be satisfied
with their shares In the estate, and are
anxious to have it wound up as soon as
possible
Another feature of the case is suit
brought against the estate by Mrs. William
F. Morgan for $4,000 for nursing Mr.
Wallace for twenty years. The case will
probably be tried at the next session o.
the Supreme Court at Mount Holly.