The sun., 1894-10-14
LIFE WIrH rwo SPIRIT HUsBAxDs.
Nrs. HsIherrs Eeesutrieities Described st
the Contest sr Her VIII.

UTIcA, Oct. IA remarkable will contest 4
now before Surrogate Bentley for decision. Ir
January, 1902, Mrs. Mary y. Halbert died al
her home in the Village Of whitesboro leaving
an estate valued at $40, 900. In her will she SET
aside $4,000 for the care Of burial plot in Ever.
green Cemetery, westmorcland. Then she pro.
vided that two sisters, Mrs Harriet PiniRer, and
Miss Mary Jones should have $500 each
| Another sister Mrs. Ann Batchelor, and q
| brother. Alfred Jones. were TO receive only s25
each. The balance uf the estate was given to
her coachman. Thomas Kirk. who was ap-
| pointed trustee and sole executor. Mrs. Hal
| berts relatives contest the will on the ground
| that she was crazy. Kirk replies that she was =
| sriritualst, and that this explains q great many
| of her peculiarities.
| Mrs. Halbert was married twice and survived
both husbands. Through her belief In spirit
ualism she had regular tete-a-tetes with them
after their DEATH The first husband was John
Bachelor and the second Horace Halbcrt.
When Bachelor died his widow proposed to
bury him among the flowers in the front yard.
but his brother dissuadcd her. She fixed up n
couch In the house where he might rest wher
when he came to visit her In spirit form. and
there was always place for him at the
table. Bachelor had been something Of
dancer while alive. and he and his
wife often danced together when there
was not another soul In the house. The widow
continued these dances. jigs being her favorite.
She usually danced in scanty attire after com
ing from the bath, and on some Of these Occa-
whom she danced was Jerome h. bush. car
penter who was employed abont the house. She
had diHcrent methods in the matter Of baths.
cause servant. Mary Sauter. To- climb an apple
tree and shake the dew upon her.
acres. and she built a summer cottnge there.
The rooms were hung with pictures. and she
caused vault to he built, hut when the roof fell
In she used 1t as n stable. When Mrs. Halbcrt
something in the way OF beer. KirE accom-,
panied her ON these excursions. and at the close
9f the day they would whrl back to the village,
Finally lIalhcrt came along and she married
him. Their life was marked by queer incidents.
husband and She took lIalbert with her to the
cemetery TO converse with the spirit Of the de-
cemetery all night. After q few years Haloert
also died. Mrs. Iialbert poked the nose OF her
pet dog in the caskct and said:
There, doggy. there is your dead MASTER"
she dia not wish to have Grape put on the
be the proper thing, She was going to have the
casket trimmed with he same material, but was
any solemn music. w but % said she she would @ Oe engage
the village band. and that they should play
some lively air; She thought Marching Thro'
also intended TO have a carriage for her dogs.
One OF the bearer, At the funeral was George
the anniversary Of Halbert's death and would
havo the Fire Department and other local
organizations out. They would all 20 to the
cemetery and would have q good time: there
would be plenty to eat and drink and Horace
would be there to welcome them. When the
time for the memorial came no one would go
with her and the celebration was abandoned.
On one occasion she took some beer and cheese
to the cemetery for Halbert or his spirit Kirk
was with her. and they both came home drunk.
Mrs. Halbert had a liking for dogs She had
special bed for them and dressed them In gay
blankets. She had one dog which very fond
of beer and she and the dog frequently drank
from tho same glass until both were tipsy. She
insisted that when the dogs died. each should
have fine casket.
Once when there was an opening at one OF the
village saloons Mrs Halbert went to the Rev.
l.. A. Sawyer. and told him that young man
was going to open his home and that she would
like TO have him go there and make an address:
She gave him S. and he went. He surprised
to find that 1t was q saloon, but he spoke a few
words and went away.
All these things came to an end when Mrs.
Halbert was found one day. lying on her face in
bed She had died accidently Of suffocation.